User Reviews

This is one of Woody Allen's greatest films, but it took me two viewings to fully appreciate it. I first saw it in 1992 at the theatre upon its initial release with my then-girlfriend, when I was 30 and she was 24; but this second time was in 2005 on home video, with me still in the same relationship thirteen years later and married to this same woman for ten of those; it really hit a nerve for me as a middle-aged spouse. I'm not so sure it can appeal to every viewer, but I'd wholeheartedly recommend it to older married couples everywhere.

Allen's hard-hitting film dissects the long-term effects of being with the same person for a long time: familiarity, infidelity, stagnation and indifference. To drive the point home still further, the photography is crudely rendered in a sometimes confusing hand-held camera style which works wonders. Woody's cast is excellent - beginning with the note-perfect Sydney Pollack and strong-willed Judy Davis, who play a bored married couple announcing a trial separation, shocking and convincing their friends (Woody and wife Mia Farrow) to take a closer look at their own vulnerable relationship. Juliette Lewis is once again a very good young actress as a twenty-year-old student in Allen's writing class who becomes infatuated with him and turns out to be his protégé. Liam Neeson is strong as the new man Davis tries to reheat her romantic life with. One of Woody Allen's best performances here too, where he's more reserved and human -- not as whiny or nerdy as we're so accustomed to seeing him. Even better, he actually makes us more interested in the other characters instead of himself.

The mature story is sometimes told in a candid documentary-like format, where the participants alternately give their own perceptions as though they're spilling their guts to a psychotherapist, and then ultimately wind up expressing what they've learned from these experiences. I happen to agree with the idea that a couple must learn to accept imperfections in a marriage and work through them, together.* Released at the height of the media controversy surrounding Allen and his relationship with Mia Farrow's adopted daughter Soon-Yi, there may well have been some similarities on display here.

*(EDITED UPDATE): Unfortunately, my wife and I divorced in 2010, after us being together for 21 years (married for 16 of those). I'm now in a new relationship and I suppose this experience will only serve to make HUSBANDS AND WIVES even more effective on the next viewing. **** out of ****

A married couple, Sally (Judy Davis) and Jack (Sydney Pollack), tell their best friends--another married couple named Gabe (Woody Allen) and Judy (Mia Farrow)--that they are separating. This news throws Gabe and Judy into a tailspin. It makes them reexamine their own marriage and find it lacking. Meanwhile Sally starts seeing a handsome, romantic man (Liam Neeson) and Jack is living with a girl at least 30 years his junior. This film follows what happens to them over the course of a year.

A fascinating film. I'm not married (or even straight) but I don't think that matters--this is about love, sex and relationships and has dialogue and situations that anyone can relate to. Allen's script is right on target--the insights are just incredible, and we slowly begin to see exactly how all of the four main characters really are. During the film they are all interviewed by a never seen person--these interviews really help the story and reveals how everybody feels about the others. It pulls everything together.

The acting is almost all great. Allen and Farrow were living together when this was filmed--when it was released they were in a bitter custody battle. This movie actually provides insight to WHY they broke up--their argument scenes are just a bit too realistic. Davis and Pollack are just superb in their roles. They let you feel their characters pain and confusion--just great acting. Neeseon isn't asked to do much but he is very affecting in his scenes. However Juliette Lewis is terrible as a college student. Her voice is nasal and whiny and her acting is pretty lousy--but it doesn't ruin the film.

I saw this back in 1992 in a theatre and loved it. Twelve years later I STILL love it. A great film. I'm only giving this an 8 though. There are two big faults with this film: the hand-held jittery camera work being the main one. My guess is Allen filmed it this way to make the film more immediate and give it a documentary feel. It works but it IS distracting. Also it gets a little repetitious towards the end. Still this is well worth seeing. Recommended.

Any film that affects me emotionally I consider great. But a film that affects me so much that I feel it physically can be called a masterpiece. Narrative does not normally have such power. When a spectator is learning about people who aren't directly connected with you, who are usually not even real, then he/she should realize that these characters are apart from your life and should not matter.

Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives is a film, however, which sets the viewer in the action on screen. He does this with perfect hand-held cameras and jump cuts. The camera work makes you feel like you're right there, and it adds a breakneck speed to the film. This seems like one of the most realistic films ever made.

I have no complaints about this film myself. I would give it a 10/10, but make no mistake: this is a very unpleasant film to watch. I like unpleasant films, but this one is particularly harsh. The situations develop like a fly landing in a Venus fly trap. A character will walk towards a life which he/she believes will bring sweetness and happiness, but the new life quickly engulfs them. And when the film ends, the characters are seen stepping into a different trap: quicksand. No audience member could be naive enough to think that any of the characters are standing in a desirable place when the film closes.

Husbands and Wives is a movie that could cause divorces, and could cause long-term lapses between relationships. If nothing else, it is a film that will make you cringe and squirm.

"Husbands and Wives" is a Woody Allen´s film for mature audiences that has not aged and gets better with the years. Jack and Sally and Gabe and Judy are best friends. When the first couple announces that they are going to split up to have new experiences, the initial shock to Gabe and Judy reverts to questioning of their own marriage with a surprising conclusion. This simple storyline about separation processes on the hands of Woody Allen turns into a funny and thoughtful film, supported by a great cast and witty dialogues and situations. This is a movie that can be seen and assessed from time to time. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil0: "Maridos e Esposas" ("Husbands and Wives")

On a recent documentary I saw on Woody Allen's career, with him being interviewed, he said of this film that it was one of only a small number of times in his career he felt he carried over what he wanted on the page to the screen. Though I've never read the actual shooting script to Husbands and Wives, I can see what he means. I've seen the film several times, if not all the way through then usually when it is on TV, and it always strikes my attention the frankness of it all, how it follows almost no rules. It shares a kinship with another Woody masterpiece, Deconstructing Harry, also about a neurotic writer and the relationship problems around him. Here he focuses not only on himself, but also on another married couple, played by Sydney Pollack and Judy Davis (the later of which one of Woody's best in his quasi stock company), and what he calls the "discombobulated" characters. It is funny here and there, but in reality this is a great film of dramatic sincerity and occasional intensity.

Woody himself is in his final collaboration with his ex-wife Mia Farrow, who themselves in the film play a married couple working through some issues. There is also the sensitive, passionate man between the two couples played by Liam Neeson, who acts as a good mediator between the two intertwining story lines. And Juliette Lewis is surprisingly good as a young would-be author who befriends the author/professor Woody plays in the film. What works to make all of these relationships, with warts and all, is that the dialog is always totally, without a doubt, believable. One can see people like this around the New York city upper-middle class landscape, with the neuroses as intriguing as they are frank and even a little disturbing.

While the film shares a kinship with some of the dark, brooding themes of Interiors, and quintessentially European (in a good way) attitude towards editing and composition to Deconstructing Harry, it also has (also 'Harry's' DP) the eye of Carlo Di Palma. Di Palma, who also worked with Antonioni on Red Desert and Blowup, works with great ease with the aesthetics of the scenes. This time the camera-work is practically all hand-held, lit with nearly (seemingly) no artificial lights, and with a kind of intensity that is sometimes lacking in other Woody films. In wrong, amateur hands this style could falter, but with the material given, the constant interest and conviction in the performances, and Allen directing, it works. Having Di Palma as a cinematographer is as good a bet as having (a mentally-all-together) Marlon Brando as your star, and because of the documentary realism involved it always remains interesting. I could watch this movie, at least most scenes, just as easily as I could with films like Manhattan or 'Harry', because it is one of those special times in the filmmaker's career where everything comes together, however how raw it may be.

Woody Allen makes good, very good, and excellent films.

Husbands and Wives is a very good film with excellent performances. It is not a comedy but rather a dramedy that explores marriages and relationships of four main characters. It has several funny moments and dialogs (it is Allen after all) but it has disturbing and sad scenes, too.

