For the most part there are two camps when it comes to Woody
Allen movies: you love them or you hate them. There are a few of us out there
who pick and choose which we do and don’t like but you find far too many on
either side of the issue. Those that love him think he’s a genius. Those that
hate him think he’s not funny or dramatic. Myself, I think it depends on the
movie. HUSBANDS AND WIVES to me missed the mark and for one main reason I’ll
get to.
The movie beings with the story of two couples, Gabe and
Judy Roth (Allen and Mia Farrow) and Jack and Sally (Sydney Pollack and Judy
Davis). Getting ready to go out to dinner Jack and Sally announce that they’ve
decided to separate. This surprises Gabe but devastates Judy. The dinner
carries on but throughout you can tell it’s affected her. When they head home
she continues to go on about it with Gabe.
As the movie progresses we watch as both Jack and Sally try
to start their new lives on their own after all these years of marriage. It’s
easy for Jack because he was having an affair with a much younger woman
beforehand. For Sally it’s all neuroses and dealing with life alone. Jack’s new
flame Sam (Lysette Anthony) is as different from both Jack and Sally as you can
get, a yoga instructor who is big on astrology. She screams flake from scene
one.
Sally has her fling with a co-worker of Judy’s, someone Judy
finds attractive, named Michael (Liam Neeson). Michael loves poetry and tends
to lean into the romantic more than Jack did. He’s much more sensitive than
Sally can handle.
In the meantime whether due to the situation with Jack and
Sally or not, Gabe and Judy begin having problems. They argue about having
another child with Judy wanting one and Gabe hesitant. As the film progresses
the two of them switch sides on the matter. Judy begins to have this wistful
feeling towards Michael and Gabe becomes somewhat infatuated with one of his
students (Juliette Lewis).
The movie plays out in vignettes from one character to
another interspersed with interviews with each as well as others involved in
the story. It some cases it is a psychiatrist doing the interviewing while at
other times you would think it was a documentary film crew. The end result is a
less that straightforward story that works sometimes and not others.
For me the worst part of the film was the performance by Mia
Farrow. Combines with the character she plays and the dialogue given you have
to wonder if by this time Allen had felt it was time to part ways with her. That
the production of the film took place they year before the couple split makes
what you see understandable.
Farrow’s character is a self-centered passive aggressive
one. She manipulates those around her to get what she wants, appearing unaware
that she knows she’s doing so. One of the characters even comments on how she
does this. Her non-stop questioning of every single detail of the lives she and
Gave lives becomes grating in a short amount of time. Worst of all it feels as
if Farrow applies more of her own personal personality into the role than
performance.
But the entire list of characters are all insufferable.
Gabe’s infatuation with his student is unbelievable. Lewis as that student who
gravitates from one older man to another using them along the way is
contemptable. Jack’s gravitation and decision to leave his wife for a younger
woman is stereotypical. And Sally’s jittery mannerisms, nervous habits and
constant hem hawing about what to do or not to do makes one wonder how she and
Jack ever married in the first place.
The end result for me was a movie that left me glad I’d seen
it once so I could say I’d done so but never wanting to revisit again in the
future. It wasn’t funny and the drama felt false. Some love the movie and
proclaim it one of Allen’s best. For me it didn’t come close.
Twilight Time is offering this as they have a number of
other Allen films, in the best way possible with a 1080p hi def transfer.
Extras are very limited here to only an isolated music & effects track and
the original trailer. As with all of their releases Twilight Time has limited
this title to just 3,000 copies so if you’re an Allen fan and want to add it to
your collection make sure you pick a copy soon.
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