Reviews of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1966
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Ever been round someone's house and the couple who have invited you have an argument and you don't know what to do with yourself? Well, remember that and multiply it about 167 times in terms of how embarrassing and uncomfortable it is and then you have Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
I think this film is all too often pitched as being the Taylor v Burton on-screen re-enactment of their real life relationship, if I'm honest. Having watched it, I…
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Basically 2 hours of powerhouse performances. Taylor is ferocious yet vulnerable, Burton is subdued but can erupt in rage at any given moment. The writing luckily matches their skill and it is a joy to watch them deliver line upon fantastic line. Of course George Segal and Sandy Dennis are great as well and Nichols gives them space and their own conflicts to deal with within the movie.
The cinematography was definitely a stand out. There is nothing showy here but the way everything is framed just gave me a certain pleasure.
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This film is awful. I don’t mean that disparagingly. I mean that this film is just awful because it’s so brutal, so tragic and so heart-breaking. Starring two of cinema’s greatest ever performers, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, it tells the story of George and Martha, a long married couple who host a late night drinks party for two guests, played by George Segal and Sandy Dennis. As the drinks flow and the tensions rise, the night turns into…
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I have not seen a film where there was so much hatred and violence. Well, I am not talking about physical violence per say, but the way the characters treat each other is just downright spiteful. For the whole time I thought George and Martha were like this because of what they did to each other in the past.But then the ending made me realize that it was all because of what they could not do and could not have. The climax will just leave you stunned. This was one hell of a watch.
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I have seen a few films recently that share the disintegration of a marriage being played out in public theme.
Abagail's Party and Sweden's Heaven's Heart are both excellent and are bettered only by American Beauty. But when it comes to a married couple putting themselves through the ringer in front of their friends there's one film that stands alone and the Daddy of them all is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Ostensibly Martha and George, Taylor and Burton have…
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''I swear, if you existed, I'd divorce you.''
What an INCREDIBLE experience! This felt like the longest film I have ever seen. Not technically of course, but this 131 minute film felt like watching 'Lawrence of Arabia' 3 times in a row, One of the most intense and mentally draining films I have ever seen, but also probably one of the most brilliant and moving. a true cinematic marvel that features two of the greatest performances of all time.
I think April 2013 is turning out to be my greatest month of film watching ever.
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The December Challenge: Film 21
I recently had the misfortune of sitting through Liz & Dick, a shameful excuse for a biopic that trampled all over the memory of Richard Burton and made Elizabeth Taylor out to be a talentless wench. Disgusted with everyone involved, and also with myself for sitting through such a turgid waste of everyone’s time, I decided to turn immediately to one of the greatest movies of all time in a bid to cleanse my mind.…
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I've never had this bizarre a reaction to a film before. From scene to scene, and sometimes within a scene (within a shot!) I'd go from loving the film to hating it, from appreciating the dialogue and performances to thinking they were overblown and ridiculous. There are some scenes in here that work brilliantly, and others threw me right out of the movie. Yet I can't always point to what exact things made the difference.
Part of it is Taylor's…
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Mike Nichols' stunningly powerful adaptation of Edward Albee's 4-character play, in which we witness one long, alcohol-drenched, profanity-strewn night in the life of Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) and George (Richard Burton), while their marriage crumbles right before our eyes. To say both performances are brilliant is an understatement, and the dialogue is perceptive, realistic, and absolutely wounding. GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS ain't got nothing on this.
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This was a bit of a struggle for me, not because it was bad, it was a tough watch. Watching two people trying to destroy each other and dragging a young couple into their games is uncomfrotable.
The film is really an actors piece, and it is easy to see it's based on a play. The four main cast members are outstanding, and Sandy Dennis was a real joy.