HUSBANDS AND WIVES

US, 1992, 107 minutes, Colour.
Woody Allen, Blythe Danner, Judi Davis, Mia Farrow, Juliette Lewis, Liam Neeson, Sidney Pollack, Lisette Anthony, Ron Rifkin.
Directed by Woody Allen.

Husbands and Wives is a very perceptive look at middle-aged couples and marriage breakdown. It was released at the time of the clash between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow - and gives some interesting 'fictional' background to understanding each of the pair, their relationship, the breakdown, the change in partners, Allen's fixation on younger women...

However, the film stands well as a drama. Judi Davis and Sidney Pollack are excellent as the couple who decide that they should part and experiment. Woody Allen and Mia Farrow are the more conventional couple who, in fact, separate. Liam Neeson is convincing in the role of the man manipulated by Mia Farrow. Juliette Lewis is the young English student who becomes the object of infatuation by her professor, Allen.

The film uses a hand-held camera technique which at times is irritating. There are also some jump-cut edits in the interviews. The film is a blend of contemporary action (often the hand-held camera), interviews and flashbacks. There is the usual range of music and songs, beloved of Allen.

1.Woody Allen and the issues of his films, his visual style, witty language, insights into human nature, relationships?

2.The New York setting, the apartments, the streets? The authentic atmosphere? The music of Cole Porter, Jerome Kern? The Mahler concert?

3.The effect of the hand-held camera, the jump-cut edits in the interviews? The structure of the film: the realistic hand-held situations, the interviews, the flashbacks illustrating the interviews? The overall effect for the psycho-drama? The end and Gabe simply asking can he stop talking?

4.Woody Allen and his issues, interest in relationships? The character variations on himself? The autobiographical background and the relationship with Mia Farrow and his relationship with a younger woman?

5.Judy and Gabe together for ten years, the opening television program and the comments about God, playing games - and Gabe remarking that God played hide-and-seek? The bonds between the two, the flashbacks, the party and his meeting Judy, Judy and her getting her way with him, the lift home, getting something to eat, marrying him? The issue of her daughter, the possibility of their having children? Her wanting it, his not, the diaphragm, the situations and their discussions and changes of mood? Each of them with their work? Together, especially in the apartment, at meals, with Jack and Sally? The memories and secrets, isolating each from the other? The discussions about being completely honest? His novel and the comments, her not showing him her poetry? The audience sensing the end of the marriage? The reaction to Sally and Jack and the final contrast?

6.Judy as intensely feeling, her former husband and his criticisms and judgment about her passive aggression, her reaction to this and accusing him of being his mother's boy? Tense in relationship to Gabe? The discussions about the baby or not? Her response to Sally and Jack, wanting to fix Sally up with Michael, her actually flirting with Michael, her being 'supportive to him'? The final discussions with Gabe and the breaking up of their marriage, the change of moods, their memories? The marriage over? Her behaviour in the interviews, defensiveness, explaining herself? Finally with Michael at the end - and her first husband commenting on her still being successful in getting her own way?

7.Gabe and Woody Allen, his style, wisecracks? His work as a teacher, his comment on the students and love of literature? His being impressed by Rain? Her being flattered by his attention, comments on her story? His explanations of his attraction towards her, the discussions about stories, walking together, her wanting to read his novel, his giving her the manuscript, her losing it in the taxi, finding it and staying with the family for some coffee? Her strong critique, his reaction against it? His reflections with the psychiatrist about it? Meeting her parents and their devotion to him? Going to her party, giving her the music box, the blackout and the kiss? The change of heart? His memories of Harriet and his story about her, intensity, flashback, finishing in an institution? The comparisons with Judy or not? His explanation of his sexual daydreams? His changing, the break of the marriage?

8.Sally and Jack, married fifteen years, their family? Arrival for the night out, the blunt announcement of their separation (and their later comments about how they felt at the time)? The meal, Judy and her reaction? Sally and her explanation of Jack's infidelity, catching him when he was not in Chicago? Her reaction? The psychiatrist and the analysis? Jack and his friend, giving him the address of the hooker? Her explanations of his calling, the relationship with her and her friend? His meeting Sam, the aerobics, everything great? His being fit, jogging, meals? The chance encounter of their all meeting in the street? At the party, Sam's astrological discussions and his anger, dragging her away, humiliating her? Taking her to Sally? His return to Sally? Saying it was all a mistake, encountering Michael? The contrast with Sally, the date and the possibility of going to Don Giovanni, her obsessive phone calls? Having the meal with Judy, talking about touching Judy's nerve about the break-up? Meeting Michael in the office, attraction, the date, the Mahler concert, her contradicting his opinions, going home, his approach, she saying he was going too fast? The sexual encounter (and her explanation to the psychiatrist about foxes and hedgehogs and her identifying people like this)? Jack's arrival, the embarrassment? Their getting back together, their explanation, their analysis of what happened?

9.Michael, his relationship with Amy and the break-up? Working with Judy? Impressed by Sally, taking her out, the concert, his come-on, her rebuttal? The sex, his encounter with Jack, ill, recovery? Judy as supportive? His relationship with her, marriage?

10.Rain, her age, writing, the flashbacks and her long explanation of her story and relationship with older men, the encounter with the psychiatrist and the flashback to reveal who he was? Her boyfriend? Her parents, their adulation of Gabe? Inviting him to the party? Reading the manuscript, her caustic comments, losing the manuscript, regaining it? The party and the kiss in the kitchen?

11.Sam, aerobics, her talk, trendy, New Age? Complementarity to Jack? With him, not sharing his interests, the party and her talk? His dragging her away, the humiliation? Break-up?

12.Rain's psychiatrist, the tantrum? The revelation of who he was?

13.The range of supporting characters, the background of New York City?

14.The psychiatrist? The off-screen voice-over, the interviews, the questions?

15.A portrait of New Yorkers, relationships in the '90s, the fragility of marriage, the fragility of relationships?