The first half of the movie is like a quirky character study. This part was intriguing, if strange and cringe-inducing. Millie is a woman who thinks she's in the center of life, but in reality is far from it. In scene after scene she is ignored, or made fun of behind her back. A naive Pinky (whose real name is also Mildred, while Millie is short for Mildred), comes into her life first as workmates, then roommates. Probably due to her limited experience she thinks Millie is just wonderful, while Millie sees her as first a convenience, then a nuisance.
Then, the movie turns into the Twilight Zone. Here's where it all falls apart. After a vulgar browbeating by Millie, Pinky attempts suicide and, possibly due to brain damage from the attempt, changes personality and has problems remembering her past. The new personality is what Millie thinks she is, but this time it's real. A brash, confident, and actually nasty, self-obsessed person-and very popular. In a dream, remnants of Pinky's memory come back to her, and she starts to revert to her former self, or some amalgam of the two personalities. The final scene makes it seem as if the entire episode might have been the dream of the third woman, Willie (get it, the names are so similar, ha ha). Here, Millie is the mother to Pinky, and Willie may be the grandma or Millie's sister. Did it happen? Did they kill Edgar, the ne'er do well who was involved with all three, and just create some alternative family? Who knows. And more importantly, who cares?
I normally don't give any mention to music, unless it's really bad or really good. Here, it's the former. Terrible, spitty flute playing tries to make this seem arty, but is just annoying and out of character for the scenes.
This is an utterly forgettable experience, with no concern whatsoever for any deeper meaning. The acting is the only saving grace here. Shelley Duvall is both pathetic and creepy, while strangely engaging. Sissy Spacek really makes the character shine with tiny expressions that convey very well. She's believable both as a simpleton and a sophisticate. It is original, however, I'll give it that. Overall, unsatisfying and irrelevant.
Then, the movie turns into the Twilight Zone. Here's where it all falls apart. After a vulgar browbeating by Millie, Pinky attempts suicide and, possibly due to brain damage from the attempt, changes personality and has problems remembering her past. The new personality is what Millie thinks she is, but this time it's real. A brash, confident, and actually nasty, self-obsessed person-and very popular. In a dream, remnants of Pinky's memory come back to her, and she starts to revert to her former self, or some amalgam of the two personalities. The final scene makes it seem as if the entire episode might have been the dream of the third woman, Willie (get it, the names are so similar, ha ha). Here, Millie is the mother to Pinky, and Willie may be the grandma or Millie's sister. Did it happen? Did they kill Edgar, the ne'er do well who was involved with all three, and just create some alternative family? Who knows. And more importantly, who cares?
I normally don't give any mention to music, unless it's really bad or really good. Here, it's the former. Terrible, spitty flute playing tries to make this seem arty, but is just annoying and out of character for the scenes.
This is an utterly forgettable experience, with no concern whatsoever for any deeper meaning. The acting is the only saving grace here. Shelley Duvall is both pathetic and creepy, while strangely engaging. Sissy Spacek really makes the character shine with tiny expressions that convey very well. She's believable both as a simpleton and a sophisticate. It is original, however, I'll give it that. Overall, unsatisfying and irrelevant.