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Husbands and Wives

Husbands and Wives

1992
Comedy, Drama
1h 48m
When their best friends announce that they're separating, a professor and his wife discover the faults in their marriage.
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Husbands and Wives

1992
Comedy, Drama
1h 48m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 66.54% from 1355 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1355)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 09 Sep 2007
85
96th
A dynamic look at volatile New Yorkers utterly failing at adult relationships. What's that you say? That's every Woody Allen movie? Well, it's this one ESPECIALLY!
Rated 07 May 2011
85
90th
Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives is a great movie. The writing is charged with wit and poignancy as usual, but the naturalistic camerawork is exceptional.
Rated 04 Aug 2009
4
70th
One of Woody's best; a sprawling look at relationships and the work that goes into trying to keep them alive, as well as the factors that contribute to healthy and unhealthy ones. The comedy and drama here are interwoven as subtly as in any other film of his I've seen, allowing the characters to remain true to themselves without rigid emotional cues, supported by some fantastic ensemble acting (excepting Juliette Lewis). Insightful, funny, and entertaining.
Rated 25 Mar 2010
95
94th
Woody gets pretty close to the bone with this one. Well directed: he even makes me like hand-held camera. Judy Davis is extraordinary (and very scary) in this, and Sydney Pollack gives his best performance.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
99th
For me, the best Woody Allen movie. Incredible to think about the circumstances in which it was finished, and the relationship between them and the characters depicted onscreen.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
94th
The shakycam business is hard to get used to, Juliette Lewis is a lousy actress, and the parallels with Allen's own life at the time kind of make you cringe a bit. Otherwise, this is one of his most powerful films, and really hits you in the gut at times. And it's funny, too.
Rated 04 May 2008
9
97th
The mix of drama and comedy is flawless.
Rated 08 May 2008
90
85th
This film is obviously about relationships, but I think even more than that it's about the lies people tell in order to rationalize their choices in life, and not so much lies they tell to others as lies they tell themselves. Shaky-camera-as-"honest-filmmaking" is a cliche by now (if it wasn't at the time), but I didn't really mind it. Juliette Lewis, however, I strongly mind. I didn't care for her performance at all. I didn't think it hurt the movie very much, though.
Rated 01 Mar 2010
80
77th
A very mature study on human relationships with excellent performances and acute observations.
Rated 17 Aug 2012
88
91st
You almost feel guilty for enjoying other people's misery so much, but Allen pulls it off without you feeling too bad about that. Smart, witty, and cynical, and way too close for comfort.
Rated 02 Feb 2007
85
78th
I'm not sure if the camerawork is supposed to be that unstable. It's possible Woody Allen wanted to be Cassavetes just for kicks. Anyway, I guarantee you will see yourself in one of these characters or the relationship he/she is in.
Rated 27 Apr 2007
90
86th
Woody does another pseudodocumentary. His whiny New York intellectuals are every bit as funny as ever
Rated 22 Jul 2008
76
71st
A very well-told story about a bunch of people who don't deserve to have their story told. Who cares if these creepy, manipulative folks end up married or not? I was rooting for them all to end up alone, so they could think about themselves. And another thing: Juliette Lewis is not alluring. She is not attractive. She is a good actress, but unable to play the parts of characters who have those traits because the viewer wants to scrape her off with a stick.
Rated 24 Nov 2008
9
93rd
Great movie. Mildly experimental for Allen and the voiceover narration doesn't always work but it's forgivable. Funny and often brutal look at relationships and the last line of the movie was perfect.
Rated 04 Aug 2009
4
74th
Documentary framing, handheld camera, jolting cuts. This is one of Allen's more unconventional films, at least formally, with a chaotic and confrontational energy which resembles later avant-garde Bergman or even Cassavetes. It's intense, but not without a sense of humor, often at the expense of bourgeois cultivation. Rain's assessment of Gabe's unfinished novel as being brilliant in the same manner as Triumph of the Will fucking kills me.
Rated 12 Jan 2010
80
71st
Miserable Old People: The Movie.
