John Cassavetes returned from his artistic successes in A Woman Under the Influence and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie with this fascinating study of an actress whose life falls apart on stage and off. It certainly is a dense and frustrating experience, but Cassavetes keeps the whole thing personal and adds his usual improvisational elements to his handling of the stage business. Rowlands gives a terrific performance as the struggling actress on the verge of a mental breakdown, flirting with the same mannerisms that made her an actress to beat in A Woman Under the Influence. Certainly for fans of the director alone. An original piece of experimentation.
Review of Opening Night