When Jack and Sally (Sidney Pollack and Judy Davis) announce that they're separating, this comes as a shock to their best friends Gabe and Judy (Allen and Farrow). They start to reevaluate their own marriage only to find out that it is not as perfect as they thought. Very soon Jack and Sally, and then Gabe and Judy start to meet new people - young, bright, and attractive. They all hope that new is better, and for some of them it is true while the others come to understanding that true love involves loving another's imperfections even when very well aware of them.

This film is for all husbands and wives, lovers, and partners around the world. It is for couples who've been in a relationship for a month, a year, or decades. It is for singles who are ready or who think they want to enter a relationship. It is also for people who don't. All of us have been or may find ourselves in a situation or relationship or having a conversation like the ones in the Allen's film. All of us think and talk about love, trust, understanding, fidelity, sex, and yes - marriage.

The best scenes of the film belong to Allen and Farrow. Some of their conversations in the movie probably reflect the situation in their own relationship that ended soon after the film was made. It is the last film Allen made with Farrow.

Judy Davis played the role of her carrier practically stealing the film. I was shocked to find out that she received all possible Critics Awards that year and lost Best Supporting Oscar to Marisa Tomei. I love Tomei's performance in My Cousin Vinny (1992) but nomination itself would've been enough. Davis was the Best Supporting actress (I saw all films with nominated performances). Sidney Pollack (The Oscar winning director of Out of Africa and two times nominee for Tootsie and They Shoot Horses, Don't They?) and Liam Nisson were wonderful. I did not like Juliet Lewis at all. What she did adorably in Cape Fear with De Niro for ten minutes scene, she tried to stretch for over an hour here - did not work, IMO.

I like "Husbands and Wives" - it was interesting to watch, and it left me thinking if such thing as perfect relationship is ever possible, and what it would take to not only find it but to keep it.

I have always been a fan of Woody Alan and this movie really expresses the essence of his personal and constant recurring confrontation with the meaning of life. His pursuit of a significant context in human relationships always drives him to the brink of madness as he realizes all too well that there is no basis for real values in a life cycle which is basically totally absurd.The dark shadow of the philosophy of despair is constantly present but often relieved by a delightful form of sarcastic humor. This movie is for people who know what it's all about and are conscious of the fact that we are all trapped in this the "comédie humaine". The acting is excellent with no flaws at all. Judy Davis is a sheer delight to watch and Juliette Lewis - fascinating as always - with her mixture of Lolita-like innocence, her girlish ways and sudden adult insights would be a dangerous temptress for any middle-aged guy.

"Match Point" was the movie that converted me into a Woody Allen-fan. I had literally hated the man's work, but suddenly I found that these movies really spoke to me more than before. I guess you just have to grow older and get a little life experience before you can appreciate Woody Allen's fabulous writing. Lately, I've been catching up on his filmography and was blown away by his immense power of observation. Out of all his classic movies that I've seen in the past couple of days "Husbands And Wives" made the biggest impression so far. This movie is fearless, honest and true. Allen really hits the nail on the head with this one.

Unlike movies like "Crimes And Misdemeanors" or the aforementioned "Match Point" (which are both great) "Husbands And Wives" isn't laden with symbolism and there are no highly philosophical thoughts to be found. The movie is merely depicting the universal truth that it's tough to remain honest and passionate in a marriage. Masterfully Allen shows his struggling characters in all their weaknesses without ever making them unlikeable. These characters falter between loyalty, fear of loneliness and an undeniable desire for passion. Everybody who's ever been in a longtime relationship will be able to identify with these problems, but only the brave ones will be able to admit that to their partner.

That's the beauty of this movie. Allen says what everybody else is either too afraid or too hypocritical or simply unable to. "Husbands And Wives" shows what the fewest people understand: the egoistical side of "love", the way we cling to relationships because we're afraid of being alone, but also the simple fact that sometimes we need to lose something to understand how much we need it. Even when there's still love we can reach a point where we lie and betray the other person, just because sometimes people are confused about their lives and their feelings.

Nobody has voiced our confusion about love and death as accurately as Woody Allen and he's rarely done it better than here. "Husbands And Wives" is recommendable for everyone, especially couples, but be prepared that watching this might lead to uncomfortable discussions. The truth is hardly ever convenient.

