Husbands and Wives

Movie Name: Husbands and Wives
Year of Release: 1992

Director: Woody Allen

Stars: Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Judy Davis, Sydney Pollack, Liam Neeson, Juliette Lewis, Lysette Anthony, Ron Rifkin, Blythe Danner, Caroline Aaron, Nora Ephron,
Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9

Synopsis:

Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives" came out in 1992, to great critical acclaim, on the heels of the less well received "Shadows and Fog". The film follows the story of two middle aged couples, one of them, composed of Jack and Sally, announce their imminent split to their best friends, Gabe and Judy. Judy in particular receives the news of this breakup quite painfully, and as the relationships progressively move ahead, and Jack and Sally start seeing other people, Gabe and Judy also start to question where their relationship is.
Woody Allen in the 90s continued his rich streak of probing the relationships of well established couples in New York. "Alice" (from 1990) was a way for him to use comedy and a whimsy sense of wonder to depict the story of a woman's discovery of herself and personal ambitions, "Husbands and Wives" went in the direction of capturing the demise of a crumbling marriage and marital relationships. The film uses a documentary tone and feel, to capture a feeling of authenticity and immediacy which gives the relationships between the main characters a very realistic feel. All the actors excel in their roles, as is usual in Woody Allen films, particularly the fantastic Judy Davis (who was nominated for an Academy Award). The cinematography from Carlo Di Palma is also stunning. This is a modern classic, one that captures the emotional peaks and lows of any relationship. Worth watching.