An almost PERFECT film!

God! I was totally blown away by this film! I have wanted to watch this film for ages but the DVD wasn't released until the very end of 2009. It was shocking and intense to watch. I found it moving at a fast pace right the way through. This film reminded me a lot of American Beauty and A Streetcar Named Desire mostly because of the intense chemistry between the two main characters. To be honest, I would call it a black comedy like American Beauty where you unnecessarily laugh. I love films set in one day and this is definitely the best. This film was based on the play of the same name which was premiered in 1962.


Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? tells the story of a middle-aged married couple George and Martha coming home from a party at her father's house. The two of them clearly care deeply for each other, but events have turned their marriage into a nasty battle between two disenchanted, cynical enemies. Even though the pair arrives home at two o'clock in the morning, they are expecting guests: the new math professor and his wife. This is another one of those rare films where every single actor in this film deliver Oscar worthy performances. Elizabeth Taylor's performance as Martha was absolutely fantastic!! Taylor's performance was psychologically disturbing like Annette Bening's as Carolyn Burnham in American Beauty. Taylor's performance has dethroned Vivien Leigh as my favourite performance by an actress in a leading role. Martha is the 52-year-old daughter of the president of New Carthage University. She is married to George, though disappointed with his aborted academic career. She attempts to have an affair with Nick. Richard Burton's performance as George was absolutely FANTASTIC as well! George is a 46-year-old member of the history department at New Carthage University. George is married to Martha, in a once loving relationship now defined by sarcasm and frequent acrimony. George Segal's performance was awesome too! Nick has just become a new member of the biology faculty at New Carthage University. He is 28 years old, good-looking, Midwestern, and clean-cut. He is married to Honey. Sandy Dennis was awesome as Honey. Honey is the petite, bland wife of Nick. She is 26 years old, has a weak stomach, and is not the brightest bulb of the bunch.


Mike Nichols has always been a director of dramas and comedies. Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? was Nichols's feature film debut as director and it is one of the best debuts of all time if not the best. This is another way where Virginia Woolf is similar to American Beauty: top-notch Oscar nominated directing debut like Mendes in 1999 who won Best Director. It received 13 Oscar nominations and it is one of the four films that received that amount of Oscar nominations that was nominated Best Picture but never won it. Others were Mary Poppins, The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. It won 5 out of those 13 nominations. It won Best Leading Actress (Elizabeth Taylor), Best Supporting Actress (Sandy Dennis), Best Art Direction Black-And-White, Best Cinematography Black-And-White and Best Costume Design Black-And-White. It was nominated for Best Leading Actor (Richard Burton), Best Supporting Actor (George Segal), Best Director (Mike Nichols), Best Film Editing, Best Music Original Music Score, Best Picture 1966, Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay.


Overall, Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? is an absolutely fantastic drama that was very intense to watch all the way through that has a very emotional climax. An almost PERFECT film and is now one of my favourite films of all time.

10/10