Saturday Matinee: Faces

"Richard Forst has grown old. One night, he leaves his wife for Jeannie Rapp, a young woman who does not like friendship. Meanwhile, Richard's wife, Maria, is seduced by Chet, a kind young man from Detroit... A film about the meaningless of life for a certain kind of wealthy middle-aged people." from IMDb

Well then....if that is all the Internet Movie Database has to say....LOL

This is one of those movies with really weird scenes.  There is a lot...WAY LOT of drinking so maybe that should explain things.  They drink so much and act so stupid you almost feel sorry for them.  You know when you have a Girls Night Out and there is always that ONE friend who drinks way too much and dances all weird and thinks she is funny (ok...I know I have been THAT girl once or twice...LOL)?  Well almost everyone in the movie is THAT girl.  Everyone but Jeanie (and her friend on one scene) and this gal makes a living off of a "good time".

She is absolutly my favorite character in this movie.  Gena Rowlands playing her might have SOMETHING to do with it, along with other reasons I will not get into (that would take my entire blog into a new direction).  

Richard meets Jeanie while out at "the Losers" coctail lounge with a friend.  They have a few laughs, the friend offends Jeanie because she has no use for him and they leave.  Richard arrives home to his attractive wife, more drinks, and a hot meal.  Richards wife (I forget her name, sorry) tries to keep things interesting.  She is pretty, seems to be able to hold a conversation, and tries to keep life interesting....but she is "not a sex machine" as she tells Richard.  You see, Richard is all wound up from being at Jeanie's house without "release" and would rather stay in than go to a movie as his wife suggests. A few more "words" and Richard announces he wants a divorce.  No discussion...he will send for his clothes in the morning.  Richard is cruel in this scene...but then it seems we are not really "in" on teh entire situation.  I feel as I walked in durring the middle of something.  I mean surely he does not want a divorce because he is bored?  His wife does not amuse him?  Their dinner conversation was going so well before.... I mean the wife even told a story about how her friend's husband talks in his sleep about "kissing a women.....(down there she motions)".

Side note, this is one of the first films in cinema history to talk openly about cunnilingus (from IMDb)

Oh....after the "I want a divorce" anouncement and in front of his wife, Richard calls Jeanie to ask if he can see her again that night.  He is just cruel.

He is no better to Jeanie.  I know, I know...she is a "Pro" and should not have feelings but she falls for this creep.  This old, wrinkled, and I am sure smelly from the amount of liquor and smokes he consumes, creep. 

While Richard is being entertained by the beautiful Jeanie (remember she is played by Gena Rowlands), his wife calls up her gal pals and hits the town.  These ladies are middle aged, upper middle class housewives...  and they are living it up.  They head to a night club, drink (of course), dance, and meet a young (supposed to be good looking, I guess) man....who they bring home (to Richard's house).  He charms the high heels off of several of the women but when they all head home, for being offended in one way or another, he stays with "the wife" (goodness I wish I could remember her name...LOL).  Well as you can imagine Richard comes home..... and this is where I will leave you to see the movie for yourself.

This was an independant movie directed by John Cassavetes who you might know as the director of Rosemary's Baby.  Cassavetes was married to Gena Rowlands. 

...oh and Richard was played by John Marley.

Saturday Matinee: The Children's Hour with Audrey Hepburn and Shirley McClain (1961)

The Children's Hour is about Karen Wright and Martha Dobie, best friends since college and they own the boarding school Wright and Dobie School for Girls with twenty students. They are working hard as headmistresses and teachers to grow the school and make it profitable. Karen is engaged with the local doctor Joe Cardin, who is the nephew of the powerful and affluent Mrs. Amelia Tilford. While the spiteful and liar Mary, who is Amelia's granddaughter and a bad influence to the other girls, is punished by Karen after telling a lie, Martha has an argument with her snoopy aunt Lily Mortar in another room. Lily accuses Martha of being jealous and having an unnatural relationship with Karen. Mary's roommate Rosalie Wells and a friend overhear the shouting and tells Mary what Mrs. Mortar had said about her niece. The malicious Mary accuses Karen and Martha of being lesbians to her grandmother and Amelia spreads the gossip to the parents of the students that withdraw them from the school...(from IMDb)

While both Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine were great in this movie, MacLaine was by far prefered over the usual overly dramatic Ms. Hepburn.  I know...I know...but Audrey Hepburn is wonderful..ok, so she IS wonderful and one of my most favorite actress of her time...but I still think she over does "it" a bit.  This was not the MacLain I am familiar with.  She was not "Ouiser Boudreaux ", "Aurora Greenway ", or even "Katharine Richelieu " aka "Mrs. Robinson" (the older one in Rumour Has It).  She was not self important, loud, or a little crazy.  She was understated.  Very pretty.  I liked this Shirley MacLaine (I like the older one, too).  I felt sorry for her character.  Something you do not usually do with her more recent characters.




James Garner was also in the film as Dr. Joe Cardin.  I did not even know this was James Garner until I looked this character up while researching for this post.  Now I understand what my Aunt was talking about...he IS a sexy man.

The movie was one that I enjoyed.  The story was heart breaking.  It shows how a childish lie and influence can ruin lives.  The childish lie comes from a very unhappy little brat of an ignorant and gossiping old lady, her grandmother.  How tragic that this silly old lady had so much influence over the parents, of the other students, just because she was rich.  It is hard to say if I would be a follower and hold sexual preference against a teacher.  In 2011, no I wouldn't.  In 1961, who knows, really.  I am not going to be so high and mighty to say I would be above this.  The world was different and I would be differnt in it.  And even further....in 1934 when  Lillian Hellman wrote the play.  Sexuality was not as talked about then.  I can both wish for the privacy of sexuality being PRIVATE while being glad that we can talk about it and have more tolerance for differences.  Thank goodness we have the advances in medicine, education, and tolerance.  We have choices with our bodies, a man can marry the man he loves (in some states)...heck, we even have sitcoms about the subject, Will and Grace is one of my all time favorite TV shows (LOVE Jack). In the present homosexuality is the subject of many films, books, plays, etc.  In 1961 and certainly in 1934 it was seen as a rather explosive subject.  One can only imagine how it would be in real life.

This film is defiantly worth viewing.  I highly recommend it.

Tiffany