They both admired Woody Allen's intense psychological drama, "Interiors". Gene had reservations about the 1st half of the picture, but Roger thought it was 1 of the best films of the year.
I totally agree ! She and Maureen Stapleton give the two BEST performances in this underrated and seldom seen late 70's classic. And of course the rest of the cast are all VERY good too !
@Alan Mundy Well said and well put, Alan ! Enjoyed reading your perceptive comment VERY much ! I rate this film (Allen's first straight drama) very highly too ! Some truly wonderful performances, especially by Page & Stapleton. And of course EG Marshall was fantastic in everything during his long & prolific career ! Thanks for sharing your insight ! :-)
@Alan Mundy You are of course QUITE welcome ! I know what you mean about how there's a high rate of hateful, mean & ignorant comments here at TH-cam ! It's always a joy & delight to come across an intelligent, articulate, friendly & kind individual as yourself. Really makes ones day !! :-)
Yes her performance was astonishing. She was completely immersed in the character and was utterly compelling. Maureen Stapleton and E G Marhsall were both excellent too. I am definitely of the same opinion as Siskel. I do not find this a depressing film to watch, the pain of the characters is very human and one doesn't want to shout at them "get over yourselves". The introduction of Stapleton's characters showed so simply what was missing from their lives.
Was always a Woody Allen fan .when I first saw Interiors I wasn't too impressed, but recently saw it again several years ago and now I realize if it's actually a very very good movie. I think the problem is everyone thought he was trying to be a another Igmar Bergman and a lot of people thought it was too derivative. but it actually is a good movie and stands on its own.
Yes, and the scene where Arthur goes to kiss her shoulder and she pushes him off. It’s hardly noticeable but the physical performance of both actors is 🔥
Very disappointed that this movie wasn't better received by more critics. The film feels very real and offers a very accurate portrayal of depression. As someone who is depressed, and has seen many movies dealing with depression, accurate portrayals are a rarity.
That is b/c the film was a tribute/homage/imitation of Ingmar Bergman. It has the veneer of Bergman's works, but not anywhere near the master's depth. So the critics could never really took it that seriously. All of Allen's dramas are his lesser works. Allen's genius lie in his structurally and comically superficial look at life. He's not good at probing.
Ah...back in the day when S & E were on PBS; the clips that were shown were sooooooooooooo long: I loved' em! Then when they had to go to commercial TV the clips were all of a sudden these 30 second bits. Tragic. And can you imagine any one of these 'entertainment reporter' pipsqueaks today giving reviews like this. Forget it. And when Gene died so young, my heart broke. And now Roger is far away, too. Oh, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow!
It took maybe 3 viewings of this movie to totally appreciate what was done. To me the standout performances in an amazing cast was Geraldine Page and Maureen Stapleton.
Pretty good for a faux Bergman tribute. A hard film to watch, but Allen has it nailed.Good acting, and the stark, pale look of the film is just as important as the story. Not for the short attention span viewer.
Siskel does have a point about how dour it is but I'm with Ebert. I love Interiors. The direction, acting (especially Mary Beth Hurt who never received enough credit for her work here), and screenplay are incredible. Love E.G. Marshall's performance as well.
I think it's the first film 🎥 Woody Allen made that's not a comedy, this is seriously dramatic well-made picture that's stunning & emotional intense. Best American film & I like it ⭐⭐⭐👍👍👍😉.
Perhaps it is easy to dismiss the film as overly bleak since it chronologically comes between Allen's two most celebrated comedies and does not star him - but when simply viewing it on its own terms, _Interiors_ truly emerges as one of Woody Allen's finest works, almost deserving to be ranked alongside _Annie Hall_ and _Hannah and Her Sisters_. It is easy to see it as merely a pretentious Ingmar Bergman tribute if one has the wrong expectations or does not follow its dialogue closely, but it is in fact a work of great depth, rather reminiscent of Ozu in its incisive examination of generational conflict and familial tension. As is often the case with great art, its plot is not melodramatic but in fact flows from the characters, who are acted excellently and written with realism. Allen builds tension through their conflicting wishes without becoming contrived in his storytelling. _Interiors_ is among the many Woody Allen scripts that deserve to be taught in screenwriting courses; had it been done for the stage it would have deserved a Pulitzer nomination.
