Interiors

Rating:
Summary: He knows women so well; too bad they hate him.
Review: Woody Allen probably knew that Interiors would be panned by his most loyal fans, his most ardent critics (Pauline Kael), and even the always honorable motion picture industry. How he managed to ignore what might have been insurmountable difficulties for another is a feat of no small measure; how he managed to craft this dramatic gem is "an impossibility commensurate with two like snowflakes" (from Woody's Getting Even). Mary Beth Hurt shines as Joey, a passionate but ambivalent actress-photographer-copywriter, who cannot transcend her pressing responsibility as daughter to a delusional and depressed woman, Eve (Geraldine Page). She has two sisters (a theme to be further explored in Allen's later Hannah and her Sisters), one of whom is fairly irrelevant and indifferent to her life (the only underdeveloped character in the film), the TV actress Flynn. The other sister Renata (Diane Keaton) is a highly successful poet who has distanced herself from Joey while she deals with complex emotional issues stemming from an abusive, alcoholic husband (Richard Jordan) and her own artistic "paralysis." Woody weaves the stories together with dignity and grace, and Gordon Willis' superlative cinematography pays homage to Bergman's Sven Nyqvist (the beachwalking scene could be Persona in color) while infusing his own creative vision into each shot. Woody's comic flair is nonpareil, and his unique cinematic concept is timeless and powerful. With Interiors, Woody indelibly makes his mark as one of the finest dramatists of the 20th century as well.

Rating:
Summary: Allen's Bergman homage
Review: Woody Allen threw the film world a curveball in 1978 when he released not only his first straight dramatic film, but also the first film he directed that he didn't appear in. Although the film confused and possibly enraged some fans, it holds up today as, in my opinion, one of his most strikingly daring films.

It's obvious to anyone watching "Interiors" that this is an homage to Allen's favorite director, the great Ingmar Bergman. The quiet, the seriousness, the dysfunction -- it's "Cries and Whispers" for the Manhattan intelligentsia. While the film obviously pays tribute to Bergman, it's no mere copy. It has a life and style of its own, mainly due to the performances.

The film deals with a wealthy, successful man (E.G. Marshall) who decides to separate from his unstable wife (Geraldine Page). The wife is thrown into depression and suicide attempts. Her three daughters are there to help, but can only do so much. Diane Keaton plays the stable, earthy Renata. Her husband is a failed writer and an alcoholic (played by Richard Jordan). Joey (Mary Beth Hurt) is the neurotic, stuffy, moody one who can't seem to find happiness in any profession she attempts. Her husband is played by Sam Waterston, and he's probably the one normal person in the whole film. The third daughter, Flynn, is played by Kristin Griffith as a TV-movie actress whose films are always panned by her family, both in and out of her presence. Maureen Stapleton plays the role of Pearl, the feisty woman Marshall begins dating soon after his separation. His children are surprised that he wants to remarry so soon, and Joey shows open contempt for his choice of a new wife.

This is not "Bananas," "Sleeper," or even "Annie Hall." This is Woody Allen showing the dark recesses of family dysfunction. Geraldine Page is simply outstanding as the mentally unstable middle-aged woman. The scene where she "prepares" for her first suicide attempt is extremely dark and sad. Her final "beach" scene is beautifully shot. The rest of the cast does a great job, but she is head and shoulders above the rest.

It's interesting to see Allen stretch out with this style of filmmaking, and I think it works very well. He has obviously studied Bergman's works carefully. This is no mere copy, it's a beautiful homage.

The picture quality is good but not excellent for a DVD transfer. And as with all of Allen's discs, there's really not much in the area of extras -- just a trailer. But this is definitely a film to check out.

