I had been looking forward to seeing this movie. It's currently on Prime renting for $2.99. As my title indicates, it had a really good feel for the 1940's and 1960's, but it was overlong. At least 20 minutes of fat should have been trimmed. I thought that all of the performances were good. A couple out of place though, for instance, Jessica Tandy as an elderly Jewish woman in Queens, did not gel. They should have had Silvia Sydney in that role and not as the best friend. I disagree with some of the reviews that Shirley MacLaine was out of place as a 50 something Jewish woman, wife and mother in Queens. I thought that she did an excellent job. Kathy Bates is always good. Someone didn't see how she and Shirley were supposed to be mother and daughter. Not everyone in a family looks like either parent. Their looks could be a throwback to some ancestor. I liked how Kathy decided to stand on her own. She loved her mother, but had to do it from a distance. I can relate. Marcia Gay Harden was enjoyable playing the crazy daughter. Loved the outfits as she tried to emulate various movie stars, MM, Audrey, Barbra and Anne B in The Graduate. She's such a great actress. She's never disappointed me. Marcello Mastroianni was a little over the top as the over zealous suitor to MacLaine. Not his fault, it's the director's. As I said, there were about 6 to 8 scenes that could have been cut or shortened. I lost interest after the first 45 to 60 minutes. But, I will say that I did like the slice of New York life from two different cultures. Some people says it was sterotypical, but I enjoyed Shirley's, Kathy's, Marcia's and other various characters accents.
Review of Used People
