a w o m a n u n d e r t h e i n f l u e n c e

I was completely enraptured by John Cassavetes' A Woman Under the Influence.  It is the first film that I have seen in some time that I held still for and watched start to finish.  It is the first Cassavetes film that I saw, and by far my favorite.  It gives an extraordinary glimpse into the life of Mabel and her husband, and how they deal with Mabel's incredibly well-portrayed mental illness.

Mental illness is a very fascinating subject, but most attempts by actors to imitate it fall flat, and appear insensitive and unrealistic.  Gena Rowlands does not submit herself to this category however, and instead delivers an enrapturing and fantastically detailed human identity.  She plays the character impeccably well.