Woody Allen's films often deal with heavy issues but in a comedic light. INTERIORS is a devastating portrait of a family in crisis. GERALDINE PAGE is the mother and she's magnificent as the troubled, perfectionist mother--but whether you connect with the story will depend on acceptance of this sort of grim material from Woody Allen, of all people.
The film is well titled "Interiors" because much of the script gives internal monologues to various characters, most particularly DIANE KEATON as a writer with conflicted feelings about her mother and her illness and a disintegrating marriage to RICHARD JORDAN. Another daughter, MARY BETH HURT, is having trouble in her marriage to a man interested in politics (SAM WATERSTON). The father who wants to keep his distance from his wife and three daughters is E.G. MARHSALL, who plays his role with quiet dignity.
The decision by writer Allen to keep the story devoid of any humor (or any one-liners at all) appears to me to be a serious flaw. His story is much too depressing and there's a downbeat quirkiness to all of the characters. Not being a particular fan of any of the actors (except for Miss Page), I may be too biased to give this a fair enough review--but I remain unimpressed by DIANE KEATON as either an actress or a screen personality. I found her the weakest link in the story.
Summing up: You have to be in a certain mood to respond to this kind of dreariness. The doom and gloom factor was too much for me. The Ingmar Bergman crowd will undoubtedly love it as much as the Academy did.
The film is well titled "Interiors" because much of the script gives internal monologues to various characters, most particularly DIANE KEATON as a writer with conflicted feelings about her mother and her illness and a disintegrating marriage to RICHARD JORDAN. Another daughter, MARY BETH HURT, is having trouble in her marriage to a man interested in politics (SAM WATERSTON). The father who wants to keep his distance from his wife and three daughters is E.G. MARHSALL, who plays his role with quiet dignity.
The decision by writer Allen to keep the story devoid of any humor (or any one-liners at all) appears to me to be a serious flaw. His story is much too depressing and there's a downbeat quirkiness to all of the characters. Not being a particular fan of any of the actors (except for Miss Page), I may be too biased to give this a fair enough review--but I remain unimpressed by DIANE KEATON as either an actress or a screen personality. I found her the weakest link in the story.
Summing up: You have to be in a certain mood to respond to this kind of dreariness. The doom and gloom factor was too much for me. The Ingmar Bergman crowd will undoubtedly love it as much as the Academy did.