MovieChat Forums > Another Woman (1988) Discussion > With friends like these . . .

With friends like these . . .

posted 8 years ago by eebyo
2 replies | jump to latest

. . . you don't have any friends.

I just watched this for the first time (so for the 1,000th time, thanks TCM). Gena Rowlands as Marion is her usual force of nature, which is why I stayed with it. But every character in all Marion's social circles (except 2 of the men who hit on her) keep waltzing up to her to yammer on about how she ruined their lives! Often very long ago! It's full of women (and a couple of men) who passive-aggressively wait years or decades to pounce on Marion for the mortal sin of not being a bubbly empathic girly-girl. She was supposed to make them happier than they turned out, and it's All. Her. Fault.

I was a grownup in the late '80s when this was filmed, and I swear on my legwarmers: women IRL like the characters in this film were blessedly rare. The voices in this film's whiny chorus say a lot more about what Woody Allen thinks of women than they do about actual women.

[–] Chiscully 8 years ago

I'm still watching but your comment resonates with me. Gena Rowland is great to watch but the world portrayed seems very depressing and not entirely believable. Of course it is dated now too.

[–] Owlwise (1536) 3 years ago

I don't find it dated at all. The trappings, the decor, etc., are of their period, of course. But the primary issue of being locked into such a detached, cerebral world & denying the emotional aspect of life is just as present today as it ever was in the past.