Gabe (Woody Allen) and Judy (Mia Farrow) have invited their good friends Jack (Sydney Pollack) and Sally (Judy Davis) for a small dinner at their quaint Manhattan apartment. Their abode is full of books and knickknacks all pointing to a comfortable urbanite life in the largest city in the world. Then Jack and Sally reveal some surprising news…after years of seemingly happy marriage, the two have agreed to a separation and eventual divorce. After that bomb is dropped the two couples reexamine their relationships with each other, trying to find meaning in romances both current and past while discovering the good, the bad and the ugly in marriage.

Woody Allen is mostly known for his comedies. But while Husbands and Wives has some pretty spot on observational humor, the story is largely somber and dramatic. Not dramatic in the sense of a Wednesday afternoon soap opera but a benign drama that with a few spikes of activity focuses mostly on the characters. There is no clever high concept or narrative liberties here like say, The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985); the film is more straight-laced and character driven along the lines of Interiors (1978) and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989).

And what of the characters or rather the actors who flesh them out? Judy Davis, Mia Farrow and Juliette Lewis are the obvious standouts, representing three very different women all of which are looking for the same thing; someone to love and someone to love them back. Davis received an Oscar nomination for her role as a bitter divorcée trying to come to terms with her ex-husband's infidelity and being single again. She's continually frustrated and confused by the yearnings of the heart occasionally even lashing out on her boyfriend Gates (Liam Neeson). She's cynical and wary of attachment yet deep down she knows that her entanglements with Jack aren't over.

Mia Farrow is a stark counterpoint to Diane Keaton's brassy personalities of Allen's earlier work. Farrow's intensity lies always below the surface, providing the perked looks and mousiness of a young ingénue with the mind and body language of a veteran in the trials of love. It's a shame that out of the twelve Woody Allen films she has been in (for which Husbands and Wives was most famously her last) she had never received recognition by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for her stellar work.

Juliette Lewis who plays one of Gabe's young students from his Literature course, has the appearance and vulnerability of a dewy-eyed devotee. Yet when the amiable Gabe discovers he might be the object of desire here and Lewis's Rain the controller, he recoils. There's a scene where the two are in a cab discussing the latest draft of his book. Unable to take criticism, Gabe calls Rain a 20-year-old twit and says "I'd hate to be your boyfriend, he must go through hell." Rain cavalierly responds "Well, I'm worth it."

Those who bemoan Allen's post-Annie Hall (1977) work won't find relief from his more meditative works of the 1980's. While most of the characters are likable they sometimes do unlikeable things, each on their own journey of discovery. I suppose we all do things we regret for love and those with a mature outlook on the subject matter will find a lot to enjoy and a lot to flinch at in Husbands and Wives. I suppose the heart wants what the heart wants.

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Woody Allen went the documentary (ish) route, again, with his 1992 film Husbands and WIves. The film follows a married couple's deterioration after their married friends decide to separate. By telling the story in documentary format with a hand-held camera with a lot of movement and close-up shots, the audience is completely immersed in the story, almost like voyeurs as we see a marriage crumble apart.

Jack (Sydney Pollack) and Sally (Judy Davis) break some tough news to their friends Gabe (Woody Allen) and Judy (Mia Farrow) that they will be separating. Judy and Sally are quite nonchalant while delivering the news but Gabe and Judy are devastated. Gabe remarks that theirs is a marriage benchmark as he only thinks of them as "Jack and Sally". Judy is completely devastated even retiring to her bedroom in a dither over hearing the news. Gabe and Judy console themselves and each other as Jack and Sally go on to see other people. The news changes them, as well, however. Gabe and Judy both begin to question aspects of their life and relationship and start to believe that they may not be as happy in their marriage as they've grown comfortable believing. Gabe starts succumbing to the admiration of one of his female students and Judy realizes she is attracted to another man. What began as a series of changes in the lives of Jack and Sally has delivered life- changing impact for Gabe and Judy.

