A dynamite performance by Tuesday Weld propels this extremely melancholy look at the empty lives of a bunch of Hollywood types wallowing in angst. Frank Perry and scriptwriters John Gregory Dunne & Joan Didion create a bitter expose with Weld as an actress and wife of director Adam Roarke, floating through life never quite able to figure out who she is. She finds little solace in empty affairs or her hedonistic friends (Anthony Perkins & Tammy Grimes). Perkins proves to be even worse off than Weld in what has to be one of the most depressing movie endings. This is probably Weld's finest performance. She peels back a lot of layers finding absolutely nothing. It's a bit of a stunner that she was not nominated for an Oscar as best actress. Perkins is excellent. The blindingly bright sunlit cinematography is by Jordan Cronenweth. There's no music score and frankly it's not missed. Ruth Ford & Tyne Daly are in it too.
Review of Play It As It Lays
