Husbands might not make the list of John Cassavetes’ best works, yet it does merit a watch for the presence of elements that made Cassavetes a darling of the indie circuit. The film is a distressing, scorching and daring look into mid-life crisis. Harry (Ben Gazzara), Archie (Peter Falk) and Gus (John Cassavetes) – New Yorkers, best friends, and all in their mid-30s – are seemingly living the American Dream, even though their lives are essentially hollow within. When one of their common friends suddenly dies, they suddenly find their definitions of life falling apart, and out of a sense of severe guilt and helplessness, they spend the next few days after the funeral doing everything they wouldn’t normally do – roaming the streets, getting drunk, hopping a flight to London, gambling, spending night with hookers, in an attempt to regain freedom. Archie and Gus, however, eventually decide to get back to their mundane lives, leaving Harry behind. The film is flawed, no doubts about that – most of the scenes suffer from being overlong, making it a difficult watch for most viewers. The film lacks a sense of direction too, but that might very well be a reflection of the lives of the three protagonists. What makes the film really notable, though, are the captivating, improvised and unbelievably natural performances of the three lead actors. For all its flaws, it still remains an important film in 1970s American Independent cinema.
Director: John Cassavetes
Genre: Drama/Existential Drama
Language: English
Country: US
