Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Even though it may seem dated, it IS what makes a classic, August 16, 2006
The more I watch this well loved, intimate, unique film, the more I love and appreciate it. People, you are missing out on a unique piece of American culture if you neglect this gem.Not only is the acting so astounding , the actors were so naturalistic which was so indicative of the 70's ( and to me , so sorely missed. Not to sound dowdy but so much of today;s acting is merely posing and pouting and trying to look the all-important-sexy-at-all-costs) The story is simple and human, a broken marriage , a woman who finds her core...but told so beautifully ,and in the background is that city, that city, that city which to me is also another actress in the film, our New York...
Also another major plus in the DVD is the commentary by Paul Mazursky and Jill Clayburgh. They have such insight and warmth and interesting commentary, not just about the making of the film but about art and acting and life . To me it was worth it to hear these wonderful artists express their ideas and memories. I have to admit, I love them both and so much of my life was shaped by this movie.
It is a truly underrated and underappreciated piece of art. It is ART ! The score is divine too. If you think , after the 1st viewing, that maybe you dont like it, it is too 70s or corny,,, give it another try. It is truly a whole little world that you are glimpsing, Mr Mazursky created a magical place, and I never never tire of going there.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's never too late to become your own person, August 11, 2000
By A Customer
I first saw this movie with my mother when it was released theatrically. Because I was just 13 years old, some of the subject matter sailed right over my head, but I was still entranced by the film and cheered Erica on to find her own happy ending.I have seen the film many times since, and it has become one of my all time favorite movies. Jill Clayburgh shines as Erica and brings such a believability to this role. You are right there with Erica as she revels in her comfortable Upper East Side life, as she walks around in a fog when her husband leaves, as she takes those tentative first steps into the world of dating, as she finds love once again, and ultimately, as she emerges as a woman who discovers who she is and is determined to face life and love on HER terms. I think this is Paul Mazursky's best work. He was not afraid to explore his feminine side and write this film from a woman's point of view. Many of the themes brought up in the film, such as loss, self-esteem, and independence still ring true today and I am hard pressed to name a recent film that explores this territory as well. On a purely aesthetic level, I would kill to have Erica's apartment. A spacious, tastefully decorated hi-rise apartment with stunning views of Manhattan...I would be in heaven. The movie gets a star alone for that location.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A peak for both Jill Clayburgh and Paul Mazursky, June 12, 2000
Jill Clayburgh was nominated for an Oscar as the lead in this 1978 film. She didn't win but it pushed her into the "A" class for a few good years. It's interesting to witness Clayburgh's career rise and fall as symptomatic of the public's short love affair with actresses. She still can be seen in supporting roles and she is as good as she ever was - beautiful, funny, warm and tender - but she is probably unable to recapture those "A" bankable heydays. As Erica, a woman who's husband leaves her for a younger woman, Pauline Kael describes her having an "addled radiance with a floating not-quite-sure not-quite-here quality". Clayburgh is memorable wearing a high-collared tan Albert Wolsky coat with a snarl on her face that is both funny and real when she is told the news of the infidelity. Written and directed by Paul Mazursky and burdened with an annoying Rocky-esque score by Bill Conti, the film has a few slow improvisational spots but is generally likeable. Ironically, as it raised Clayburgh's profile, it also was the peak for Mazursky, after films like Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice, Blume in Love and Next Stop, Greenwich Village in the early 70's. The only later film to match them is Enemies, A Love Story made in 1989. The film was also a mainstream breakthrough for Alan Bates who here wears a beard and is hunkily gorgeous as Erica's love interest. His rapport with Clayburgh seems genuine and the film improves once he appears half way through. At the time it was released, Mazursky's feminist end was criticised for having Erica turn down Bates' request to go away with her since Bates is presented as irresistible. Kael thought the only way to balance Erica's "idiotic" decision would be to reveal Bates' character as a fraud. You decide.
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