Rating:
Summary: A Harrowing Study of "Family Values!"
Review: Woody Allen's "Bergman" film, INTERIORS is, to say the least, a peculiar viewing experience. It is a deeply-felt, superbly-acted film which nearly collapses under the weight of its own pretensions, saved only by the astonishing performances and brilliant photography. The plot revolves around three daughters, Renanta, Joey and Flyn, and their relationship to their mother, Eve. Eve is a highly-strung woman whose life is destroyed when her husband (E.G. Marshall) blithely throws her away after decades of marriage. Eve, whose perfectionism is ultimately blamed for everyone else's problems, is a materialistic decorator who uses objects as talismans to secure her grip on a world which grows increasingly hostile to her as the film progresses. Eve is seen as "perfect" by her family, but it is this delusion on the part of those around her that destroys her. Eve is treated by everyone around her as an object that nobody wants, an image impossible to live up to. Wrapped up in their own competitiveness and selfish concerns, her daughters pay little attention to her cries for help, and barely seem to see her as a real person. Indeed, Eve is finally driven to suicide not only by her ex-husband's remarriage, but by the hostility of her middle daughter, Joey, who (in a devastating monologue) reveals that she has hated her for years. Neither Joey nor Renata - both domineering, unstable and emotionally cold - realize just how much they resemble Eve, and it seems that their own marriages are in trouble for similar reasons. The main character of the film is really Joey, a brilliant but frustrated woman who feels trapped between her "perfect" mother and her sisters, one talented (Renata), and the other beautiful (Flyn), and who would like to be an artist but doesn't have the talent. Joey is also Daddy's favorite daughter, which causes still further resentment between her and Renata (the youngest daughter, free-spirited and coke-snorting, hardly appears in the film, and when she does it is obviously meant to contrast the vapidity of the "L.A." lifestyle to the "seriousness" of the east coast). This fragile network of relationships comes apart on one fateful night in East Hampton, when Daddy marries Pearl, a none-too-bright, rather vulgar Jewish widow at the family house. A fight breaks out at the reception, and everyone proceeds to get very drunk. Renata's husband nearly rapes Flyn, and Eve crashes the party only to be mocked and vilified by her own child. Eve kills herself by walking into the Atlantic Ocean just outside. Joey nearly dies trying to save her, but is pulled from the water and resuscitated by Pearl, whom she had insulted earlier in the evening. This sequence is AWESOME. Exquisitely shot and edited (at the moment Eve dies, Renata and Flyn open their eyes from a sound sleep), the only sound is the unending BOOM of the waves against the shore. In this one scene, the film works as the deep "cinematic art" that Allen was trying so hard to create. Everything that INTERIORS does well is summed up in this moment. That said, the film is at times unbearably pretentious (Best Unintentionally Funny Line: Joey about Pearl: "She's a VULGARIAN!" - Oh my!!) and emotionally one-sided: these people seem not to have had a single happy moment in their lives, despite their fashionable wardrobes, successful careers, and expensive Manhattan and Long Island real estate. I'm sure the whole thing is supposed to be a dissection of the emotional underpinnings of WASP-culture, but scene after scene is so overwritten that the whole thing becomes unbelievably ponderous. Maureen Stapleton livens things up a bit and the vibrant-but-dumb Pearl, but even her character (a trashy yenta) is a cliche (Pearl wears bright red all the time and talks about food a lot - WOW, she must be the symbol of Jewish vitality versus WASP restraint - what an original idea, Woody!). The film also has a certain high-70's "Me-decade" quality, (as evinced by such lines as "I'm sick of your needs and insecurities! I have my own problems!") which again pushes it towards the unintentionally comical. Still, the graceful, intense acting saves the whole thing. Despite its pretensions (the last shot defines the term, "arty") and self-consciousness, INTERIORS still packs an emotional punch if you happen to be an East Coast intellectual type. If you aren't, much of the dialogue will leave you stranded. See this film for the performances and the often-exquisite compositions. Whatever else it may be, INTERIORS is unique within the American cinema, an experiment that hasn't been repeated.

