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"ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE THERE'S A MOVIE THAT YOU NOT ONLY
RECOMMEND, CRITIQUE, ETC., BUT THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR FRIENDS TO SEE
- I MEAN TAKE THEM YOURSELF, PRACTICALLY BY THE HAND, BECAUSE YOU WANT
NOT ONLY TO HEAR BUT TO FEEL THEIR REACTIONS, SITTING IN THE NEXT SEAT,
WATCHING THEM AS MUCH AS THE MOVIE. HENRY JAGLOM'S 'ALWAYS' IS THAT KIND
OF MOVIE FOR ME. I WANT ALL MY FRIENDS TO SEE IT. AND ALL MY COUSINS.
AND MY SISTER AND BROTHERS. EVEN MY PARENTS. AND MY FRIENDS AGAIN -
FRIENDS SHOULD SEE IT TWICE. SUBTITLED 'A FILM ABOUT LOVE, MARRIAGE, AND
DIVORCE,' 'ALWAYS' BRILLIANTLY GOES TO THE HEART OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE
PART OF THAT TWO-HEADED DOG WE CALL A COUPLE. THREE COUPLES - ONE ABOUT
TO GET DIVORCED, ONE ABOUT TO GET MARRIED, AND ONE 'SOLIDLY' MARRIED -
SPEND THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND TOGETHER, NEVER LEAVING THE HOUSE AND
GARDEN OF THE COUPLE ABOUT TO BE DIVORCED. THAT COUPLE IS PLAYED BY
HENRY JAGLOM AND HIS EX-WIFE PATRICE TOWNSEND, WITH A NAKEDNESS AND A
PRECISION OF PERFORMANCE THAT UTTERLY DISSOLVE ANY BARRIER BETWEEN THE
VIEWER AND THE FILM. YOU'RE SPENDING THE WEEKEND WITH THEM, AND IT'S QUITE A
HAIRY TIME - VERY FUNNY, EMBARRASSING, SCARY, CHALLENGING, SILLY,
PROFOUND, AND ABOVE ALL ALIVE. MOST FILMS TRY TO MAKE YOU
HAPPY BY CHEERING YOU UP; 'ALWAYS' TRIES TO MAKE HAPPINESS POSSIBLE BY
TELLING THE TRUTH!" |