@@CIOWhitepapers If they are THAT unfeeling, all the better for that extinction. I know people like the family Allen depicts, too. They wouldn’t know an authentic human emotion if it bit them in the ass.
I watch this movie when I am depressed . it certainly does not help my depression but it is a realistic take on it. Other than these people are rich and successful - I am NOT
One thing that I quickly noticed in viewing this movie was that Allen forgoes a musical score to accompany the film. The ONLY music the viewer hears is when Stapleton's character places a disc on the player, allowing some 'Joie vivre' after the wedding ceremony. Also notice how Stapleton's character really brightens up the monochromatic scenes with a red dress, red lipstick, vibrant personality, and downplays the boring intellectualism with her presence. I really enjoyed this film, although it's not for everyone. (This is somewhat Ingmar Bergmanian in style and presentation.)
Parts of this film are brilliant and others needed better direction/writing. Too much Keaton at the therapist. Scenes between Keaton and husband were way too long. Scene with mom and Joey sitting on the bench. Too long, sounded like improv. Scene in bedroom with Joey, Keaton and dad. Poor dialogue, static direction. Maureen Stapleton was wonderful, but a little TOO vulgarian. She could have done much smaller things and we would have gotten the contrast. Flyn - OMG. Either develop the character or leave her out. Plus she's a terrible actress. But - it does grow on you and really needs to be watched more than once. Geraldine Page is amazing.
Just out of school when it came out, and I was mesmerised. Saw it twice. Saw it as describing phoney people desperately looking for meaning in life and finding only phoney meanings. All of them, except the new wife, who had no such hang-ups.
A little mopey for my taste, watching miserable people for 90 minutes isn't my thing but it's well acted and I can see why it's a favorite for many Allen fans. I like a little more balance like Hannah or Crimes.
There are some really powerful scenes in this film but it also shamelessly rips off Bergman from time to. It's a good film but nothing close to his best work.
It's a great film no matter what year you see it in. I enjoyed the depth of the characters matched with the story-line, and the film's minimalist color theme throughout; Jean Stapleton's splash of the color red with her dress is juxtaposed eloquently with the dominate black/white/grey. I was really taken "somewhere else" with this film both visually and viscerally.
I agree with Siskel. I think Woody Allen went completely overboard with the drama, the pain, the misery, the existential angst that it just seemed he was trying WAY too hard.
Siskel is Right, even miserable families have moments where everyone is laughing and having a good time. Which ironically enough makes the disfunction all the more painful.
Geraldine Page was incredible in this. I'll always remember her performance.
I totally agree ! She and Maureen Stapleton give the two BEST performances in this underrated and seldom seen late 70's classic. And of course the rest of the cast are all VERY good too !
@Alan Mundy Well said and well put, Alan ! Enjoyed reading your perceptive comment VERY much ! I rate this film (Allen's first straight drama) very highly too ! Some truly wonderful performances, especially by Page & Stapleton. And of course EG Marshall was fantastic in everything during his long & prolific career ! Thanks for sharing your insight ! :-)
@Alan Mundy You are of course QUITE welcome ! I know what you mean about how there's a high rate of hateful, mean & ignorant comments here at TH-cam ! It's always a joy & delight to come across an intelligent, articulate, friendly & kind individual as yourself. Really makes ones day !! :-)
Legend!!
Yes her performance was astonishing. She was completely immersed in the character and was utterly compelling. Maureen Stapleton and E G Marhsall were both excellent too. I am definitely of the same opinion as Siskel. I do not find this a depressing film to watch, the pain of the characters is very human and one doesn't want to shout at them "get over yourselves". The introduction of Stapleton's characters showed so simply what was missing from their lives.
Allen has done better dramas. Match Point, I think, is his best serious film.
"Interiors" is one of the best American movies that I have ever seen. Maureen Stapleton deserved the Oscar for this cinematic masterpiece.
So did Page.
Maureen Stapleton is very good. Geraldine Page is exceptional. He based the Geraldine Page character on ex-wife Louise Lasser’s mother.
Really!?!
Perfect casting all around. I've seen it three or four times over the decades. The paring of E. G. Marshal & Geraldine Page was pure magic.
