September

Woody Allen in this movie brings to us the story of a group of people all staying at a summer home in the country. It's a very dark and claustrophobic place. And at this place we learn so much about the characters. This is a very deep character study and I think it's the best Allen "bergmanesque" film he's made. It has been highly underrated by people and critics. I feel it does not get any of the recognition it should. And Mia Farrow's and Sam Waterston's performances are magnificent.

First i must say that i'm an inconditional Woody Allen fan so i can take a lot from him without judgement. I watch September for the first time yesterday and i must say that it was good. I've read many bad comments on that one throughout the years so i was ready for the end of the world! Having read Woody's comment on the film in the DVD booklet i was surprised to find out that Woody had intended September to be a filmed play. So with this in mind i was more opened to the "extremely hermetic" ambiance of the film. Ok,it is emotionly heavy at times in this who-love-who plot but it is rewarded with great performance from Diane Wiest and Mia Farrow. I would recommend this to anyone who want to see another side of Woody with an opened mind. I really enjoyed that one...

Mia Farrow plays suicidal Lane, a child-like woman hoping to sell off the family cottage in Vermont so she can start life anew in New York City; she's surrounded for the weekend by her married friend (Dianne Wiest), a charming, struggling writer (Sam Waterston), an elderly neighbor who harbors a crush on Lane (Denholm Elliott), and Lane's demonstrative mama (Elaine Stritch) and her latest husband (Jack Warden). Seems mother and daughter were once the subjects of a scandalous murder-trial from years ago (shades of Lana Turner and daughter Cheryl), and Lane's emotional showdown with her mother provides an intense acting moment between Farrow and Stritch. Claustrophobic Woody Allen drama was one of the writer-director's biggest commercial and critical failures (he filmed it twice with two separate casts--this is the second version, the original remains unseen). It's a nearly-humorless study of the dangers of repression, yet the picture doesn't learn from itself--the handling is repressed as well--and few of these characters seem improved by the finale. Allen's languid pacing nearly comes to a halt during an electrical storm (at just 85 minutes, "September" doesn't exactly utilize its time wisely); however, this group of privately-tortured souls is as fascinating as the family in Allen's "Interiors." In fact, of the two films, this may be the better effort. *** from ****

Wasn't in the mood to watch a film last night, but couldnt remember seeing Denholm Elliot in a Woody Allen movie before, so realised this was one I hadnt seen before.

Can't say as I was 'entertained' - but I was gripped and rooted to the sofa for the duration, which could say something about my sofa of course, but was really down to this film. The dialogue and acting were both utterly convincing - and there were many moments of intense honesty. Just for once, relationships don't resolve, nor are we rescued from darkness by gratuitous humour. It's a stark, depressing beautifully acted piece of claustrophobic drama. More your Webern 'five pieces', rather than your Strauss, 'Der RosenKavalier'.

If nothing else - it's nice to be reminded that not all scripts are written by a gang of 12 year olds....

Woody Allen tried to duplicate the success of Interiors with this movie, which is just as downbeat but well acted, especially by Mia Farrow. It didn't win him any new fans and was a somber follow-up to two of his more popular '80s films (Hannah & her Sisters and Radio Days). The blackout in the middle of the movie is what most people (myself included) seem to remember most, but Farrow's character really does get to you. What she goes through, and puts up with, in this movie will make you want to stick your head in the oven. Not a pleasant experience (any movie with a suicidal main character is not going to be), with most of the action taking place in a large farm house (which makes the film a little more stagy than most of Allen's works). Many of Woody Allen's stock actors from his late '80s and '90s films show up, and Elaine Stritch is wonderful. But the film is a thoroughly sad one and does not lend itself well to repeat viewings, unlike his other somber dramas (Interiors and Another Woman).