1966. dir. Mike Nichols, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Sandy Dennis, George Segal.
Seen the movie before? No
You know it's going to be an interesting night when the hosts of the cocktail hour are already lit beyond belief. George and Martha are bitter, biting, and well, let's face it, the hosts from hell. I mean, Sam and I joke about the game, "who can make the guests feel more uncomfortable?" but we don't really mean it like these two...and the thing is they just kept on going! What's worse is that you don't know when they really mean it or when they're co-conspiritors against their already completely unsuspecting guest.
And props for the writers for making "Nick" married but could that woman have been more boring? Or should I say, "stereotypical?" But perhaps maybe that's how she was meant. Personally I wanted to smack her and say, there are three other people in this movie who are giving it their all, why the hell aren't you? Then again, she won the best supporting actress. I'm talking about the character not the actress...I'm sure that Sandy Dennis is just lovely and was playing "Honey" exactly as she was meant to be played...I just couldn't stand this character.
Furthermore, the "son"...well, they kind of left you wondering at the end if he even existed...all other reviews I've read say pretty much the same thing. Damn Elizabeth Taylor is a good actress! To pretend with precise accuracy what it was like to have a child...and then cry about his death when...well, you'll have ot see it yourself. As for Richard Burton, I spent a good portion of the movie wondering if he played George drunk and wasn't actually acting. Sam's right, AA would be a good start.
For those of you who will later decide to see the movie, yes, "Nick" is the guy from Just Shoot Me and the baby-daddy of Kirstie Allie's kid in Look Who's Talking.
Would I see it again? Eh, perhaps I should try to watch this while I'm three sheets to the wind
Would I add it to my collection? How else will I teach my child that drinking is BAD for them?
Showing posts with label Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
#7 Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?: Martha? Rubbing alcohol for you?
1966. dir. Mike Nichols, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Sandy Dennis, George Segal.
Well. THAT was fucked up.
Elizabeth Taylor (who won Best Actress for this role) and her then-husband Richard Burton play George and Martha, a married couple who invite a younger couple over for drinks after a party. Martha is a boozy, verbally abusive harridan; George is totally emasculated. lovely couple. The younger couple don't get names in the movie, but Wikipedia identifies them as Nick (George Segal) and Honey (Sandy Dennis, who won Best Supporting Actress). That really annoys me by the way. Give the characters names! Please!
At first it's awkward and uncomfortable, with George and Martha insulting and belittling each other, but once the liquor starts flowing, it devolves into something stranger... is "psychosis" the right word? Hmm, yes let's go with that, psychosis. George and Martha have these psychological "games" they play, like "Humiliate the Host" and "Get the Guests". I won't divulge any details here but George and Martha should really seek help. AA might be a good place to start?
It's kind of hard to follow in some parts; all the characters talk in rhymes and riddles, except Nick, who is more or less the only sane person in the movie. That's good. You always need one sane person otherwise it's just madness.
Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? Hard to say, really. Virginia Woolf the author never really comes up in the movie; it's a reference to some song people were drunkenly singing at the party. I guess that's the sort of thing that is hilarious at liberal arts colleges? But after seeing this movie, you should be very afraid of Virginia Woolf.
Position on the list: 239
You know who George and Martha remind me of? Susan's parents from Seinfeld. That's probably intentional.
"Michael and Jan seem to be playing their own separate game: Let's see how uncomfortable we can make our guests. And they're both winning."Seen it before? No.Jim Halpert, The Office
Well. THAT was fucked up.
Elizabeth Taylor (who won Best Actress for this role) and her then-husband Richard Burton play George and Martha, a married couple who invite a younger couple over for drinks after a party. Martha is a boozy, verbally abusive harridan; George is totally emasculated. lovely couple. The younger couple don't get names in the movie, but Wikipedia identifies them as Nick (George Segal) and Honey (Sandy Dennis, who won Best Supporting Actress). That really annoys me by the way. Give the characters names! Please!
At first it's awkward and uncomfortable, with George and Martha insulting and belittling each other, but once the liquor starts flowing, it devolves into something stranger... is "psychosis" the right word? Hmm, yes let's go with that, psychosis. George and Martha have these psychological "games" they play, like "Humiliate the Host" and "Get the Guests". I won't divulge any details here but George and Martha should really seek help. AA might be a good place to start?
It's kind of hard to follow in some parts; all the characters talk in rhymes and riddles, except Nick, who is more or less the only sane person in the movie. That's good. You always need one sane person otherwise it's just madness.
Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? Hard to say, really. Virginia Woolf the author never really comes up in the movie; it's a reference to some song people were drunkenly singing at the party. I guess that's the sort of thing that is hilarious at liberal arts colleges? But after seeing this movie, you should be very afraid of Virginia Woolf.
Position on the list: 239
You know who George and Martha remind me of? Susan's parents from Seinfeld. That's probably intentional.
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