I love the documentary style Woody used for husbands and Wives. I've heard many criticize it, yet, I think it's perfect to convey the intimate emotions dealt with in the film. I especially enjoy how real Woody depicts human emotions in this film. Who hasn't recovered from a breakup when one moment you are whole, moving on, and living your life when all of a sudden you get a nagging thought in your head that you just can't shake and you become a mix of anger and desperation in an instant? That's exactly what Woody showed in the scene in which Sally was in the apartment of a man she was to go on a date with but she couldn't shake the news that Jack had moved someone in his home just three weeks after their separation. That scene, as gut-wrenching as it was, was my favorite because it was so real. That really is how emotions work, they are wild and unpredictable, quickly changing based on new information. Husbands and Wives was a truly human film with rich touches of Woody Allen (another Bergman reference and a comment from Woody about walking in Paris in the rain) definitely a stand out in the excellent filmography of Woody Allen.

What is this thing called love? Or the lack of love, that would be a better way to describe "Husbands and Wives", because love has turned sour in this Woody Allen drama comedy.

A lot of whining between middle aged married adults is going on, lots and lots of it. Husbands and wives are accusing the other partner of lacking in love and understanding.

When I first saw this picture decades ago, I felt really depressed afterwards. Thought of it as one of the most depressing Woody Allen pictures I had ever seen. But there are still some very subtle tongue in cheek jokes to be enjoyed. There are still enough lighthearted moments, but you must be able to stand lots of quarreling.

Judy Davis, as one of the wives, excells at this quarreling between husbands and wives. I think she was the funniest, because she was THAT insecure and THAT obnoxious that she became hilarious at moments. Or to put it simply like Judy Davis said it: "Marriage is a BUFFER for loneliness"

How strange it may sound, but now when I am older I love the more serious and bleak Woody Allen pictures better than his slapstick comedies. "Enjoy" this depressing, yet still witty trip into the rut called marriage...

Along with Annie Hall, Crimes and Misdemeanours, Manhattan and Hannah and Her Sisters(probably some rather clichéd choices) Husbands and Wives is one of Woody Allen's best. Allen is not for all tastes but his films have always had some interest value and mostly they are very well written and acted. Husbands and Wives certainly has those. The hand-held camera work may put some people off, especially compared to visual beauties like Hannah and Her Sisters and Manhattan. Not for me it didn't, the use of it was quite clever and while extensive it wasn't overkill or seizure-inducing(and this is coming from somebody with epilepsy). Stylistically also it came across as intentional, to convey the character's thoughts and neuroses. Allen directs with no problem, and his performance in the film too has degrees of bitterness but also one of his most reserved and honest. In fact, apart from Juliette Lewis who is annoying(the only thing about the film that didn't quite work for me, but considering how outstanding everything else was she wasn't enough to completely rock the boat) the acting is superb, particularly from Sydney Pollack and Judy Davis. Mia Farrow gives a heartfelt performance too. Husbands and Wives is a superbly written film, it does have a fair bit of Allen's razor sharp wit and plenty of well- thought out observations conveyed bluntly. But few Allen films are this candid, and the documentary-style that the film adopts allows the candour to come through and resonate in a very rich and vigorous way. The themes and relationships explored in Husbands and Wives are ones that any married couple or pretty much anybody will relate to(the Pollack and Davis storyline is the most poignant and insightful). Some of what is shown is very unpleasant and the characters are not likable ones at all, but to be honest it's absolutely like that in real life, it just goes to show how much the truth can hurt. It really is one of Allen's most relatable films, Hannah and Her Sisters I also related to strongly but in a different way, being warmer in tone and slightly more multi-layered(that's not to knock Husbands and Wives at all in that regard as it certainly is that). Overall, some of what is shown is unpleasant but it is a remarkably candid film with superb writing and acting that a lot of people can relate to. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This film, while rather amusing in some parts, is more or less a drama. Allen seems to have become more accepting of the "love fades" theme first presented in ANNIE HALL, and his characters seem to be a reflection of this maturity. The concepts of what love and marriage mean are dealt with in depth here, and there are no clear answers, of course. This provokes thought without being too sure of itself (who would expect that from Woody?)and provides a thoughtful examination of what makes love begin and last..or not.

