Interiors (1978)

(Traveling through the films of Woody Allen)

Title: Interiors
Release Date: 2 August 1978
Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Diane Keaton, Mary Beth Hurt, Kristin Griffith, Geraldine Page, Maureen Stapleton
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077742/
My Rating: (9/10) ★★★★★★★★★✩

This film touched me on a profoundly deep level. Woody Allen's first foray into drama is the startling story of three sisters coping with their emotionally unstable mother after their father walks out on her. Diane Keaton as the older sister is reserved and nuanced, yet reveals a world of emotion boiling just beneath the surface. Mary Beth Hurt as the younger sister left with the day-to-day burden of caring for their mother gives an incredibly honest performance while Geraldine Page as the matriarch is beautifully imperfect and gives a performance always rooted in her profound love for her husband, never in the cliches of mental anxiety.

Heavily influenced by the films of Bergman, this film consists of beautifully composed shots full of symbols and double meanings. It's a quiet film, where the soundtrack to the film really helps tell the story--I'm talking the ambient noise here. There are startling moments in the sound design that really support the powerful images and story. My favorite Woody Allen film yet!

Woody Speaking about Interiors