Rating:
Summary: The "Interiors" of lost souls
Review: Woody Allen's follow up to his Academy Award winning film "Annie Hall" was his first drama, and a real disappointment when first released. But, dispite the unwarm reception it received from the American public "Interiors" went on to earn several Academy Award nominataions including; "Best Director", "Best Screenplay", and "Best Actress" (Geraldine Page). I avoided watching this film due to awful word-of mouth. The funny thing is I own a copy of this film for 4 years and never was once tempted to watch it, that is untill a few days ago. "Interiors" I now feel is a true masterpiece, but, of course it has it's share of faults, which I will get to later.
The main reason I enjoy this story, which is mainly about a family crumbling, is because I can connect with the characters. I love movies about hard, grim subjects, especially ones that deal with families, as you can tell I'm just a load of laughs to be around lol. Allen managed to create some very interresting characters. I really loved watching Mary Beth Hurt, who plays I believe the middle child of three sisters, Joey. Joey, as Renata (Diane Keaton) puts it, has all the personal problems of an artist, but, none of the talent. Joey yearns to be able to express the feelings she has inside, but doesn't know how to express them. She is one of the most interesting characters I've seen in a while. You can't help but feel for her. I enjoyed the little bit we see of Flyn, the youngest sister played by Kristen Griffith, she is what I would call the "black sheep" of the family. She's a daytime soap opera actress, who gets mixed up with drugs and drinking. She also seems "lost" and it looks as if she will never find her direction. I just wish Allen would of find some way to make her a stronger character. I kept wanting to know more about her. Finally, of course when you have a talent like E.G. Marshall in a movie, you can expect him to bring something special with him. His just perfect as Arthur, the husband and father who is going through a mild depression.
Now the faults. The dialogue seems stiff. No one in this movie talks the way "real" people talk. I didn't like Diane Keaton in this movie very much. I think it's the worst character Allen has ever written for her, and I say this because, I didn't find her to be likeable. When we think back to movies like "Sleeper", "Manhattan"", and "Annie Hall" she was always likeable in them. I found her character to be rather bland. But, I must admit, she does have one great scene where she and her husband, Frederick (Richard Jordon) get into an agrument. That scene is just full of emotion. It reminds me of Ingmar Bergman's "Scenes From A Marriage". It reaches that same level of intensity. The character Mike, played by Sam Waterson is rather bland as well. There was nothing really there for him. But, don't worry Allen would later give him a much better role in "Crime and Misdemeanors" as a blind rabbi. Maureen Stapleton seems like she's having fun with her role, and she does a fine job, only problem, again, Allen didn't give her a big enough part. By the time she enters the movie, you have about 30-40 minutes till the film ends. Woody has been quoted saying, if he could remake this film he would have introduced her much earlier into the film. For those who don't like Allen's "European" films, stay far away. As I was watching this film I could almost picture the characters dialogue appearing as subtitles. Everyone is under the impression that this film is Allen's answer to Bergman's "Autumn Sonta", well you couldn't be more wrong. True, both films were released in the same year. If you want to see Allen's version of "Autumn Sonata" watch "September", but beware. As "September" is a much weaker film than this. Infact I consider it to be Allen's worst. There is one scene I feel I have to mention before ending my review. There's a scene where Joey (Mary Beth Hurt) finds out she's going to have a baby. She doesn't want a child right now, but Mike (Sam Waterson) thinks it might be a good idea for them to have a baby and get married. In the next scene, Joey wakes up before Mike and just starts to watch him sleep. She then leans over and starts to wake him up with her kisses, it's the most touching scene in this entire film. Which is really a "cold" film that shows no passion at all. This marked a wonderful try to do a straight drama by Allen, I really enjoyed this film. And I hope others will too!