Was always a Woody Allen fan .when I first saw Interiors I wasn't too impressed, but recently saw it again several years ago and now I realize if it's actually a very very good movie. I think the problem is everyone thought he was trying to be a another Igmar Bergman and a lot of people thought it was too derivative. but it actually is a good movie and stands on its own.
That final reminisce of the mother in silhouette preparing the Christmas presents as a young woman always makes me cry.
Yes, and the scene where Arthur goes to kiss her shoulder and she pushes him off. It’s hardly noticeable but the physical performance of both actors is 🔥
Very disappointed that this movie wasn't better received by more critics. The film feels very real and offers a very accurate portrayal of depression. As someone who is depressed, and has seen many movies dealing with depression, accurate portrayals are a rarity.
In a credit to her genius acting, Geraldine Page showed how to act depressed: look down when sad, look up when happy. Really that simple.
That is b/c the film was a tribute/homage/imitation of Ingmar Bergman. It has the veneer of Bergman's works, but not anywhere near the master's depth. So the critics could never really took it that seriously. All of Allen's dramas are his lesser works. Allen's genius lie in his structurally and comically superficial look at life. He's not good at probing.
I agree…..But the general public does not like movies that goes deep. Half of the population have a somewhat low level IQ
Most Americans would rather see Rambo. This movie is exquisite!
And a weak grasp of grammar…
THANK YOU for uploading...
GENE & ROGER was the best 30mins of T.V. in their heyday!
Amen to that !! Two class acts !! Intelligent & perceptive !!
Ah...back in the day when S & E were on PBS; the clips that were shown were sooooooooooooo long: I loved' em! Then when they had to go to commercial TV the clips were all of a sudden these 30 second bits. Tragic. And can you imagine any one of these 'entertainment reporter' pipsqueaks today giving reviews like this. Forget it. And when Gene died so young, my heart broke. And now Roger is far away, too.
Oh, Moscow, Moscow, Moscow!
Well said and well put ! When Siskel and Ebert left PBS for commercial TV their show really suffered.
I soooo agree about the longer clips. In the 90s, they’d become 20 seconds.
Atta Boy Roger.......This film exists at the summit of Allen's Best
It took maybe 3 viewings of this movie to totally appreciate what was done. To me the standout performances in an amazing cast was Geraldine Page and Maureen Stapleton.
I totally agree ! Page and Stapleton give the films BEST performances ! And the rest of the cast are truly xlnt !
100%. That church scene wrecks me every time!
"You only live once, but once is enough if you play it right."
"You can live to a hundred giving up all the things that make you want to."
every performance was flawless. I hurt for everyone in this picture . one of Allen's finest motion pictures.
One of my favorite woody Allen movies.
Me too ! My other two faves are "Radio Days" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors".
Pretty good for a faux Bergman tribute. A hard film to watch, but Allen has it nailed.Good acting, and the stark, pale look of the film is just as important as the story. Not for the short attention span viewer.
A very well-made film, but unrelentingly depressing. I appreciate it, but this isn’t a film you’ll want to watch again and again.
He calls Maureen Stapleton's character "mentally healthy," but compared to the other characters, she's superficial and lives an unexamined life.
In my Top 5 Favorite Allen movies.
Siskel was cute back then
Siskel does have a point about how dour it is but I'm with Ebert. I love Interiors. The direction, acting (especially Mary Beth Hurt who never received enough credit for her work here), and screenplay are incredible. Love E.G. Marshall's performance as well.
@Bruno56 And Tora Tora Tora is a cinematic Masterpiece ?? Yeah Right
I agree 100 per cent. Allen was able to put together a truly powerhouse cast for this 1978 drama !!
I think it's the first film 🎥 Woody Allen made that's not a comedy, this is seriously dramatic well-made picture that's stunning & emotional intense. Best American film & I like it ⭐⭐⭐👍👍👍😉.
Geraldine Paige was excellent in it
That church scene absolutely wrecks me every time!
