My weekly movie reviews. You can also read these on letterboxd.
This week focuses on two films directed by Joan Micklin Silver and starring one of my favorite actors, John Heard.
CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER (1979)
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
This is my kind of “romantic comedy”, the kind that most fans of the genre would detest or determine didn’t even qualify for that category.
CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER hurts to watch at times because it’s so real (I can personally relate to situations like this in my 20s) especially in its depiction of how a man can’t let go of a woman who won’t commit to him. Filmmaker Joan Micklin Silver and actor John Heard nail the male portrayal, giving us an honest, non-biased portrait of a forlorn, desperate ex-boyfriend. At the same time, Mary Beth Hurt is perfect as the woman who doesn’t know what she wants, trying to be single and independent but bouncing back and forth between men. Again, it’s honest and that means it isn’t as funny or romantic as most movies in this genre but it’s about real life love instead of fairy tale love.
If Micklin’s work is this authentic, this good at depicting both men and women, then she might be one of my new favorite directors to study.
Watched on Criterion Channel.
BETWEEN THE LINES (1977)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
I love the way Joan Micklin Silver portrays both men and women in her movies. There may be some “feminist” elements to BETWEEN THE LINES and CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER but the films don’t lean towards one genre, painting a picture of the sexes as they are versus how we want them to be.
LINES is less about an alternative newspaper, though Micklin’s Village Voice experience does inform and enhance the narrative, than it is about the nature of people. From Lindsay Crouse’s contradictions to John Heard’s insecurities to Gwen Welles’ struggle to stand up for herself to Stephen Collins’ egotism, it’s a study in personality and how those personalities click or clash. Silver may show the faults in men but she also shows the hypocrisy in women. She’s willing to expose and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of both genres, a refreshing depiction of romantic relationships.
Besides that, the movie is also quite funny, especially the scenes involving Bruno Kirby’s wanna be reporter or the mooch movie critic played by Jeff Goldblum. The latter gives one of his best performances; this is a character, like the one in JURASSIC PARK, that he was born to play. Micklin dips her toes into a quirkier vibe here more than the grounded WINTER but she never goes too far, keeping it real and relatable. It’s the difference between early Wes Anderson and later artificial Wes Anderson. This is the balance and she strikes it perfectly.
Watched on Criterion Channel.