Rating:
Summary: The "Interiors" of lost souls
Review: Woody Allen's follow up to his Academy Award winning film "Annie Hall" was his first drama, and a real disappointment when first released. But, dispite the unwarm reception it received from the American public "Interiors" went on to earn several Academy Award nominataions including; "Best Director", "Best Screenplay", and "Best Actress" (Geraldine Page). I avoided watching this film due to awful word-of mouth. The funny thing is I own a copy of this film for 4 years and never was once tempted to watch it, that is untill a few days ago. "Interiors" I now feel is a true masterpiece, but, of course it has it's share of faults, which I will get to later.
The main reason I enjoy this story, which is mainly about a family crumbling, is because I can connect with the characters. I love movies about hard, grim subjects, especially ones that deal with families, as you can tell I'm just a load of laughs to be around lol. Allen managed to create some very interresting characters. I really loved watching Mary Beth Hurt, who plays I believe the middle child of three sisters, Joey. Joey, as Renata (Diane Keaton) puts it, has all the personal problems of an artist, but, none of the talent. Joey yearns to be able to express the feelings she has inside, but doesn't know how to express them. She is one of the most interesting characters I've seen in a while. You can't help but feel for her. I enjoyed the little bit we see of Flyn, the youngest sister played by Kristen Griffith, she is what I would call the "black sheep" of the family. She's a daytime soap opera actress, who gets mixed up with drugs and drinking. She also seems "lost" and it looks as if she will never find her direction. I just wish Allen would of find some way to make her a stronger character. I kept wanting to know more about her. Finally, of course when you have a talent like E.G. Marshall in a movie, you can expect him to bring something special with him. His just perfect as Arthur, the husband and father who is going through a mild depression.
Now the faults. The dialogue seems stiff. No one in this movie talks the way "real" people talk. I didn't like Diane Keaton in this movie very much. I think it's the worst character Allen has ever written for her, and I say this because, I didn't find her to be likeable. When we think back to movies like "Sleeper", "Manhattan"", and "Annie Hall" she was always likeable in them. I found her character to be rather bland. But, I must admit, she does have one great scene where she and her husband, Frederick (Richard Jordon) get into an agrument. That scene is just full of emotion. It reminds me of Ingmar Bergman's "Scenes From A Marriage". It reaches that same level of intensity. The character Mike, played by Sam Waterson is rather bland as well. There was nothing really there for him. But, don't worry Allen would later give him a much better role in "Crime and Misdemeanors" as a blind rabbi. Maureen Stapleton seems like she's having fun with her role, and she does a fine job, only problem, again, Allen didn't give her a big enough part. By the time she enters the movie, you have about 30-40 minutes till the film ends. Woody has been quoted saying, if he could remake this film he would have introduced her much earlier into the film. For those who don't like Allen's "European" films, stay far away. As I was watching this film I could almost picture the characters dialogue appearing as subtitles. Everyone is under the impression that this film is Allen's answer to Bergman's "Autumn Sonta", well you couldn't be more wrong. True, both films were released in the same year. If you want to see Allen's version of "Autumn Sonata" watch "September", but beware. As "September" is a much weaker film than this. Infact I consider it to be Allen's worst. There is one scene I feel I have to mention before ending my review. There's a scene where Joey (Mary Beth Hurt) finds out she's going to have a baby. She doesn't want a child right now, but Mike (Sam Waterson) thinks it might be a good idea for them to have a baby and get married. In the next scene, Joey wakes up before Mike and just starts to watch him sleep. She then leans over and starts to wake him up with her kisses, it's the most touching scene in this entire film. Which is really a "cold" film that shows no passion at all. This marked a wonderful try to do a straight drama by Allen, I really enjoyed this film. And I hope others will too!

Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: Woody Allen's wonderful sense of humor is not his greatest asset: it's his storycrafting genius, and nowhere is this more obvious than in this brilliant piece of serious drama, which is not merely an homage to Allen's filmmaker idol Ingmar Bergman, but an emotionally complex, riveting story in its own right. Interiors is an examination of a family coming apart at the seams, not as a result of some outside, malevolent force, but merely due to the intricacies of human nature.

Note that in his more serious work, Allen typically paints one character as the story's conscience and emotional center, and he usually plays this role himself; there are disappointing results when anyone else tries to do it. Not so for Marybeth Hurt in her multi-faceted portrayal of Joey, the family's frustrated emotional caretaker, unable to find her own identity. Maureen Stapleton also provides both contrast and comic relief in her role as Pearl, a character unfettered by complexity--and intellect!

One of the great, exhilirating pleasures in watching films is coming across a masterpiece like this one.