Rated 26 Aug 2010
81
89th
I enjoyed the ending, seeing all the characters revert back to their initial state and justifying themselves.
Rated 22 Mar 2011
88
87th
It's familiar territory, but it's done nearly perfectly here. An honest look at the way marriages change over time. The documentary style adds a lot to this. What I love about Allen's movies is the way they make me think about myself. He has a way of articulating the things that go through my mind all the time. I don't need a psychoanalyst when I have Woody Allen.
Rated 08 May 2012
85
94th
Top-tier Woody Allen featuring memorable character relationships. He and Farrow are great as always but we also get Neeson, Pollack and Rifkin! The mockumentary form works, and one of my only small knocks on the film is its predictability. Also, I can't decide who's more irritating, Juliette Lewis or Judy Davis.
Rated 24 Sep 2012
95
95th
A really introspective drama by Allen. It feels very much like a later counterpart to Annie Hall in message about relationship strife. While that message is fairly across-the-board in what he does, this seems to stand above many other efforts with its more serious tone and its extremely personal feel (he co-stars w/ Mia Farrow, whom he very soon after split from). Allen is surprisingly excellent in a mostly dramatic role, as are the supporting players (Farrow, Judy Davis, Sydney Pollack).
Rated 23 Nov 2014
6
83rd
woody allen's [scenes from a marriage].
Rated 20 Feb 2015
90
80th
An examination on the absurdities within marriage directed with a very effective, hand-held camera style which makes it a more personal, natural viewing experience. Fascinatingly real performances really bring out the dramatic and comic elements within the script, often simultaneously, and it all comes together with some true poignancy. Possibly Woody's last truly excellent film.
Rated 19 Feb 2007
74
91st
This movie has Allen style telling story, but little less his humor. Personalities in this movie are good done with some crystal clarity...
Rated 28 Jun 2009
61
28th
Woody allen might be the biggest hit or miss director of all time. This movie is mediocre in every possible sense. and I couldn't imagine saying this 10 years ago; but Juliette Lewis is extremely annoying as Rain the shallow pretension queen.
Rated 12 Aug 2009
78
65th
A great film, even though the pseudo-documentary style sometimes gets in the way.
Rated 16 Jan 2010
51
1st
997
Rated 31 Jan 2010
82
67th
Middling Woody, which is still pretty good by most standards. The writing's really good, balancing insights, drama and light bits of comedy and some scenes are really well acted. Some others aren't so well acted, though, and the handheld camera during the non-interview shots is distracting. there was also something about the overall tone that turned me off a bit, but I can't put a finger on it.
Rated 19 Oct 2010
40
97th
"Ten years ago, Husbands and Wives played second fiddle to Woody Allen's all-media split with Mia Farrow." - Ed Gonzalez
Rated 11 Nov 2010
78
67th
another great movie by Woody Allene, analyzing matrimony life , with a creative narrative style and brilliant hilarious-psychological dialogues. but somehow the story moves forward too slow and at some parts u really get bored .so I guess it's not as successful as some of his other works like 'Match Point' or 'Hannah and Her Sisters'. perhaps it's the chose of this different narrative style that makes the movie's atmosphere a little cold and non-fictional.
Rated 25 Nov 2010
42
19th
What a disgusting group of people! If you had a conversation with any of them you might be tempted to vomit on their one dimensional asses! Who cares if they get married, stay married, or ever seduce another partner in their disgusting personal lives!
Rated 24 Mar 2011
80
84th
Sharply observed, by turns funny and depressing and with some memorable lines. And Judy Davis really is great in it, the scene with the guy who wants to take her to see Don Giovanni was hilarious.
Rated 18 Aug 2011
71
23rd
It will be a true injustice if Allen's legacy is left anything short of the best cinematic voice on love and relationships. Through his whole filmography he's touched upon every insight to these concepts, often with brutal truth and wit. Anyone who's watched enough of his films have been hit hard by at least one of the subjects he's addressed, and Husbands and Wives is another that comes eerily close for me. The documentary style didn't work for me, but it's better than a straight narrator.