Mr.Cinema aka Woody Allen is above compliments, above talent and undoubtedly the face of Modern-Era-Cinema. Allen has made remarkable films, and 'Husbands And Wives' is a yet another classic from this genius!

'Husbands and Wives' is as nagging as a Married-Couple. Allen and Mia Farrow star as a married-couple, who begin to find flaws and depression after a couple they knew happily split. The characters are like your next-door married-couples. Allen's most mature drama works, due to his genius. The film succeeds in all the 3 levels: Start, Middle and End! Allen's writing and direction, is top-notch, as ever. The late/great Carlo Di Palma's Cinematography is picture perfect.

In the acting department, Allen takes the cake and delivers a charming performance. Liam Neeson is brilliant in a brief role. In fact, this is Nesson at his best! Mia Farrow is okay, while Judy Davis pitches in a superb act. The late/great Sydney Pollack is lovable. Juliette Lewis does very well. Lysette Anthony is superb.

'Husbands And Wives' is a winner all the way... MR.Cinema delivers and how! Two Thumbs Up!

Gabe (Woody Allen) and Judy (Mia Farrow) live in couple for about 10 years and are friends with Jack (Sidney Pollack) and Sally (Judy Davis), married for twenty years with kids in college. The film opens with an announcement from the Jack-Sally couple, they're splitting up. Whether it's a trial or definitive separation doesn't matter, the news come as a big shock, especially to Judy who is so upset that she steals Jack and Sally's thunder. We're too busy wondering what's with Judy that we don't really listen to Jack and Sally's explanations.

The opening scene is one of Allen's most inspired moments. What we have is a couple quietly handling the idea of a separation after 20 years of common life, making tremendous efforts to rationalize it and convincing the entourage that they're happy with that, and another couple, totally confused and distressed about it. The directing contributes to create a dizzying effect, the scene is shot with a hand-held camera going back and forth from a character to another, with so many jumps and cuts it conveys a deliberate feeling of real-life confusion. It's just as if the characters played by Allen and Farrow didn't expect the news, and the cameraman didn't know if he had to go on or stop filming. The chaos almost reaches the level of a Cassavetes' film, except that Cassavetes was a director of raw emotion, while Allen, more cerebral, uses the scene to raise the very questions to which the film will try to provide answers.

Jack lived 20 years with a woman extremely cerebral and anguished, and not a detail at all, cold in bed. Rather than an alibi for Jack, it serves to show how sex can cement the harmony within a couple or totally destroy it. After leaving Sally, Jack dates a sexy, beautiful, aerobics instructor. He feels like living again as if he was wasting away with Sally. Of course, he would sooner realize that all the fantasies that filled his marital sex-less nights couldn't live up to the everyday realities. Any older man is capable to seduce the sexiest bimbo but then would he feel confident enough to introduce her to his friends? As for Sally, the life following the breakup oscillated between many attitudes. She's first devoured by jealousy when she learns that Jack sees another woman, positive that it's a colleague of him who's like a younger version of her. Judy is so full of herself that she can't imagine Jack going for a 'cheaper model', and it hurts her because she's a confident woman and her pride can't allow this. Yet at one point, she's not old anymore but experienced, not single but free. She changes her perceptions and it seems to work for a while, to a point even Judy is impressed by her self- confidence.

But from Sally's new perspective, Judy is not just impressed; her reaction is closer to jealousy and gives some early hints about the reasons of her reaction in the opening scene. Indeed, Judy and Gabe is a more perplexing couple, they live independently to each other yet passion seems to lack in their relationship. In fact, they argue so frequently that the moments of tenderness are more unusual. It feels like they had no chance to live in harmony as soon as their friends separated, as if Jack and Sally were the third link of their relationship. The separation of an ideal couple could easily mean a threat to a more fragile couple. To give us more insights about the characters, Allen shoots the film in documentary style, punctuating the scenes with interviews from the different protagonists. Gabe had a lust for highly libidinous women or nut-cases, and married Judy because she would reconcile him with a more normal way of life. As for Judy, the separation hit a sensitive nerve, maybe she was wasting great opportunities with Gabe.

