May 24, 2015 A Woman Under the Influence (1974) (Dir. John Cassavetes) This week's viewing will be John Cassavetes's A Woman Under the Influence. This is one of my all time favorite films and one of the most purely emotional cinematic experiences I've ever had. For those unfamiliar with Cassavetes's work, this should act as a great introduction to one of the most important and exciting American filmmakers of all time. - @Vahn Spoiler @Youngshady @Zep @Flacko @Old_Parr @Narsh @Koolo @Sheriff Skippy @FilmAndWhisky @Five Star @KingDrizz @j94ose @Nuredin B @Soldier @Raziel @The Product Click here to check out last week's discussion.
May 27, 2015 Pretty sure @Vahn picked this to hound me into finally seeing it, which I intend to do today!
May 27, 2015 I'll be watching this later tonight. Reminder to try to give it a shot and post some thoughts before Sunday. Spoiler @Youngshady @Zep @Flacko @Old_Parr @Narsh @Koolo @Sheriff Skippy @FilmAndWhisky @Five Star @KingDrizz @j94ose @Nuredin B @Soldier @Raziel @The Product
May 27, 2015 I'll be watching too despite not being apart of this. Had no idea Cassavetes was a director.
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May 27, 2015 Gonna check at buybacks and see if they have this..last week was kinda crappy on my end as,far as being able to sit down and try to enjoy a movie
May 28, 2015 yeah, mostly everything is piff, aside from the couple hollywood pictures he did and regretted. There's like a streak of 8 films ranging from 1968 to 1984 that are all pretty great, most of them masterworks imo. My top 5 would probably be: A Woman Under the Influence The Killing of a Chinese Bookie Faces Opening Night Love Streams
May 28, 2015 After seeing one feature, Shadows, I was reluctant to watch Cassavetes a second time, in spite of @Vahn 's constant praise. I didn't feel much while watching Shadows, and I could sense that his perception of reality did not align with my own. His style of filmmaking did not seem right to me, and, after watching A Woman Under The Influence, I still hold this to be true. That said, I can appreciate his style for what it is, and I recognize the film for what it so masterfully accomplishes. My issue with Cassavetes, and I may be premature saying this, is that his movies are essentially filmed theater. They are dramatic, utilize close-ups, and focus on characters and dialogue. A large B*** of the film could quite easily be rendered as a theatrical performance with nothing lost. Matter of fact, what is most impressive in the film are the incredible performances of Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk. This is not a critique, but a personal reflection. As a film director, Cassavetes doesn't utilize the medium to its fullest potential, which would be to communicate something with cinema that would go otherwise untold . He has a story to tell, and he has lines of dialogue recited and scenes played out in order to do this. The film communicates on a rational and emotional level, opting to search for concrete realism. On the surface, this is not problematic, but I find myself becoming detached during some, scenes such as the spaghetti dinner, since rigid cuts give way to candid action and drama, which is at times overdrawn. In some instances, and particularly in the second half of the film, Cassavetes does channel a more sensitive rhythm. Some scenes that come to mind are when Mabel dances to Swan Lake with the children in the backyard, when she puts up her dukes while facing Nick and the doc in a pre-hospitalization showdown, and when Nick's negligence gets a coworker injured. Due to these scenes and others like it, the more rigid theatrical scenes carry a greater weight than they would otherwise. The result is a cinema of accumulation, in the vein of montage. As the emotional turbulence rises from scene to scene, and the audience associates drama with character, the film consolidates a force of energy finally erupting in Nick's climactic slap to throw Mabel to the floor. 88/100 - Excellent
May 28, 2015 So what's up with the psycho sexual and sometimes creepy incest stuff. Pretty old child to be shown nude, and how bout those little boys macking on Gena Rowlands... probs their first kisses. Not to mention Mabel & her father.
May 28, 2015 Νot that much into old movies but it seems interesting.. @CharlieWork pls mention me in the future
May 28, 2015 Im not sure if i will be able to check it this week il try though maybe on friday or saturday il watch it
