Minnie and Moskowitz, written and directed by John Cassavetes - 9.2 out of 10

Minnie and Moskowitz, written and directed by John Cassavetes
9.2 out of 10


John Cassavetes is celebrated as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, albeit he is not an internationally recognized name, cinephiles being more likely to know his work.

Minnie and Moskowitz has been included, together with other works by the same distinguished writer-director, on the New York Times' Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list.
For this viewer, it is a challenge whenever I see a Cassavetes motion picture.

Woman Under the Influence baffled me and so did Minnie and Moskowitz.
I thought of The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work, but the ultimate expert on the subject, John Gottman.
I'd
When he studies, analyses couples, this genius has an accuracy rate of predicting if they stay together of over 90%.

Minnie and Moskowitz seem to be the paradigm of the breaking up couple .
They are very different and proverbs and sayings are mostly wrong...


'Appearances deceive'...no they don't, they are good indication...of you see a man in rags on the street and he tries to push you around, he is not the shining knight in armor, now in disguise.

Opposites attract?
Maybe, but they would not stick together if they have no common ground, it is a one or few nights stand.

If Gena Rowlands is brilliant as Minnie Moore, I found Seymour Cassel in the role of Seymour Moskowitz to be annoying and obnoxious.
Which could be that he did a perfect job, for that might have been the idea.

Love conquers all 
Love is a Many-Splendored Thing

Thus, even the most unlikely connection can happen.
She is a museum curator and he is a parking attendant.
What is worse, he can be abusive and harassing.

In the age of MeToo, this would not be a model love story.
It would be used as a demonstration of what to avoid.

When asked by Minnie's mother on future plans, the man speaks of big ideas.
He would work for a bigger company, not a restaurant.

But still parking cars.
That is his ideal future career.

Evidently, this is one of the humorous scenes, when his own mother beats him down.
Mrs. Sheba  Moskowitz is played by Katherine Cassavetes- it seems all the Rowlands and Cassavetes family members have had roles in this film and acquitted themselves perfectly, one role is very brief, but the minister who faulted when performing the marital ceremony is hilarious.

His own mother states that he is not an Einstein and Minnie is too good for him.

Where would they sleep?
What will they eat?

Minnie is such a beautiful blonde...the implication is that Seymour Moskowitz is rather useless.
There are conflicts, arguments and fights in this eclectic, sparking movie.

In one scene, Minnie would not introduce Seymour to some people she knows, provoking his anger.
She claims she does not even know them so well and would thus be embarrassed to show she does not recall names...

Nevertheless, the unpredictable, often rude, altogether reproachable, repellent Seymour takes his truck and leaves the woman.
She is offered a ride by one of the men who had entered the club and had invited Minnie to join them.

A fist fight ensues and it is not the first time Moskowitz is in one.
Granted, another occasion was when he tried to defend the honor of Minnie, who had been called a whore by a rather deranged, rich individual.
Seymour says he fell in love the moment he saw Minnie.

But what about it?
He seems such a hopeless, bad choice.