DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Two Kinds of Women remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like your movies fast, slightly messy, and filled with people making terrible life choices in fancy apartments, you'll probably have a good time with Two Kinds of Women. It is not exactly high art, but it feels lived-in. If you need your characters to be likable or your plot to be airtight, look elsewhere. You will likely hate it if you can't stand old-school melodrama.
The whole premise starts with that classic small-town girl hits the big city trope. But it doesn't take long for the sugar-coating to wear off. Manhattan isn't just about sightseeing here; it's about getting into trouble you aren't ready for.
Miriam Hopkins is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. She has this way of looking at a scene like she knows exactly how it’s going to fall apart before anyone else does. It’s refreshing. She’s not just the wide-eyed visitor for long.
The affair happens fast. Like, blink and you miss the buildup. Sometimes I wonder if these characters ever talk about anything besides their own misery. The pacing is almost aggressive. One minute they're at a party, the next, there is a suicide, and the movie just keeps rolling along like it's no big deal.
The death of the wife is treated with this strange, cold detachment. It’s almost shocking. It feels like the movie is saying, "Okay, she's gone, now keep moving." It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Wild Justice, where the plot just drags you along whether you're ready or not.
There is a scene near the middle that goes on about ten seconds too long. You can almost feel the actors waiting for someone to yell cut. It’s awkward, but in a way that feels kind of real. Like they were just as tired of the scene as I was.
It’s not quite as bleak as Frozen River—nothing is really—but it has that same feeling of people trapped by things they can't control. Even when they are rich, they are still trapped.
It’s not a masterpiece. But I’d take this kind of flawed, honest-to-god drama over a perfect, soulless production any day. It hits the spot if you're in the mood for a bit of vintage chaos. 🍸
IMDb 6.3
1921
Community
Log in to comment.