Perhaps it is easy to dismiss the film as overly bleak since it chronologically comes between Allen's two most celebrated comedies and does not star him - but when simply viewing it on its own terms, _Interiors_ truly emerges as one of Woody Allen's finest works, almost deserving to be ranked alongside _Annie Hall_ and _Hannah and Her Sisters_. It is easy to see it as merely a pretentious Ingmar Bergman tribute if one has the wrong expectations or does not follow its dialogue closely, but it is in fact a work of great depth, rather reminiscent of Ozu in its incisive examination of generational conflict and familial tension. As is often the case with great art, its plot is not melodramatic but in fact flows from the characters, who are acted excellently and written with realism. Allen builds tension through their conflicting wishes without becoming contrived in his storytelling. _Interiors_ is among the many Woody Allen scripts that deserve to be taught in screenwriting courses; had it been done for the stage it would have deserved a Pulitzer nomination.
One of Bob Hope's Finest Performances.
Dude, That is Messed up - E.G. Marshall is a Great Actor.... but that was Funny as Hell
The family in Interiors really caught my mom's family situation in the late '60s. Allen definitely was on to a certain strata of society.
The type middle class family capable of empathizing with this movie will soon be extinct.
@@CIOWhitepapers If they are THAT unfeeling, all the better for that extinction. I know people like the family Allen depicts, too. They wouldn’t know an authentic human emotion if it bit them in the ass.
@@CIOWhitepapers. I disagree. I’m a psychotherapist; they’re still out there.
I liked his earlier, funnier movies.
I watch this movie when I am depressed . it certainly does not help my depression but it is a realistic take on it. Other than these people are rich and successful - I am NOT
It’s a brilliant film. An anthropological study of upper middle class WASP angst and emotional repression.
One thing that I quickly noticed in viewing this movie was that Allen forgoes a musical score to accompany the film. The ONLY music the viewer hears is when Stapleton's character places a disc on the player, allowing some 'Joie vivre' after the wedding ceremony. Also notice how Stapleton's character really brightens up the monochromatic scenes with a red dress, red lipstick, vibrant personality, and downplays the boring intellectualism with her presence. I really enjoyed this film, although it's not for everyone. (This is somewhat Ingmar Bergmanian in style and presentation.)
Parts of this film are brilliant and others needed better direction/writing. Too much Keaton at the therapist. Scenes between Keaton and husband were way too long. Scene with mom and Joey sitting on the bench. Too long, sounded like improv. Scene in bedroom with Joey, Keaton and dad. Poor dialogue, static direction. Maureen Stapleton was wonderful, but a little TOO vulgarian. She could have done much smaller things and we would have gotten the contrast. Flyn - OMG. Either develop the character or leave her out. Plus she's a terrible actress. But - it does grow on you and really needs to be watched more than once. Geraldine Page is amazing.
Just out of school when it came out, and I was mesmerised. Saw it twice. Saw it as describing phoney people desperately looking for meaning in life and finding only phoney meanings. All of them, except the new wife, who had no such hang-ups.
A little mopey for my taste, watching miserable people for 90 minutes isn't my thing but it's well acted and I can see why it's a favorite for many Allen fans. I like a little more balance like Hannah or Crimes.
Imagine Woody Allen making a movie that makes "WASPs", as Siskel says, look as neurotic and damaged as he is. ;-)
There are some really powerful scenes in this film but it also shamelessly rips off Bergman from time to. It's a good film but nothing close to his best work.
I have a notion to second that emotion. Not Allen's best but yes, a powerful film.
Duct tape will never be the same to me.
Irrevocable.
It's not irrevocable! Goddamnit! Or is it.
❤❤
Being miserable and choosing misery as your security blanket are polar affect.
He's right. These people are all so miserable and seemingly are able to pull dramatic monologues out of their sleeve at a moment's notice.
If I had it, I’d have posted it.
It's a great film no matter what year you see it in. I enjoyed the depth of the characters matched with the story-line, and the film's minimalist color theme throughout; Jean Stapleton's splash of the color red with her dress is juxtaposed eloquently with the dominate black/white/grey. I was really taken "somewhere else" with this film both visually and viscerally.
Maureen
too heavily influenced by bergman
maybe.
A great thing in my book!
I agree with Siskel. I think Woody Allen went completely overboard with the drama, the pain, the misery, the existential angst that it just seemed he was trying WAY too hard.
Ebert is correct on this one. It is melodramatic but is fantastic melodrama. So was Shakespeare.
Siskel is Right, even miserable families have moments where everyone is laughing and having a good time. Which ironically enough makes the disfunction all the more painful.