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Play It as It Lays

Play trailer Poster for Play It as It Lays R 1972 1h 39m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 53% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Burned-out B-movie actress Maria (Tuesday Weld), depressed and frustrated with her loveless marriage to an ambitious film director, Carter Lang, who would rather work on his career than on his relationship with her, numbs herself with drugs and sex with strangers. Only her friendship with a sensitive gay movie producer, B.Z. (Anthony Perkins), offers a semblance of solace. But even that relationship proves to be fleeting amidst the empty decadence of Hollywood.

Critics Reviews

View All (8) Critics Reviews
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Play It as It Lays is an astringent, cynical movie that ultimately manages to spin one single timid thread of hope. Rated: 4/4 Sep 28, 2023 Full Review Jay Cocks TIME Magazine For Didion the beach, the desert, the freeways and the plastic extravagances of architecture were metaphors. For Director Perry they are just locations. Sep 28, 2023 Full Review Molly Haskell Village Voice The movie shares the book's anesthetized quality, but without the acute sensory awareness of a person going under, and with only a little of its hard, brittle humor. Sep 28, 2023 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …a searing portrait of a world that drives a person to madness… Rated: 4/5 Nov 30, 2023 Full Review TV Guide Staff TV Guide No question the picture has a unique look to it, but the lack of any humanity is its downfall. Mar 30, 2021 Full Review Dick Lochte Los Angeles Free Press [Frank] Perry's directional flourishes and the chilling performances by Tuesday Weld and Anthony Perkins, and a few others, make it a work that is more fascination than turn-off. Jan 3, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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andy p I watched it for free on YouTube. It was worth the time spent. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member remains one of the most tedious, boring films i've ever sat through. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review steve d Extremely melodramatic and not at all interesting. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Well I was hoping this would be a lot better than it was. Given the director the cast and the writer but I'm sorry to report it's a rather dog th well I was hoping this would be a lot better than it was. Given the director the cast and the writer but I'm sorry to report it's a rather dull affair. Here we have Tuesday Weld and Anthony Perkins together again after their parents in a much more interesting movie for the boys and here we have Tuesday Weld and Anthony Perkins together again after their pairing in a much more interesting movie Pretty Poison. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Tuesday Weld is just as good in this film as Marlon Brando was in "Last Tango In Paris"- if not better. She inhabits Maria so quietly, so completely, you hardly even realize that you're seeing a great performance. I've been wanting to see this film for years because I had a hunch, and I was right. This is one of the great film performances of the 70's. I wonder how long Ms. Weld had trouble sleeping after wrapping this picture. The screenplay, by Joan Didion and her husband, captures the tone and the structure of the book perfectly, which I didn't think was possible. This film is very hard to find- but there are bootlegs out there. Track them down. You won't be sorry. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Hollywood is evil and it destroys your soul, blah blah blah. Vaguely interesting mainly as a time capsule of both Hollywood and filmmaking in the early 70's, but overall...eh. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Play It as It Lays

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Play It as It Lays

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Movie Info

Synopsis Burned-out B-movie actress Maria (Tuesday Weld), depressed and frustrated with her loveless marriage to an ambitious film director, Carter Lang, who would rather work on his career than on his relationship with her, numbs herself with drugs and sex with strangers. Only her friendship with a sensitive gay movie producer, B.Z. (Anthony Perkins), offers a semblance of solace. But even that relationship proves to be fleeting amidst the empty decadence of Hollywood.
Director
Frank Perry
Production Co
F.G. Film Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 39m