Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Interiors Blu-ray Movie Review

Fencing them in.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 27, 2016

Note: This film is also available as part of the set Woody Allen: Six Films 1971-1978.

The six films included in a new set from Arrow comprise some of Woody Allen’s best known and best loved offerings, but they also provide a nice window into Allen’s evolution from a schtick and gag laden auteur to a filmmaker with something obviously a bit deeper on his mind than “only” going for the gusto in terms of laughs. Tracing the kind of frankly odd route from Bananas to Interiors may not provide much grist for a mill interested in narrative through lines, but it at least provides ample evidence that Allen, no matter how he’s seen currently within the context of his external “baggage,” has always been a relentlessly unique force in the contemporary film world. Allen’s filmmaking craft also increases exponentially over the half dozen films in this set, and one of the more interesting things to pay attention to is how his directorial chops noticeably improved in terms of even relatively simple things like framings and how to set up a shot for maximum impact. But Allen’s writing went through a similar metamorphosis, slowly but surely turning away from, or at least relying less upon, sight gags and just downright goofiness in favor of more intellectually prone humor. Allen continues to be a divisive figure, not just in the annals of cinema but (not to state the obvious) for some of the personal choices he’s made through the years (not to mention allegations that have been leveled against him), but these six films, most done before any major “brouhahas” had started to append “meta” analyses to his offerings, are an often stunning example of a brilliant comedic mind who also began to nurture his more dramatic tendencies.

There’s a telling moment in Allen’s 1980 film Stardust Memories (slated for release individually as well as a part of Woody Allen: Six Films 1979-1985) where Allen’s character Sandy Bates is lamenting the fact that audiences seem to prefer his “earlier, funnier” films. There’s little doubt that Interiors, Allen’s first foray into “purely” dramatic elements, caught a number of people by surprise when it was released in 1978, perhaps none more so than Allen himself, who, according to some material released after the film, was completely unsure of the film as he shepherded it through post production and eventual release. Critical response to the film was mixed, though it ended up receiving a bevy of prestigious award nominations (including five Academy Award nominations). Interiors isn’t always an easy film to like, but it’s an admirable attempt by Allen to move into new directions, even if those directions seem overly self conscious and perhaps pretentiously “arty” at times.

Allen is obviously attempting to go the “Nordic” route with Interiors, so to speak, with the most obvious referent being Ingmar Bergman, but with arguable cases for everyone from Strindberg to Ibsen playing into the basic dramatic impetus of the film. Considering the roiling family dynamics, one could make a case for maybe just a hint of Eugene O'Neill thrown in for American flavor, and a whole Three Sisters angle might even suggest a bit of Chekhov as well. A longstanding marriage between Arthur (E.G. Marshall) and Eve (Geraldine Page, Academy Award nominated for this performance) is suddenly shown to be disintegrating, but in a line that recalls the classic Sondheim lyric about marriage, “it’s the children you destroy together,” the couple’s progeny have been feeling the incipient dysfunctions between the spouses for years. Allen does an admirable job of introducing what turns out to be a laundry list of personal traumas that many, maybe even most, of the characters have gone through, as the film slowly unravels (in both senses of the word) the interrelationships between the various family members. There's a bit of ambiguity as to some of the timelines being depicted, a disjunctive quality that adds to the sense of discombobulation at times.

In what is a probably overly theatrical aggregation of both character names as well as careers and various levels of success stories, the couple’s daughter Renata (Diane Keaton) manages to make a comfortable living as a poet, while Renata’s sister Flyn (Kristin Griffith) has a fledlging film career. Only sibling Joey (Mary Beth Hurt) hasn’t yet found her true calling in life, something that exacerbates an already frosty relationship with her mother, whom Joey accuses of favoring Renata (conversely Renata, in a therapy session, accuses her father of favoring Joey, and so it goes). A number of hangers on, including spouses or significant others (including Sam Waterston as Michael, Joey’s main squeeze) also bring some requisite drama and a supposed outsider’s point of view to what is in essence a family drama built around years of dysfunction which suddenly erupts into Arthur announcing he wants a trial separation. In an (again) somewhat ambiguous depiction of a chain of events, Eve's reaction to it all goes from bad to worse, something that's already been foreshadowed by numerous comments about her long struggles with mental health issues.

