Get Your Reps In: Fall Under the Influence of John Cassavetes

A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

In indie cinema pioneer John Cassavetes’ masterpiece, a woman (his real-life wife, Gena Rowlands) is…under the influence. Of alcohol, mental health issues, the Problem That Has No Name, etc. Her blue-collar husband (Peter Falk) has her committed for the sake of their children, irrevocably changing their marriage. Screens as part of the Clinton’s John Cassavetes Retrospective. Clinton, March 3.

Fallen Angels (1995)

Wong Kar-Wai directs this Hong Kong-set crime drama split into two mostly unrelated stories (much like Chungking Express, one of his earlier films). One is about a hit man named Wong Chi-ming looking to leave the business, and the other follows a prison escapee who lives in Wong’s partner’s apartment building. Clinton, March 4.

Girlfriends (1978)

Before Girls and Greta Gerwig probed the highs and lows of New York City women and their relationships, there was Claudia Weill’s dramedy Girlfriends. When her best friend moves out of their apartment to live with her boyfriend, photographer Susan grapples with her newfound loneliness, as well as her Jewish identity. 5th Avenue, March 4-6.

Ran (1985)

Akira Kurosawa reimagines Shakespeare’s King Lear (and, unofficially and anachronistically, Succession) as a historical epic set in medieval Japan. When an aging warlord decides to retire, he divides his kingdom among his three sons, but the sudden shift in power causes them to turn on each other, and him. One of three Kurosawa films the Hollywood is screening this weekend—see the others (in 35 mm) below! Hollywood, March 4 and 7.

The Beaches of Agnès (2008)

This penultimate documentary by Agnès Varda, the Godmother of the French New Wave, is a thoughtful autobiographical reflection on her wholly unique and colorful life. Features photographs, film clips, interviews, reenactments, and droll, playful contemporary scenes of Varda herself narrating her story. Clinton, March 7.

ALSO PLAYING:

Academy: Purple Rain (1984), March 2-3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011), March 2-3. Clinton: Phantasm (1979), March 3. Juliette of the Spirits (1965), March 4. Jubilee (1978), March 6. Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015), March 8. Hollywood: Dersu Uzala (1975), March 5-6. Kagemusha (1980), March 5-6. Shaolin vs. Lama (1983), March 8.