Change Your Image
Aidil
Reviews
Husbands (1970)
A movie that every man and woman should see...
I wouldn't say that this is my favourite Cassavetes movie. That changes almost every week. But I can very safely say that this is his most profound and the one that everyone should see. Why? Because here he explores things that almost any human being would encounter at some point in their lives. And my, my, did he do it with such painful precision and beauty or what? The questions that this movie asks are actually simple. But I don't think that many people actually take time to ask themselves these questions, let alone deal with them. The movie simply asks us questions like what would marriage entail? What will it be like 20 or 30 years down the line? Are you truly prepared to face what marriage would entail? And the movie doesn't even provide any answers to these questions. But, chances are you would be glad that you actually saw the movie. It may be appallingly difficult to take at first. The first 30 or so minutes are just as crazy as the first 20 minutes or so of Faces(another Cassavetes masterpiece). But stick around and you'll be surprised at how touching and profound the film is. You'll be forced to think about things that you would rather not think about, sure. But you'll be thankful later that you actually did think about those things. Or at the very least you'll be thankful that someone did point out those things to you, even though you still hadn't put much thought into it. It'll be one long crazy ride(the film is about 2 hours and 20 minutes long), but it's such an important enough ride that everyone should take it. Every man should see it so that they could get to know themselves better. Every woman should see it because maybe it can help them understand men better. So go see it everyone, and thank John Cassavetes later for the experience.
Minnie and Moskowitz (1971)
An attack from within.
This is an incredible achievement for John Cassavetes. Not only has he made an outstanding screwball/romantic comedy, but he has also made a deep and biting attack on the way we let the movies(and also our culture) shape the way we see the world. For those of you who are seeking a love story, Cassavetes provides an extremely lovely one. The rules of the screwball genre are strictly followed. A man meets a woman, they are an impossible match in terms of personality, they try to fall in love, then comes the inevitable 'hiccups' in their relationship, and last but not least, the happy ending. But, as has always been the case with Cassavetes, that is only a very small fraction of what you'll get. He obviously has got a lot more to say. The 'surface' story is not the only story here. Beneath it lies another 'story'. And I don't think the other story will ever get past you unnoticed. The real story here is a 'cultural' one. It is a biting attack on the way we let movies and our culture influence our way of seeing the world. How does he present this attack? Well let me give you an example. The other day I watched this film with a friend. He made quite a few comments but the most striking one was when he complained about how is it that someone as unattractive as Seymour Moskowitz could get a woman as pretty as Minnie to like him(when you see the film you'll see). Now that is exactly the kind of attitude that Cassavetes is attacking. Why must everyone be 'handsome' or 'good looking' to be able to get a girl to like him? Minnie will constantly say to Seymour in the film that, "That's not the right face. You're not the man I'm in love with." It's a subtle attack but no less powerful. There's even one instance where Minnie, while in conversation with her friend, talks about movies as being a conspiracy because "They set you up. And no matter how bright you are you still believe it." This is a shining example of the fact that it is not enough to just recognise the problem, because it doesn't mean anything until you do something about it. There's a lot more, but I don't think it will be fun if I talked about everything. Part of the thrill of watching a movie like this is figuring it out. So I'll just talk about the 'surface' story a little bit more. A lot of people has called this movie 'earnestly real'. But don't be put off by that because like this world we live in, it's not all grim and grin. This isn't a Ken Loach film. While Cassavetes definitely does show us how ugly the world really is and can be, he has got enough insight to also show us that life can also be wonderful. I can give you a lot more examples, but I think it's best if you discover them for yourself. My comment here does not do justice to the movie. There's too much for me to say. And I don't think the space here allows it. So just go and see the movie. It'll be worth every minute.
Blow Out (1981)
A beautiful love story. Sublime....
To me, this is a beautiful love story. I don't know why I've never seen anyone comment on that side of the film before. Sure, there are those elements of 'conspiracy' and 'maniac killer' in the film. But ultimately, this is a love story. Everything else, the conspiracy and slasher elements, are just plot devices to get the two people (Travolta and Allen) together. And this is where the greatness of this film comes from.
It is a film of great heart. Passionate and wonderfully honest. The chemistry between Travolta and Allen is just sublime. You might not like Allen's character as a loopy and a bit unsure-of-herself girl, but you cannot take her sensitive and honest portrayal of the character away from her. In fact, if you do find her annoying, then she actually did succeed in portraying the character of Sally. Right, some people might not find a character like that appealing, but some other people (Jack Terry, for instance), might think that that's a wonderful quality to have. I'd want to meet a girl like that anytime!!
The scenes where Jack and Sally have their little bits of conversation are truly magnificent. You can really feel that here are 2 people who've just met, and kind of liked each other's company, but still not confident enough to let their true feelings be known to the other. I'm sure you'll remember your first few dates with the one you love with the same kind of feeling. I certainly can't understand why some people have said that these scenes are pointless. How can you say that your first few dates with the one you love are pointless? What do people talk about on their first dates anyway? Jack and Sally doesn't know each other yet, so what do you expect them to say?
As to why I think this is ultimately a love story, it's simple. How can you say that this is a film about conspiracy? There is no conspiracy. Watch it again closely and you'll see. This is not a thriller because there is nothing to be thrilled about. The 'slasher' element only serves the purpose of reaching the ending.
And, that is also why this is a great movie. And an original one too. Why? Because even though it borrows from several movies and directors such as Antonioni's Blow-Up and Coppola's The Conversation and of course, the Godardian techniques that are used, the way De Palma ultimately uses them is without any doubt original. This is because in every other thriller, conspiracy or 'slasher' movie, it is the love story that is used as a plot device to reach a certain goal of the director's. Or to make it clearer, the love story takes a back seat. It is there only for the hero to have a love interest. But in this movie, it is the thriller, conspiracy and 'slasher' elements that are used to further the director's goal, that is, to tell a love story. You don't believe me? Go and see the movie. You'll see.
I don't think I need to write anything about the techniques that De Palma used in this movie. Other users have commented upon these. I just wanted to give my opinion on one side of the film that has long been neglected, a side which I think elevated this movie above just about everything else. Go see this. It's wonderful.