Rated 23 Oct 2011
80
84th
"Great - but nuts". Allen's description of 'kamikaze women' who crash their planes, but does it into you, is just one of many highlights in this dissection of what feels like his most biographical take on the modern marriage.
Rated 03 Jun 2012
83
69th
Bitter and acrid drama that is nevertheless full of beautiful observations of unhappy relationships, and is flawlessly performed by the starring quartet (Davis in particular is phenomenal). So unremittingly bleak and cynical that it is hard to find much to enjoy, but Allen as writer inserts a few beautifully timed zingers, and as director experiments successfully with what would later be known as queasy-cam. Fascinating and compelling, but definitely Woody's most harrowing film to date.
Rated 04 Aug 2012
60
30th
I don't buy this kind of narration. Not to mention it was kinda yawn-inspiring. Also, Mia Farrow got rendered exceptionally bad-looking. Probably on purpose, but you still have to look on her throughout the whole film (and you know there's already a certain bad-looking guy to look upon). Liam Neeson's Irish accent seemed out of place.
Rated 29 Aug 2012
95
93rd
Like if John Cassavetes directed a Woody Allen movie. Very cool, very different. On top of that, Woody's screenplay is razor sharp and the performances are all phenomenal. Deconstructing Harry later drew from a similar creative well from this one. "Change equals death."
Rated 13 Sep 2012
85
93rd
One of Allen's very best dramedies. Along with "Stardust Memories", it reveals that Allen can actually be an interesting visual director when he isn't too bored to try and his screenwriting skills are in top form -I mean, he's tackling the same issues as ever, but this is one of the most effectively crafted variations of the same basic themes most of his films seem to deal with. Also aided by a great cast, the film ultimately becomes a total gem -funny yet thought-provoking and a delight.
Rated 27 Jan 2013
80
65th
Some great scenes and nice symmetry in how it plays out. Farrow was terrific as was much of the cast. I was going to say it's a bit cynical but, similar to Lewis' criticism of Gabe's novel being too retrograde and being disappointed with his worldview through the book, I think it's not revelatory of Allen's overall outlook but merely a representation of the characters. Sure, it's confessional but it remains a small slice of damaged life.
Rated 11 Oct 2013
80
88th
Although the film's themes are the same old Allen themes, the storytelling, direction and photography on display are quite groundbreaking. The interviews, hand-held camera and close-ups add realism and bring the viewer closer to the characters in an effortless way few films can. All the above, together with the fine cast (Davis stands out; Allen in his non-hysterical moments and Pollack are also quite good) and the cliche-free script, elevate this slightly uneven film to near-masterpiece.
Rated 22 Oct 2013
87
91st
87.000
Rated 23 Mar 2014
90
88th
Probably a bit more autobiographical than anyone (aside from Woody) realized at the time of its release. Terrific writing, great documentary feel. Very thought provoking and asks the audience to hold up a mirror to themselves and ask some serious questions.
Rated 04 Jul 2014
65
45th
Many times it feels like Woody Allen rehashes topics and this movie is no different. Within a month of watching it I can't say I remembered much about it. Except it was about 2 married couples and a divorce and
Rated 09 Oct 2014
100
51st
very funny
Rated 08 Mar 2015
84
80th
It may be hard to take Allen's musings on love and marriage seriously in this day and age, but his self-awareness and deprecating wit are heavily on display, which makes it easier to go down. All things considered, it's among the top tier of his Bergman-esque dramas for being insightful, biting and plainly charming.
Rated 07 Dec 2015
39
35th
Well okay, at least now i can see how Listen Up Philip was modeled after this (which just adds yet another meta-reflexive layer to Perry's masterpiece). This has some good moments, and finds Allen being more self-aware and self-critical than usual, but the by-now-overdone verite aesthetics just feel distracting at this point (to be fair, not entirely his fault) in light of so much post-Dogme/mumblecore, sub-Cassavetes shakycam bullshit we've been subjected to.
