Directed by:
John CassavetesScreenplay:
John CassavetesComposer:
Bo HarwoodCast:
Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Fred Draper, Lady Rowlands, Katherine Cassavetes, Matthew Labyorteaux, Matthew Cassel, Christina Grisanti, Xan Cassavetes (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Mabel Longhetti (Gena Rowlands) has no emotional or creative outlets. Instead, she pours all her energy into her family, spending her days waiting for her husband Nick (Peter Falk) to arrive home from work, and anxiously awaiting her children's return from school. This dependence causes Mabel to suffer a nervous breakdown, forcing her to spend time in a mental hospital. Meanwhile, Nick struggles mightily to keep his family together. When Mabel returns six months later, dazed and shaken, a "welcome home" party threatens to trigger another collapse. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (2)
This is a very intense film, not only because of the great performances, but also due to the incredible direction, where John Cassavetes was able to amplify every moment you see on the screen. What looks like an ordinary dinner turns into a psychological drama that you want to escape from. This film will leave a strong impression on you.
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How should I behave so that others consider me, an exemplary mother and wife, to be normal? That’s a banal question, but try to act it out. I’m interested in knowing what kind of environment the director grew up in, as the absolutely unrelenting arguments that he has filmed are as authentic as a home video (which is due in part to the intrusive camera, which makes it difficult for us to find our bearings in the space by shooting close-ups of faces, which is a signature aspect of Cassavetes’s style). The actors are largely to thank for this. Falk is perfectly typecast in the role of a simple guy. The self-destructive use of Gena Rowlands, who is as fragile inside – despite some powerful gestures – as the bonds she tries to forge with the world around her, is impossible to just coldly watch, even if you reject her character as such. Those around her perceive her as a headcase, without anyone bothering to address the causes of her erratic behaviour. Unspoken concerns and the fear of facing problems head-on depress the direct participants (in quarrels) and disturb the passive witnesses, which naturally does not lead to a solution. It is fascinating and exhausting to watch psychologically tense situations for two and a half hours, but it is impossible not to question the meaning of it all. Extraordinary cruelty? Ordinary sadism? 85%
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Gallery (25)
Photo © Leopardo Filmes
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