Minnie and Moskowitz (1971)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) – J. Cassavetes

Unmistakably a Cassavetes picture, shot in that vérité, quasi-improvised style that he made his own, Minnie and Moskowitz follows two odd characters (played by Gena Rowlands and Seymour Cassel, respectively) as they meet and fall in love.  If that sounds like straightforward romantic comedy, the actual film is anything but.  In Cassavetes’ universe, people seem to have serious problems with their emotional regulation.  Moskowitz especially runs hot and hot, while Minnie tends toward cool (so much so that she wears her sunglasses indoors and at night).  And whether this is a comedy at all is an open question:  I found the interactions between people to be predominantly tense, probably because of all the norm violations by Moskowitz.  Minnie seems to have a similar reaction but comes around to his honesty and openness.  What you see is what you get.  Apart from the central duo, we are also treated to a number of bizarre monologues from character actors such as Timothy Carey (a well-known weirdo) and Val Avery – these do verge on the comic.  Cassavetes also makes a sly reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey.  In other words, the film is looser and less serious than the tougher dramas Cassavetes is known for (Faces, A Woman Under the Influence).  As it careens to a conclusion, things fall apart a bit, as the actors break character to show the making of the film to have been a fun family affair (Rowlands and Cassavetes, who also makes an appearance as a true heel, were married and their mothers appear in the film).