A.J. Hakari
06-19-2002, 02:28 PM
Taking a sabbatical from work to write a book, college professor Marion Post (Gena Rowlands) rents a downtown office to work in peace. But through a vent in her office, she can hear the conversations held by a psychiatrist and his patients in the room next to hers. One such voice that she listens in on is that of a pregnant woman (Mia Farrow) who is confused about her own life. This spurns Marion to investigate her own life, her marriage, her social life, and how she's managed to shield her emotions from the rest of the world.
You'd never guess from the story of ANOTHER WOMAN that it's written and directed by Woody Allen, who did this film almost ten years after his first dramatic work, INTERIORS, and a year after he released SEPTEMBER. ANOTHER WOMAN is an intense drama about how poorly we see ourselves. Only through hearing the sad confessions of Farrow's character can Marion realize the frightening parallels to her own life and see the path she's taken. Woody Allen has crafted a great film based upon the interactions of these characters and what happens when they learn that their own lives aren't so rosy.
The performances are excellent across the board. Rowlands, though her constant narration gets old once in a while, is marvelous as Marion. Allen's then-squeeze Farrow is heartwrenching as the patient through which Marion gets the gumption to take a look at herself. The supporting cast includes solid performances from Ian Holm as Marion's husband, Gene Hackman as a family friend who wishes Marion would fall in love with him, and the late John Houseman, in his last performance, as Marion's father.
Allen proves with ANOTHER WOMAN that he does just as well with drama as he does with comedy. While not flawless, the film's ideas are accurate in how they express the cold, harsh reality of life.
You'd never guess from the story of ANOTHER WOMAN that it's written and directed by Woody Allen, who did this film almost ten years after his first dramatic work, INTERIORS, and a year after he released SEPTEMBER. ANOTHER WOMAN is an intense drama about how poorly we see ourselves. Only through hearing the sad confessions of Farrow's character can Marion realize the frightening parallels to her own life and see the path she's taken. Woody Allen has crafted a great film based upon the interactions of these characters and what happens when they learn that their own lives aren't so rosy.
The performances are excellent across the board. Rowlands, though her constant narration gets old once in a while, is marvelous as Marion. Allen's then-squeeze Farrow is heartwrenching as the patient through which Marion gets the gumption to take a look at herself. The supporting cast includes solid performances from Ian Holm as Marion's husband, Gene Hackman as a family friend who wishes Marion would fall in love with him, and the late John Houseman, in his last performance, as Marion's father.
Allen proves with ANOTHER WOMAN that he does just as well with drama as he does with comedy. While not flawless, the film's ideas are accurate in how they express the cold, harsh reality of life.