Woody Allen's "Interiors" is a poorly understood film, in part because it deals with artists and their foibles for a non-artistic audience. There are misunderstandings about Woody Allen's POV vs. the POV of his characters, misunderstandings about the nature of art and aesthetics, and even the role of cinematic influences on Allen, such as through Ingmar Bergman.
In this episode of the ArtiFact Podcast, the world's leading Woody Allen critic, Alex Sheremet, discusses "Interiors" with other film critics and artists, bringing the deepest and broadest conversation on the film.
You can also watch this discussion on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbZPk64mmTw
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Read Alex Sheremet's essay on "Interiors": https://www.automachination.com/interiors-woody-allen-analysis-review
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Bonus show topics: ranking Woody Allen films; differentiating Woody making fun of pseudo-intellectualism vs. critics' pseudo-intellectualism; nitpicking "Husbands & Wives"; John Ashbery's "Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror"; Alex discusses opening up new emotions in his poetry; "Grandma": Bruce Ario's poetry on grief; Alex's triptych of autobiography, novella, and book-length poem; Enneagram Type 5 vs. astrological Libra; why Alex's first film felt so magical; why Alex doesn't want to do fictional films; is pure writing more satisfying than filmmaking; Jessica Schneider's grave mishap; Zeke's conspicuous tattoo; "Blue Lagoon" discourse; why writing sucks now while photography/filmmaking is having a moment; AI hack-poetry is STILL better than academic hack-writing; why the HELL did Woody Allen destroy his life via Jeffrey Epstein; how kids get destroyed through private schooling; Jessica Schneider on PLAYGIRL; and much more...Timestamps:
0:42 -- the world's foremost Woody Allen expert chimes in; Woody's use of three sisters plays with viewer expectations; Joey (Mary Beth Hurt) as a non-creative archetype; Flyn as the self-aware "empty vessel"; Renata (Diane Keaton) as the viewer's perception; Frederick as the self-loathing hack; Geraldine Page is great as Eve
8:10 -- "Interiors" is very much a Woody Allen film, not an Ingmar Bergman one; Eve's fascination with artists; Eve represents the tension between art and aesthetics; Eve's use of purely aesthetic language hides her inability to really discuss art; why the $400 vase is barely shown on-screen
17:42 -- art seems to offer nothing to these characters; why would Michael stay with Joey?; the use of family members as meat-shields against one another; Michael's nurturing political side is desirable to Joey; the wounded-bird complex for men; relationships & passivity
28:40 -- all 3 men depicted are passive or weak; money does not buy self-respect; Renata is with Frederick because he is not as talented; Renata might not believe her own self-conception about art; Renata speaks to her therapist as if he is not even there
33:30 -- Woody Allen's nuanced characters; Flyn is both more self-aware and interesting than first assumed; Frederick isn't wrong, just wrong in his approach; deep down, these people are all superficial; Flyn's underlying sadness; we hear comments about Flyn only from others; Flyn has the purest reaction to Eve's death
44:30 -- Eve has problems, but Arthur is quite flawed too; "Interiors" & Former Gifted Kid Syndrome; Arthur marries Pearl after only a few weeks, but Pearl wants this too; what is Pearl hiding; everyone gets something out of dysfunctional relationships; Woody Allen was ready to compromise his own film!
53:53 -- is Woody Allen a people-pleaser; the film's color and cinematography; Woody Allen's underrated use of audio even without music; "September" vs. "Interiors"; Ezekiel Yu's comments on the film's composition; connections to "Long Day's Journey Into Night"
1:02:30 -- the film's ending: was that really Eve's final suicide attempt; Joey's potential fantasy; can Eve actually drive that far into Long Island; the death scene as an anti-symbol
1:08:05 -- the Joey archetype: emotional and expressionistic but uncreative; art as self-esteem; Joey's final journal entries are hopeful, as she is now expressing basic emotions; artists who can't create art; Renata's dishonesty with Joey; art vs. belonging
1:17:10 -- many "artists" just want validation, not great art; PATRON show preview...