But these interviews only illustrate what the scenes brilliantly show. In "Husbands and Wives", Woody Allen demonstrates again his incredible talent when it comes to human emotions' writing. Halfway through the movie, we're so familiar with the protagonists that we can immediately guess their true reactions regarding one or another's actions, and not only guess them, but also understand them. And it's this very capacity to inspire our empathy that gives all the credit to a wonderfully written screenplay. Indeed, the movie tackles the difficult subject or relationships within couples, and in a thought-provoking move, the script succeeds in making us wonder whether marital commitment drives or undermines one's quest for happiness. In other words, can this quest not be just personal? That's it, in "Husbands and Wives", we understand any of Gabe, Sally, Judy or Jack, no one is guilty or innocent because no one can actually be blamed of seeking harmony or self-contentment.

Made in a difficult personal time for Woody Allen, hi film is thought provoking because it chronicles people's approaches to marital commitment. And while we're committed to live with the same person for the rest of our lives, it's impossible not to think about what our life would be, with another person, or if we were single. Being married for less than a year, the film didn't have the same effect on me as on the first viewing. I understood the characters, I can understand the lust a man can have on a younger, or a sexier, on a more or less sophisticated woman. The food in the neighbor's table always look more appetizing.

Still, why do some people stay together even if they know they don't share the same dreams than their companion? Because although we'd feel guilty and weak not to fulfill our personal dreams, guilt and weakness are double-edged swords when they concern the person we loved for a long time. It's up to us to see on which side, those feelings would be more tolerable.

This Woody Allen drama combines many of his frequently used elements, bringing a fresh combination to the themes he often visits. Infidelity, marital difficulties, therapy, and mortality are all discussed ad nauseum in the film, but instead of a linear storyline, he films it as a pseudo-documentary. The four main characters are separately interviewed to discuss their thoughts and feelings, interspersed with the plot of the destruction of the two marriages, which is sometimes narrated by the interviewer.

Sydney Pollack and Judy Davis announce to their closest friends Woody Allen and Mia Farrow that they're ending their marriage. As they explore the single life, Woody and Mia look at the problems in their own marriage. Mia's tempted by Liam Neeson, a co-worker, and Woody is drawn to the hero-worship of one of his students, Juliette Lewis.

I didn't really like this movie, because besides Mia Farrow, none of the characters were remotely likable. Mia's given the least impetus in the plot, so for most of the movie, I became increasingly more frustrated with everyone else. Yes, everyone has problems and relationships are incredibly difficult, but is it necessary to waste 104 minutes watching an uninteresting movie about it? If a movie's going to depress me, it'd better have a reason. Plus, knowing that the twelve-year relationship between Mia and Woody went down in scandalous flames during this film makes it difficult to enjoy watching them argue on screen. This was the last of their thirteen movies together, and I can't help but think that was part of the reason audiences flocked to the theaters to see this one.

DLM warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie is not your friend. Pretty much the entire movie uses a hand-held cameras, and it will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

Woody Allen really knows how to write good male and female characters.

Granted this is not Woody's funniest film, but it delivers the goods. Like most of Woody's work, it plays out like a photographed play (he's not a highly visual filmmaker), but if you've seen any of his other films you shouldn't be surprised. The film is low-key, at times too low-key, and if you've seen any other relationship comedies of this nature the story should come predictable, but the characters are very well-written and engaging. I was especially interested in the relationship between Woody and his beautiful student, played by Juliette Lewis. There are lots of funny moments. I see that Judy Davis got nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar. She really was great in the film. It's nice to see that Woody often finds a place for her in all his recent films. Sydney Pollack is also great. Basically, the whole cast is talented and it's pretty much an ensemble effort.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

As a huge Woody Allen fan, I was disappointed by this film. While interested in what was said about love, passion and marriage, I found it overall slow and boring. Perhaps I was comparing it, unfairly, to another drama of Allen's, Crimes and Misdemeanors, which I found phenomenal. Even a genius like Allen can't bat a thousand - though he gets closer than just about anyone.