I have a number of friends who are major Allen fans who consider Interiors to be one of his finest works, but unfortunately I’m not of the same opinion. I find the writing extremely overly mannered and unnatural, again espousing a blatantly theatrical tradition that doesn’t play especially organically in the more intimate confines of a film (especially one filled to the brim with close-ups). Allen also isn’t especially shy about delivering a passel of symbolism at various moments, either (there’s a drinking game to be had with regard to shots of people gazing through windows, that iconic metaphor for a portal between exterior and, yes, interior). For all of the tsuris (if I may be permitted a spot of Yiddish, given Allen’s typically Jewish perspective on a lot of things) the characters experience, there’s really not a lot of emotional connection to anything, again perhaps because the film is filled with theatrical monologues that have expository virtues but little that actually touches the heart.

That said, several of the performances are excellent, none more so than Page, who seems to be doing her patented fussy neurotic thing but who then manages to peel back some of the layers of Eve to expose troubling layers of narcissism but also extreme vulnerability. Maureen Stapleton (the other cast member Oscar nominated that year) is also wonderful as a salt of the earth type who finds herself having to matriculate into well established ruts of family interrelationships. Gordon Willis’ evocative cinematography helps to establish the literal and figurative claustrophobia of the characters’ worlds, and while maybe a bit too reminiscent of a plot point from A Star is Born, a climactic moment late in the film is extremely well staged by Allen.

Interiors Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Interiors is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Academy with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. (This disc is locked Region B.) This is another of the Allen films being released by Arrow which have not yet seen a domestic United States release. Again, as with both Bananas and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex*, is pretty much in line with a lot of what we've seen from the MGM/UA catalog of Allen's films, with a decently organic but older looking master that struggles with consistency both in terms of grain management and clarity. There's a bit of wobble in the credits, along with some noticeable white flecks on the black backgrounds of the credits sequence, which may also suggest an older master. While a lot of this transfer boasts decent levels of detail, the grittiness of the grain at times as well as insufficient contrast can lead to issues like crush or just a general lack of fine detail levels. Watch, for example, how Keaton's hair is just kind of a mass during her therapy sessions, while another scene with Keaton and Richard Jordan on a couch shows next to no facial details. A later scene with the family dancing after Arthur's marriage to Eve is marred by a very large scratch which suddenly erupts across Arthur's face. All of this said, when lighting is decent, the palette looks fine, if (intentionally) burnished and somewhat brown toned. Also in decent lighting conditions, fine detail perks up considerably (as for example with the fine textures of that designer couch in Joey's apartment).

Interiors Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Interiors's LPCM 2.0 mono track suffices perfectly well for a film that is virtually all talk, all the time (unlike other Allen efforts, there's very little music other than a couple of source cues). Some sound effects, like the seascape that surrounds the family's beach home, can sound just slightly phased at times, but otherwise this is a clear track that may not provide a ton of sonic "wow," but which gets the job done with no appreciable damage to report.

Interiors Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer (HD; 2:42)

Interiors Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I know there will be some Allen fans who see the 3.5 score I've given Interiors and will take it as the clear, convincing evidence they've always needed that I am in fact an all time idiot. I have just never found this dour, depressive film to be as convincing on purely dramatic terms as some of Allen's later work (including Stardust Memories, as a matter of fact). Those who don't mind an introspective "Trauma-fest" may find more to "enjoy" here (if that's the right word, given the emotional dynamics of much of the film), but even for those who, like me, can't warm up to these cold, self obsessed characters, will appreciate some of the fine performances the film has to offer. Technical merits are good (video) to excellent (audio), and with caveats noted, Interiors comes Recommended.