Free to Air 11th September
A Woman Under the Influence is not your easy going pizza-night flick, it’s heartbreaking, it’s captivating - it’s cinema as an art form.
The late Gena Rowlands puts in one of the greatest performances ever recorded on film (seriously). Every time she's off-screen you feel her absence. The director (Cassavetes) and the supporting cast are all caught in her orbit.
Side-Note. One of my favourite traits of a Cassavetes movie is how long he’s willing to hold a shot, he’ll only cut to another angle or framing when it’s absolutely necessary, I love this.
We’re told our attention is fleeting. I disagree. We just need something worthy of it. Cassavetes understood that. He stood by it, nobody wanted to distribute this film. Peter Falk (who plays Nick - the flawed husband) put up $500,000 of his own money to help get this made! But through the collective efforts of all involved, we are gifted with this film.
No frame is wasted here. Cassavetes respects the form, he respects the artists and most of all, he respects your time.
A Woman Under the Influence is free to air on Kanopy
