Husbands and Wives
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Woody Allen
Judy Davis
Mia Farrow
Sydney Pollack
Juliette Lewis
Liam Neeson
Jarring opening scene gives a strong indication of things to come. Arriving to dine with their best friends Allen and Mia Farrow, married couple Sydney Pollack and Judy Davis announce almost matter-of-factly that they're separating. It quickly becomes apparent Allen and Farrow have their own troubles. They've never agreed upon having a child: she's for it, he's not. College English instructor Allen takes a special interest in a talented and provocative student (Juliette Lewis) but steers clear of sexual involvement.
Pollack takes up with knockout New Age bimbo Lysette Anthony. Infuriated with how quickly Pollack has replaced her, the intense Davis goes out with Irish dreamboat Liam Neeson. When Neeson goes for Davis in a big way, Farrow becomes distraught, realizing the depth of her own feelings for him.
Allen creates a full-bodied gallery of hard-headed urbanites who more often than not operate out of self-destructive impulses. This is definitely his edgiest, rawest work in a good while.
While his subjects have remained much the same, Allen's style has undergone a radical change here. Carlo Di Palma's lensing appears to be almost entirely hand-held, creating a look somewhere between early French New Wave and cinema verite. Acting is of a very high caliber across the board, but Davis, in a very meaty part, is incandescent, revealing a whole new side to her onscreen personality.
1992: Nominations: Best Supp. Actress (Judy Davis), Original Screenplay
(Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1992. Running time: 107 MIN.
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