+4
A Woman Under The Influence
Man I really loved this second time around. I already had great respect for it and it certainly hasn't left my mind. The story is really well done. If you don't feel the weight of what is happening with this woman and her family you probably don't want to. What elevates it so much for me, and most it seems, are the performances. Rowlands and Falk are simply perfect. Maybe some will be turned off by Rowlands affectations, but I think she inhabits this character in a very powerful way.
I love Falk in this so much. He makes some decisions that are abhorrent but I have a ton of sympathy for this character. This is a man that has no idea to give of himself to others and it makes him monstrous at times. On the other hand he wants nothing more than for everything to be better for his family and he is trying to make that happen by sheer force of will. There are many scenes where you can see this played out but my favorite, and probably one of my favorite scenes ever, is the one where he takes his kids to the beach. His wife has gone away for a while and he decides that he and the kids need to have a relaxing day at the beach. The scene is both hilarious and heart breaking. First off it doesn't even appear to be beach weather. This doesn't faze him, he goes and gets the kids from school with his work buddy. They arrive at the beach no more than half prepared. Falk's character is literally dragging his kids from spot to spot trying to force a relaxing time on them. When the kids try to rest on their towel or go with their sibling he grabs them by the arm and drags them to where he thinks they should be as if to say "here, have a fun day damnit". I will never think of the term bull in a china shop again without imagining this moment and this character.
So many great scenes in this film. Very excited I got the chance to watch it again. It really is a fantastic film. Excited for you to watch @
Camo.
Last edited by seanc; 09-24-17 at 06:20 PM.