John Cassavetes: Faces

It's hard to find individual films by John Cassavetes (NYC, 12/9/1929-2/3/1989) these days, but luckily TCM aired two great ones of his last night and very early this morning. I was so taken by seeing Faces (1968) again that I stayed up for A Woman Under the Influence (1974), too. What srikes me now is how serious they are -- not like most movies on standard weekly rotation at movieplexes. Of course, you have to be in the mood for serious drama, and sometimes action flicks or comedies are a much better way to take you away from the daily grind.

Faces brings the viewer close up and personal to see the dynamics of a marriage under siege at point blank range. More broadly, we see the difficulty people have in connecting, finding and keeping common ground. Characters joke and laugh (and dance) a lot, especially the men. Their constant clowning, though, masks anxiety, frustration, loneliness, and disconnection. Very well acted, Faces showcases the interesting expressions, eyes and body language of John Marley, Gena Rowlands, Lynn Carlin, and Detroit-born Seymour Cassel. The closeup shots of people's eyes, their responses to others, is what makes this film so beautiful. In fact, it could be perfectly well viewed without audio for that reason.



Faces is undeniably an independent film: lower budget, daring experimentation, black and white, rough sound quality at times. But it's worth the experience, especially for anyone who's been in a longterm relationship of any kind. A Woman Under the Influence, in color, is an excellent companion film, with outstanding performances by Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk.

For a real barrel of action and laughs, add Mike Nichols' Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966; Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor at their finest) and Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives (1992; Judy Davis at her finest).

Hasta La Vista!