Rating: 
Summary: Perfect introduction to the world of Cassavetes
Review: A little-seen treasure. I believe that this is the first official release on video, so this wonderful film can finally be seen other than on the late night movie or the occasional film festival. A charming, offbeat love story of the unlikely romance between a WASPy, middle class museum curator (Rowlands) and a slightly wacky hippie parking lot attendant (Cassel), this is one of Cassavetes' most satisfying works. Rowlands is terrific as usual, and Cassel is also great. He's one of the most underappreciated actors of the late twentieth century. The two are an odd combination, but somehow it works. Some scenes are hilarious, particularly an early date scene between Rowlands and the great Val Avery as an overzealous potential suitor. It's been said that Cassavetes couldn't do comedy, but you can't tell it from watching this movie. Minnie and Moskowitz is a great introduction to Cassavetes. It manages to be light hearted and comedic, while retaining the strong characterizations, dramatic depth, and offbeat feel of his more serious films. Four and 1/2 stars (rounded up to five). Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: lovely
Review: All Cassavetes movies are worthwhile, and those with Gena Rowlands in them are doubly so. I'm awfully surprised to see this out on video as it has been particularly difficult to see over the years. I wouldn't suggest it to someone who has never seen a Cassavetes film before. Although it is particularly lighthearted for him, I don't think it would make a particularly good introduction. The film is odd, odd, odd... The characters really do seem pretty darned mismatched, but you wind up happy to see them together after getting to know them. It contains one of Cassavetes lovelier non-endings, too... I am flabbergasted that this and "Husbands" both managed to make it out on video before "Love Streams", though... Now THAT would make the perfect intro to Cassavetes I think, if you could make sure the introducee sat through at least the first 30-minutes. "Minnie and Moskowitz" is likely to leave the uninitiated a bit intrigued, but mainly puzzled.
Rating:
Summary: lovely
Review: All Cassavetes movies are worthwhile, and those with Gena Rowlands in them are doubly so. I'm awfully surprised to see this out on video as it has been particularly difficult to see over the years. I wouldn't suggest it to someone who has never seen a Cassavetes film before. Although it is particularly lighthearted for him, I don't think it would make a particularly good introduction. The film is odd, odd, odd... The characters really do seem pretty darned mismatched, but you wind up happy to see them together after getting to know them. It contains one of Cassavetes lovelier non-endings, too... I am flabbergasted that this and "Husbands" both managed to make it out on video before "Love Streams", though... Now THAT would make the perfect intro to Cassavetes I think, if you could make sure the introducee sat through at least the first 30-minutes. "Minnie and Moskowitz" is likely to leave the uninitiated a bit intrigued, but mainly puzzled.
Rating:
Summary: Deeper than American Beauty
Review: Any minute now the rest of the entertainment world is going to realize that the heyday of John Cassavetes and his ensemble casts (including Peter Falke and Cassavetes' wife Gena Rowlands,) have past, leaving a void that has yet to be filled by films that include truly heroic content conveying more truth about the human condition than the negative predecessors (American Beauty etc) You will find it hard to forget these films.
Rating: 
Summary: Behind-the-scenes for Cass buffs
Review: For a fascinating behind-the-scenes info about Minnie and Moskowitz and a list of books about Cassavetes' work, go to Ray Carney's website dedicated to John Cassavetes (found through any search engine).
Rating: 
Summary: Make it stop, dear Gods, please make it stop!
Review: I love Cassavetes, but I had a hard time getting into this one. Seymour Cassel yells and punches his way through a part that needed more hippie sweetness to win me over. He comes off more like a stalker than a passionate lover--in the end, Gena Rowlands doesn't seem to fall in love so much as cave in. Maybe it's the moustache--I liked him better when he cut it, too! The scenes with Cassavetes as her married lover are electrifying and I wanted to see more of him. This looks like a polished studio picture compared to most Cassavetes films. It's like he was trying to make a screwball romantic comedy in the Hollywood tradition but couldn't help being his explosive, passionate self. Still, some touching scenes (Rowlands drinking with her older friend, Cassavetes coming home to the kids) makes it well worth checking out.
Rating: 
Summary: Love on the Rocks
Review: I love Cassavetes, but I had a hard time getting into this one. Seymour Cassel yells and punches his way through a part that needed more hippie sweetness to win me over. He comes off more like a stalker than a passionate lover--in the end, Gena Rowlands doesn't seem to fall in love so much as cave in. Maybe it's the moustache--I liked him better when he cut it, too! The scenes with Cassavetes as her married lover are electrifying and I wanted to see more of him. This looks like a polished studio picture compared to most Cassavetes films. It's like he was trying to make a screwball romantic comedy in the Hollywood tradition but couldn't help being his explosive, passionate self. Still, some touching scenes (Rowlands drinking with her older friend, Cassavetes coming home to the kids) makes it well worth checking out.
Rating:
Summary: Make it stop, dear Gods, please make it stop!
Review: I think most of the reviews for this movie are positive simply because the sample of opinions is rather skewed. The reviewers are self-selected, perhaps consisting mostly of Cassavetes fans who are likely to buy DVD's of obscure 1970's independent films. I was subjected to this monstrosity in film class. It was like being in a waiting room in a hospital or somewhere, and some weirdo sits down next to you and starts spouting idiotic nonsense, and you can't get up and leave for almost two hours. I found myself frequently wondering if I could fatally puncture a major blood vessel with a ball point pen. I tried to give this film no stars but the server would not let me.
Rating:
Summary: All time classic
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and think it's one of Cassavetes best. It's been cast perfectly with Rowlands and Cassel and they both give moving, funny and electric performances. The exterior shots are amazing and the colours are great too. I laughed out loud many times at this shockingly real film and was deeply moved in parts like I am with most of his work. Seymour Cassel is a very underated actor and if you like him in this then you should watch In The Soup in which he is hilarious and very intriuging. I also recommend Cassavetes's Husbands which is just as good as the wonderful Minnie and Moskowitz. Check it out.
Rating:
Summary: Find out so much more!
Review: Is Moskowitz out of his mind? What's wrong with Minnie? Cassavetes teaches us that love might not appear as we want it to; as "a knight in shining armor" or "Sleeping Beauty". Instead, love transcends fantansy, and may manifest itself as something strange and unfamiliar. It is a REAL emotion, a grounded, earthy emotion, that moves us to do and to act in ways "uncharacteristic" of ourselves; spontaneous and eccentric (Moskowitz), or, when we long for it, love can make us feel small and desperate (Minnie). In addition, Cassavetes uses love as the impetus in proving how complex we can be; the degrees of our humanity in infinite shades: frustration, anger, passion, doubt, etc. Without going into detail about the film I would like to add that I've recently finished "Cassavetes On Cassavetes", a book about the filmmaker and his films, and it brilliantly gives fans a greater understanding of his films; that they are explorations of humanity, and a plethora of reasons why Cassavetes is regarded as a pioneer in the world of independent film. I highly recommend this film, and this book.
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