Really just another attempt to squeeze some juice out of the aging-diva-as-murderous-nut-job genre, this one gets quite a sizable lift from two memorable actresses. Ruth Gordon doing her patented, deceptively off-center, crazy-like-a-fox character, and making the most of it. She's delightful.
And the extraordinary Geraldine Page giving conviction and ultimately a scary poignancy to the role of the murderess. Her last scene could have been so easily overplayed by another actress, but she gives it an unsettling aura of truth. Page never had quite the film career one would have hoped for, but here she gives you a taste of what she was capable of, for those who never got to see one of her legendary stage performances.
Worth a look for those interested in the genre and in the two star performances. Gordon had won her Oscar for "Rosemary's Baby" the year before, and Page would ultimately win one for "The Trip to Bountiful."
