Critics reviews

It is difficult to write about a John Cassavetes film. His work, which is so elusive and textured in form and style, is deeply experiential. Watching his films is an immersive, enthralling, and often challenging experience. . . . Chance, banality, and humor interweave throughout the film to paint a picture of its characters’ lives which are at once simple and profound.

The realisation of this imperfect, authentic worldview is what gives Minnie and Moskowitz its chancy, refreshing unpredictability. Cassavetes’ 1971 screwball tour-de-force is an overwhelming experience, with overwhelming noises, movements and emotion; and yet, somehow, developing from the chaos is a surprisingly approachable portrait.

The realisation of this imperfect, authentic worldview is what gives Minnie and Moskowitz its chancy, refreshing unpredictability. Cassavetes' 1971 screwball tour-de-force is an overwhelming experience, with overwhelming noises, movements and emotion; and yet, somehow, developing from the chaos is a surprisingly approachable portrait.

Should Minnie even succumb to this guy? Is this healthy? I believe Cassavetes would say yes. After all it's a version of him (and that marriage lasted until his death). But as a movie, we're not so sure how this will end up, making it extra poignant and multidimensional. We're happy they will feel happy, but… will it last?

Brutality is everywhere—as many punches are thrown as in a boxing match, and far less fairly—and there's a special place in Hell for Minnie's married ex-lover, yet, in this shambling tale of punch-drunk love, the rage is a part of romantic passion. The sculptural physicality of the images, a 3-D explosion without glasses, embodies that violence while preserving the antagonists' innocent grace; love smooths things out to a dreamy and reflective shine.

While Seymour is personable in a way most prior Cassavetes male characters are not, displaying a genuine sweetness as he joyously acts on his whims, Minnie is reserved and calm. Like many a Cassavetes romance, Minnie and Seymour's relationship is a belligerent one-on-one courtship, though a tender, affectionate rapport emerges.

The second of Cassavetes's six films starring his wife Gena Rowlands is a highwire romantic comedy played without a net... This is an electric work, clear-eyed and unblinking, joyous as only a few films manage to be.