CS Film Club II

I'll check out you hurt my feelings.  And if I don't like it, you can say that to me.

A Woman Under The Influence

Funny how the last movie I did for the film club, Force Majeure, was a look into the relationship of a seemingly normal couple and how it's tested due to pretty wild circumstances. While it's not exactly the same structure, A Woman Under The Influence again observes a family that's being tested, this time by a mentally ill woman and a husband who's desperately trying to hold it together. There's no traditional plot structure here, instead we watch a woman as she bottoms out, finds treatment, then tries to return to her family. We witness her personal journey and the toll it takes on her family over time. This movie is actually my first gander into the filmography of John Cassavetes. I was previously assigned The Killing of a Chinese Bookie during the very last film club of the original forum before we migrated over here but I think the film club, that round specifically, may have been lost in the shuffle. I've been meaning to go back and finally fill out my missing assignment and after watching A Woman Under The Influence I have a newfound desire to do so considering how intense, gruelling and personal this film felt.

Anchored by two very tense and powerful performances, A Woman Under The Influence begins with Nick, a blue collar worker, trying to get home for a romantic evening with his wife Mabel while their kids stay with Mabel's mother. A work emergency prevents him from getting home until the next day which prompts Mabel to walk the town at night, get drunk and spend the night with a stranger. At first I thought alcoholism would prove the 'Under The Influence' part of the title and made me think that I had better buckle up. My expectations were derailed when it was revealed to be Mabel's mental health that's at stake. It's her decline paired with the immeasurable stress on the family that makes A Woman Under The Influence one of the most intense movies I've seen in quite a while despite mostly taking place in a living room and kitchen.

While it doesn't strictly follow the traditional storytelling structure, there is a story surrounded by some sensitive scenes and other quite harrowing scenes. One that really took me in was seeing Nick pick his kids up early from school in order to take them to the beach. It was a move out of pure desperation to help give his family some sense of normalcy on the outside while suffering severe strain from within. Pair that with a later scene where Nick throws Mabel a 'welcome home' party after a months long stay in a hospital. Knowing full well that this party would cause a great degree of anxiety for Mabel, even being reminded of that fact by other characters, Nick's desperation forces him to fit this round peg into the square hole. That doesn't even speak to Mabel's journey as she tries to be the good housewife, doting spouse and, most importantly, the nurturing mother that she is naturally drawn to but struggles with due to her condition. It's pretty wild to see that this was produced in the mid-70s, a time of radical change in the film industry but even in a time when the ground was shifting tremendously this movie still felt ahead of its time. I sat there watching the film and wondering if they had any idea whether this movie would find an audience and if so who that audience would even be. Reading about the film afterwards it seems as though there were indeed similar concerns which made it a struggle to get the movie off the ground. It's a difficult film to watch and absorb but feels tremendous at the same time. I would hope that this is required viewing for people who want to make grounded, low-budget films to show people what can be accomplished with a couple sets and cameras. Sitting here going through the film again in my brain makes me want to keep going but in short, it's a very moving film and from a filmmaking perspective can show aspiring filmmakers what can be done with a good script and four walls.

A so says Doomsday

Wow, 4 down already.

So, I'm gonna be able to do The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent but it won't be until March. I need to sign up for Crave to catch up with The Color Purple but I wanna squeeze my Disney Plus membership (which I need for The Creator and fucking Flamin' Hot) first before I add another streaming serivce to my bills.

Might be fairly late on mine as well, in for the next round though.

If you're fine waiting I am too. Also still down for next round, late or not.

This is hilarious.