Interiors | | Cast : | Diane Keaton, Geraldine Page | | Director : | Woody Allen | | Studio : | Mgm/Ua Studios | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | August 02, 1978 | | DVD Released Date : | September 07, 2004 | | Language : | Unknown (Dubbed), English (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | April 30, 2005 | | Summary | Important Landmark in Allen's Body of Work. | Content
 | `Interiors', written and directed by Woody Allen, is by far his most serious work and his biggest departure from his earlier comedies, yet, as the film he did between the major award-winning `Annie Hall' and the comic, but much more serious `Manhattan', it was probably one of the more important milestones marking the changes in his writing. It certainly gave rise to the entire popular and critical hubbub about preferring his earlier, `funny' movies; an attitude Allen parodies himself in `Stardust Memories'.
In spite of the fact that I can detect not one hint of a joke in `Interiors', this does not mean Allen has abandoned his core subjects of sex, death, creative freeze-up, parents, and relationships between partners. Diane Keaton, for example, plays a character almost identical to her role in `Manhattan', a New York literary figure. In `Manhattan', she is a successful book editor. In `Interiors', she is a successful poet married to a less successful novelist and teacher, very similar to the character played by Michael Murphy in `Manhattan', to whom she plays mistress. One of the many little subplots which spills over into sexual misdirection is Keaton's husband, played by Richard Jordan, virtually raping Keaton's actress sister, played by Kristin Griffith.
The story is incredibly spare. Aside from two suicides and the rape, practically nothing happens other than dialogue. Unlike so many of Allen's other movies, even the location is anonymous. While a keen eye will spot some unobvious New York City scenes and the suburban locations are not hard to assume to be Long Island, `New York' manages to stay out of this movie as a character. The very spare set decoration is an essential part of this story, as part of the sense of the title, `Interiors', comes from the occupation of the central character played by Geraldine Page, whose role is the mother of three daughters (Keaton, Hurt, Griffith) and the wife of a lawyer played by E.G. Marshall. Marshall's character creates the basic situation driving the movie when he announces he has decided he needs to live alone, apart from his wife.
Of course, the movie would be incredibly shallow if the whole story was about living in bare white Manhattan co-ops and equally spare Long Island beach houses. The relations between the eight star roles are certainly enough to spin all sorts of symbolism meaning this, that, but I will try to keep speculation to a minimum.
While the parents separation and Page's suicides are the external forces driving the story, the `interiors' story seems to be the fact that with the possible exception of Maureen Stapleton, Marshall's post-separation girlfriend, not one of the characters interact with any of their family members with any empathy or feeling until the suicides precipitate an external need for action. Stapleton's difference from the other characters stands out in that she is the only lead character who is not part of this family of highly disconnected people.
I am hard pressed to think of any playwright or filmmaker with whom to compare this work. It is totally free of the kind of energy common to most American filmmakers, who, except for my other hero director, Stanley Kubrick, seem to be uncomfortable if more than ten seconds goes by without strong words or action showing up on the screen. It is also totally free of the kind of obvious imagery we see from Bergman or Fellini. We may not know to what they are alluding, but we are darn sure they have hidden a message somewhere in those wild strawberries or that giant fish. The closest I can come may be some of the plays of Eugene O'Neill and Tennessee Williams. I am less familiar with Ibsen, but I suspect there may be some influence from that quarter as well.
If for no other reason, this movie is a delight to see the workings of such a great ensemble cast perform together. This is by far the youngest appearance I recall seeing of Sam Waterston and we probably see far too little of Marshall, Stapleton, Page, and Keaton in really serious work.
Other reviewers have amply commented on the great skill and beauty of the cinematography. I will interject a small concern that some of the scenes were a bit too dark, not that anything but the dialogue was very important in most scenes.
This is a very hard movie to recommend. While Allen has done other movies with very serious themes such as `The Purple Rose of Cairo', `Crimes and Misdemeanors', `September' and `Husbands and Wives', this movie is about as far from his center of gravity based on humor as you can possibly imagine. Therefore, if you are simply amused by his movies, you may want to take a pass on `Interiors'. On the other hand, if you like the way Allen treats his core subjects, you should really see this movie at least once. For died in the wool Allen fans, you probably need to watch it about once every two years to see what new insights it gives on Allen's art.
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| Rating | | | Date | December 06, 2004 | | Summary | Another side from Allen | Content
| Haunting, bleak, somber, grey, tragic, morose, repressed. All these describe Interiors. And this Woody Allen made right after Annie Hall! The story, expanded upon throughout the rest of these reviews, is about a family struggling with each other after the matriarch has a nervous breakdown. The children, three sisters (echoing "Cries and Whispers" and Chekov?), their significant others, and their father all debate what of their lives and history and mother and each other. Interiors is a moving film, not funny, not even light, save for Maureen Stapleton, the only character with any positive energy, whose vitality is echoed in her red, pink and kalidescopic clothing. But Interiors is a great examination and an up-close creation of a family's struggles within itself and how each individuals issues shapes the family. The set designs, in very muted tones, the clothing, the lack of music, the darkness, and the harsh and gorgeous beach photography all enhance the story.
The DVD has no features, except the usual language modifications, wide-screen/standard option and trailer.
Recommended for those interested in Allen's darker side and/or Ingmar Bergman-like/Scandanavian aesthetic. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 06, 2004 | | Summary | Woody Allen does Neil LaBute | Content
| In general, I tend to slant towards Woody Allen's comedies as opposed to his dramas. I'll take "Annie Hall" and "Hollywood Ending" over "Husbands and Wives" and "Bullets Over Broadway" any day. And as far as his dramas go this one is just about as dark as they get. The story focuses on a family of miserable people who derive joy only from causing more misery within the family. I liked the way the film was fearless in looking at the way families argue. I felt many times that I had accidentally wandered into my own living room. . .especially when Eve was causing a scene over the lamp. It also remained very grounded, at least until the very end. Allen deals with life's big issues in this film such as death, expectations, and truth. At times he digs too deep for the sake of the movie, but I will take that concession to get a movie this good. Of course by saying that I will probably be lampooned in his next film as a naïve fool who can't understand why the movie I'm watching doesn't have any explosions. In this film he takes the obligatory shot at those who only see art for their surface value, and a woman named Pearl is his stand in punching bag. In the end, Allen teaches us that truth is good, until it morphs into cruelty, and that in the interior of the world we know we can try to protect those we love, but when they run up against the waves of the real world there is nothing we can do.
3.75 out of 5
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| Rating | | | Date | November 29, 2004 | | Summary | A Powerful, Emotional and Overlooked Masterpiece | Content
| "Interiors" greatest crime is simply that it was the dark and dramatic follow-up to "Annie Hall". Period.
A dark and moving picture in the spirit of Bergman, "Interiors" has some very powerful but subtle performances. No one overdoes it which ads to the surreal and grim feeling that the realities that are being dealt with in the film are as large, vicious and unrelenting as the raging ocean outside of the beach house.
It's a very theatrical film- very much like a play.
Truth is, I watched this film only after John Waters reccomended it. Go figure.
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