Rated 31 Dec 2015
77
48th
The movie was politically arguable about love however, Woody Allen put some rational ideas on love and marriage. At last his solution about love -like all his movies- was obscure yet i liked the movie's ideas. Technically it was really boring and uncreative. In fact the unstable camera movements have made the movie "unrealistic documentary". Eventually there were some real good ideas about love and i really liked those ideas.
Rated 16 May 2016
58
60th
This is familiar territory for Allen, but it's told in a hand-held, documentary style which puts you closer to the characters. While It doesn't paint a pretty picture of long term relationships, it's not a depressing film either and provides plenty of comedy. Judy Davis is the standout as a very complicated but believable woman, and Sydney Pollack is surprisingly good considering he is better known as a director. There are also good roles from young Liam Neeson and Juliette Lewis.
Rated 21 Jun 2016
93
94th
(...)Im Grunde sagt Allens Film wenig über Liebesbeziehungen aus. Sein Film handelt davon, dass das Leben kurz ist, die Zeit uns durch die Finger rinnt. Das Leben bietet uns diese romantischen Versionen an, um sie uns sofort wieder wegzunehmen. In dem Moment, da unsere Illusionen zu Fleisch werden, beginnen die Haare auszufallen, verströmen sie Körpergeruch oder fragen uns, welches Sternzeichen wir haben... Die wahre Liebe aber liebt auch das, was nicht perfekt ist. Woody Allens Charaktere in
Rated 23 Oct 2016
75
42nd
The same themes as the rest of his movies, but this time more violent. If you like watching people scream at each other, watch this film. Here's the best line in case you don't want to: "Einstein said God doesn't place dice with the world. Instead, he plays hide and seek."
Rated 01 Nov 2017
60
54th
Feels like rote Woody Allen aside from the interview gimmick.
Rated 12 Aug 2019
78
88th
I can't pick out anything here that Allen hadn't done before or since, but it's an outstanding and chronologically implacable film. It has Allen's shameless nostalgia and very old influences, but also seems ahead of its time with its faux-documentary style, that enjoyed a revival many years later (after Allen himself abandoned it). Its substance as a relationship chamber drama is a singular link between Bergman and aughties mumblecore. With humor. It's not the best but it's really, really good.
Rated 11 Jan 2020
80
80th
Gabe Roth: See, "I will always have this penchant for what I call kamikaze women. I call them kamikazes because they, you know they crash their plane, they're self-destructive. But they crash into you, and you die along with them."
Rated 16 Dec 2022
85
83rd
Woody Allen'la ilgili hep "özgün olmadığı", "sevdiği yönetmen ve yazarların eserlerinden etkilenerek filmlerinde bir çıkış noktası yarattığı" gibi bi derdim oldu. Ama geriye dönüp baktığımda -bazılarına hiç katlanamasam da- çok sayıda filmine yüksek puan verdiğimi görüyorum. Yani evet esinleniyor, etki altında kalmışlık var ama kendi versiyonunu da iyi yazıyor ve çekiyor adam. Hakkını teslim etmek lazım. Lewis ve Davis de çokk iyiler ayrıca.
Rated 15 May 2023
9
96th
So Blythe Danner gets billing on the poster but Brian McConnachie, who's in every scene with her, doesn't. This is no way to treat the writer of the episode of The Simpsons that guest-starred Justin Bieber.
Rated 29 Sep 2023
90
93rd
Probably the most raw and impassioned Woody film I can recall seeing. I still love his more polished storytelling, but something about the immediacy and aggressiveness of this makes it special.
Rated 11 Jan 2024
87
80th
Hand-held camara doesn't help anything (& thankfully Allen stopped doing it), but story & performance-wise this is still one of his best. The script (& irritable Pollack's performance) manage to make the turnaround of a male mid-life crisis plausible AND keep it from being the kind of happy ending that would ring untrue. The characters are thoughtful people who generally understand why they're screwed up, but, as in real life, it doesn't necessarily help. Allen never needs to be arthouse opaque.

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