The first time I saw Woody Allen's Husband's and Wives, I had to close my eyes from time to time due to sea sickness. I've never seen a handheld camera that shaky before. It was in an arthouse theater in an old funeral home near the university. It arrived in theaters around the time news was breaking about Allen and Farrow's breaking up.
There were some college students on a first date sitting behind me. As we all waited for the film to start, the boy regaled his date with the story of his parents' divorce, how he felt the rug had been pulled out from under him, how his mother was driving somewhere and broke down sobbing. He still hadn't gotten over it. She pointed out that it was only a couple of years earlier. He concluded by explaining that this was why he wanted to be sure she actually liked him and didn't go out with him out of pity. I didn't see the logic of this. She was taken by surprise and said, "no, no," but not much else.
I just watched it again for the first time on Flimstruck, the Roku channel that carries the Criterion Collection. The movie was better than I remember. I understand now people who think it's one of his best movies.
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