When it comes to intense movies Vertigo, The Shining and maybe even the finale of Heathers would spring to most peoples minds, but WAOVW has a whole other sort of intensity, an intensity in which you are sure that these people are not real but cant shake that feeling about how real they seem and that coupled with the realism of the characters makes you feel isolated with them for two hours.Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Sandy Dennis and George Segal as two married couples neither as idyllic as the marriages that we associate with the sixties era (Mike and Carol were perfect.......) And that's where our story begins.
The story isn't really a story it's more a general idea: Older, unhinged couple have younger couple over for a 'get to know you' session. This session quickly extends to something a little bit unconventional: Nothing much happens. We don't seem to get the impression that the characters of Martha (Taylor) and George (Burton) are going to be completley okay at the end of the film, however maybe Nick (Segal) and Honey (Dennis) nwill take the lessons they learnt from Martha and George and create a better future for themselves. Some light at the end of the tunnel i suppose.
I loved this movie. The performances from all involved were absolutely.... electrifying. However the weakest link was George Segal, that's not to say he was bad (i really liked him) it's just that when you are watching a career best from Liz Taylor, a downright scary performance by Burton and an oddball Sandy Dennis you're bound to get lost in the midst.
Like that other cryptically titled classic A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) WAOVW serves more as an intense relationship study rather than a conventional film. And believe me it is all the better for it. It is one of those movies in which you are immediately immersed due to strong performances from the get go and intense cinematography, if you get up during this movie i'll give you 50 bucks. No joke.
WAOVW is a film in which you will be deeply involved in until the credits roll around, then you will stand up in a daze and wonder what you have just seen. In much the same way that Nick and Honey must have when they left George and Martha at the end of the movie.
"What a dump! Hey, what's that from?" Martha (Elizabeth Taylor), Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf.
Burton was a great actor but most of his work was in rubbish. This is one of his 4 or 5 good films.
ReplyDeleteBurton was a wooden film actor who could show no emeotion other than anger.
ReplyDeleteHe was rubbish in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" playing the American George with an English accent.
To each their own i thought that Burton was really good and although yes the character of George was written as american i liked Burton's interpretation. Again: to each their own.
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