Minnie and Moskowitz (1971)
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Synopsis: John Cassavetes paints another portrait of humans at dangerously fragile places in their emotional lives, but this time with a lighthearted comic touch. Moskowitz (Cassavetes regular Seymour Cassel) is a nutty parking lot attendant who decides to head for California. Minnie... John Cassavetes paints another portrait of humans at dangerously fragile places in their emotional lives, but this time with a lighthearted comic touch. Moskowitz (Cassavetes regular Seymour Cassel) is a nutty parking lot attendant who decides to head for California. Minnie (Cassavetes's wife, Gena Rowlands) is a museum curator whose relationship with a married man hits a dead end, thereby forcing her back into the dating world. When Moskowitz protects Minnie from a desperate suitor, a relationship forms that is at first raucous and bitter; eventually, however, the pair begins to realize that their differences pale in comparison to their inexplicable need to be together. After a vicious argument, they decide to give in and attempt a genuine partnership. As with all of Cassavetes's directorial efforts, this film isn't so much a traditional narrative as it is a series of seemingly insignificant moments that are at once emotional and strikingly honest. This is exemplified by the opening scene in a diner, where Cassel is hassled by a fellow customer, an off-the-wall individual who spouts beliefs and asks questions--that don't fully resonate until the final credits have rolled. [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Gena Rowlands, Seymour Cassel, Val Avery, Timothy Carey, Katherine Cassavetes
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Reviews
The most accessible, and endearing example of his very exceptional art.
The fact is that although I admired specific things about the film, I never laughed very much and only felt slight, distant tremors of the joy that, I assume, rocked everyone connected with the movie during its production.
The movie is sort of a fairy tale, Cassavetes says; it's dedicated to all the people who didn't marry the person they should have. It is a movie on the side of love, and it is one of the finest movies of the year.


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