Three sisters find their lives spinning out of control in the wake of their parents' sudden, unexpected divorce. [imdb]
Nominated for 5 Oscars:
Best Director: Woody Allen
Best Actress: Geraldine Page
Best Supporting Actress: Maureen Stapleton
Best Original Screenplay
Best Art Direction
There are lots of interesting details about this film, for example: Woody getting inspiration from Ingmar and Woody wanted Ingrid B to play the mother, but instead Ingrid chose to do her only film with Ingmar, both Geraldine and Ingrid got nominated and lost to Jane Fonda. Sounds confusing right? :D Unless you are a true Oscar buzzer :P and then it sound clear and familiar. I like Interiors because it's one of the most stylish films I've ever seen. Every frame is perfect, every actor great and what a wonderful homage to the great Ingmar Bergman! If only Woody would try again incredible dramas like this one!
I know many people don't enjoy Interiors, especially its lack of humor and the slow burning direction. I really enjoyed the screenplay, the acting and most of all: the direction and the cinematography! It's all so subtle, so cool, so chic and, while it would never have the depth of Autumn Sonata, it has enough style to fit my taste and keep both the style and the substance.
A wrong campaign stopped Geraldine from getting the Oscar (she is supporting and would've won in that category). Maureen Stapleton is wonderful and just like a ray of sun; she takes the film to another mood level and it's great. Maybe she deserved to win (I don't know, I haven't seen Meryl in Deer Hunter). Diane Keaton is fascinating and in any other year she could've received a Best Actress nomination and Mary Beth Hurt gives a great performance also.
This is not the typical Woody Allen film and, while it resembles Bergman, it's still different in a fascinating way and the mood of it (the direction, the editing, the cinematography) just makes me excited and passionate about Interiors and movies in general. Not perfect, but damn interesting.
My rating for the film: 9/10. One of the best final shots EVER. I need 1970s Woody Allen to come back.
P.S.: I can't believe Heaven Can Wait won Art Direction and not Interiors or any other film.
Posts
Damn, recently so many people have been loving this and I really want to see it but I can't find it anywhere here. I still think Geraldine is pretty excellent in Sweet Bird of Youth (what a best actress lineup that year!) and I love Woody, so I really do want to see this.
ReplyDelete(The Deer Hunter is great, but Streep doesn't exactly stand out...it's all about the men in that one.)
Of course to each his own, but I simply HATED this movie even though I'm a die-hard Woody fan. I felt it was forced, boring and annoying. I hated all the characters, except for Maureen Stapleton and I thought that Keaton acted as if she was in a soap opera. I guess I have to re-watch this movie.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely one of my favorite Woody Allens. A haunting movie that stays with you. Maureen, Geraldine and Mary Beth Hurt were all FABULOUS.
ReplyDeletedinasztie, I think you are entitled to NOT liking it, I am much aware it's a love or hate film :)
ReplyDeletewrong campaign might be true. but she is light years above Fonda's performance
ReplyDeleteDEFINITELY AHEAD OF FONDA!!!,WHERE WOULD YOU PUT MARY BETH LEAD OR SUPPORT.
ReplyDeleteThat is the thing with ensemble acting, no one is exactly either lead or support. Hurt might still be supporting but I can still see her in lead.
ReplyDeleteMost people rank this as minor Allen so it's good to see some love from you.
ReplyDeleteWhilst it's clear that Woody is taking his inspiration from Bergman in terms of visual style and pacing I don't think he manages to make you care as much about the characters which to me has always been a problem.
I think you definitely care about Pearl (Maureen Stapleton), I actually had most feelings towards her: both admiration for her lively spirit, but also felt sorry for the way the daughters were treating her. She seemed like a genuinely kind person.
ReplyDeleteAnd Woody knew that, and especially played around with her character just to tease us more... which makes it great direction and some great writing.
I agree that Mary Beth could work fine in both categories. from what i can tell, she definitely has the most screentime
lead it is then for hurt i found her to be best in show.
ReplyDelete