Loving

In the great Jean Renoir classic "Rules of the Game", a character played by the director himself comments that "everybody has his own good reasons." This rightly has been taken to be the great humanist director's basic philosophy of life. Seeing, over and over again, this understanding, non-judgmental attitude by a narrative artist toward his characters' weaknesses is what makes art film audiences love Renoir's work and consider him one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century. Irvin Kershner's "Loving" is one of the rare Hollywood films worthy of being called Renoirian, and it is for just this reason. Even though "Loving" is filled with highly-flawed characters making seemingly disastrous choices about their lives, its genius is how it puts the audience in a position where it cannot (or at least cannot with any decency) judge them. This may be more than many audience members can handle, being so used to films with heroes and villains about whom they are allowed to feel smugly superior. The legendary "New Yorker" critic Pauline Kael, in her rave review of the film, wrote that it "looks at the failures of middle-class life without despising the people; it understands that they already despise themselves" and that there's "a decency in the way that Kershner is fair to everyone." We could use a few more films like "Loving" out there in the American film cannon. If you every get a chance to see this film, don't hesitate to do so!

Brooks Wilson (George Segal) is a commercial artist married to Selma (Eva Marie Saint) with two young daughters. His girlfriend Grace wants more. He's desperate to get a new account. His life unravels during a party with his business associates and wives.

For most of this movie, it has a life in the day feel. It's big personal issues in small everyday world. It's a slow simmer until the last ten minutes when all hell breaks loose. Segal is simple in his performance but the character is not appealing. He's not fun. He's not outwardly evil. He's just amoral. This is not a big laughs comedy but it does have a few smirks. It's not for everyone.

Brooks Wilson (Segal) must choose between his wife (Eva Marie Saint) and his mistress ( Janis Young). Some other recognizeables in here too. Sterling Hayden, who was in so many westerns. here, he's an eccentric, religious rich guy who might help Wilson, if he doesn't goof it up. Doorbells are always buzzing, phones are ringing, since he works out of his house. he's gambling everything on getting the big account from one client (Hayden). VERY 1970's music during the opening credits. sounds like an episode of columbo. and so much anguish, as he is so self destructive. he really enjoys making a scene at every house party, gathering, even when the guys are having a drink after work. he seems to want to stir things up, start a fight, make a play for someone's wife or girlfriend. and this was just a couple years after Segal's oscar nominated role in Virginia Woolf! it's pretty good. a "week in the life of an artist" story. Keenan Wynn was in so many supporting roles. David Doyle (Bosley !) and Roy Sheider ( Jaws and 2010, the follow up to 2001...Space..) Young didn't do a lot in hollywood. only nine roles, and six of those were television. directed by Irvin Kershner. his laterfilms were very action oriented -- star wars and james bond. this one is pretty good... a look at the 1970s.

Even George Segal himself acknowledged that he had a bland screen presence (Halliwell's Film Guide-1995). Most people wouldn't list him as one of their favorite actors. However, he was definitely okay for this film. Segal's character in this movie is quasi-tragic, a talented commercial artist and a family man, married to adequately attractive Eva Marie Saint and with two cute, wise-cracking daughters. Why he seems to want (or needs) to throw this away for drinking and women makes for somewhat compelling viewing, and leads to a great climax at a party for a lot of sophisticated art types on a very cold winter's night, in which first a lot of drinking and then temptation lead to one of the better conclusions you're likely to see.

I caught this film on late night cable (maybe even the 'romance' movie channel) and it left a deep impression. There is a gap between this type of melodrama in European cinema at the time and the 'revolution' that was happening in American cinema, particularly the suspension of moral judgment outside of epiphany. The main character is having a typical middle age, middle class crisis and we are allowed to see it unfold unencumbered by a personal transformation, a complete crash. This type of screen writing is having a revival in shows like 6 feet under on HBO. I would recommend it to anyone interested in that dark, muddy 1970's American cinema that seems to put the middle class of the 1960's to rest but doesn't become another 'desert road trip' film.