Another Woman (1988)

Title: Another Woman
Release Date: 18 November 1988
Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Gena Rowlands, Blythe Danner, Mia Farrow, Ian Holm, Gene Hackman
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094663/
My Rating: (9/10) ★★★★★★★★★✩

Gena Rowlands stars as Marion, a 50 year old woman facing a midlife crisis. About to start writing a book, she rents a downtown apartment next door to a psychiatrist's office and due to a bit of acoustical magic, she can hear everything that is being said in the doctor's office (side note, is there really even a doctors office or is it all just a working of her subconscious?).

Marion is the kind of woman who's lived her entire life without actually feeling too deeply. She makes sensible, intelligent decisions and considers herself quite accomplished, but when it comes down to it she's chosen this life over any sense of passion. So when she begins eavesdropping on Hope's (Mia Farrow) conversations with her psychiatrist she begins seeking out that passion she traded and re-examining her own life of sensible decision making.

This film is one of Woody Allen's sparse, Bergman-esque films (shot by Bergman's premiere cinematographer). Gena Rowlands is really incredible, and the camera loves holding on her for minutes at a time. Her deeply analytical stature shrouding a woman desperate to burst free is remarkable. There are other outstanding performances as well, particularly by Sandy Dennis and Barbara Buckley as two different women spurned by Marion's actions. Watch this with Interiors for a different side of Woody Allen!

Airplane! (1980)

Title: Airplane!
Release Date: 2 July 1980
Directed by: Jim Abraham, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Robert Stack, Peter Graves
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080339/
My Rating: (7/10) ★★★★★★★✩✩✩

I'm ashamed to say I'd never seen this movie before. The fact that it had been on my radar all my life is no excuse. I'll admit I dismissed it partially due to not understanding the appeal of Leslie Nielsen and also due to the love my parents and grandparents seemed to have for it. That made it an *old* film in my mind and my appreciation of comedy was far more in tune and sophisticated than theirs. So last night I watched it for the first time. And this morning I watched it for the second time. Genius!

I love so much what ZAZ did here by casting these serious actors of the genre in these satiric roles. That alone elevates the film and gives it this classic quality. I also understand Leslie Nielsen a bit more now than I used to and actually began to appreciate his deadpan delivery. Knowing he was not trying to be a comic actor helped a lot. The cameos were awesome, especially the cameos by Ethel Merman (in her last film) and Barbara Billingsley as a Jive talking middle aged woman.

I must admit though, much of the references do not stand the test of time. Though the gags still have impact, the social commentary they are making feels a little empty. That simply comes from being 32 years old and out of context.

Man cannot survive on Woody Allen alone

I'm branching out!

September (1987)

Title: September
Release Date: 18 December 1987
Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Mia Farrow, Elaine Stritch, Dianne Wiest, Sam Waterston
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093940/
My Rating: (8/10) ★★★★★★★★✩✩

"Life is too short to dwell on our tragedies"

September was intended to be like a filmed play, thus there is only one location and a small cast of characters. Perhaps this is also why there is a touch of melodrama running throughout the piece and a very theatrical way about each of the characters. Elaine Stritch as an old Broadway star, of course gets a free pass. But the rest find themselves again and again in situations where whispers or screams are more appropriate than natural conversation. To the credit of the film though, the quietest scenes are the most engaging and Mia Farrow strikes a chord as a lonely woman recovering from a suicide attempt.

The most interesting thing about this film to me is that it was actually filmed twice. Woody Allen, so dissatisfied with the first attempt, recast a few roles and tried it again. Perhaps in this way it is most like a stage production.