Favorite John Cassavetes Film?

[Shep]

These films are definitely not for everyone. As a director/writer, Cassavetes has a deliberately sloppy, meandering improvisational style. Most audiences and critics hated his work, with "Faces," "Woman Under the Influence" and "Gloria" being his only commercial successes.

Yet for discriminating viewers, I think Cassavetes' films have a lot of merit. They're full of great characters, who can't be pined down. Emotions turning on a dime. Lives in transition.

"Husbands" is my personal fave. Three middle-aged men reeling from the death of a friend go off on a "lost weekend" of drinking and debauchery. Alternately hillarious and sad.

"Shadows," "Faces," and "Love Streams" are also wonderful.

[Shep]

Whoops, I accidentally left "Faces" off.

You'll have to write that one in if it's your fave.

[losingmydignity]

I"ve seen Faces, Gloria, and Woman Under an Influence.

Of these three I liked the latter best, but really don't care of for his style. It's effective in some moments--lots of emotion--but sometimes it's better to hold back on it.

I tend to like directors who have a "cool" style--I don't mean cool in the sense of hip, but I more reflective--like Bresson, Tarkovsky, Kubrick, and Hitchcock. These guys were control freaks when it came to their actors and I like the results. If I were a director I'd be a slave master for sure. "Sit over here." "Don't move." "Look in that direction." "Hold back that emotion." These are the kinds of things I would say to my slaves, uh, actors....

[Shep]

losingmydignity said:

I tend to like directors who have a "cool" style--I don't mean cool in the sense of hip, but I more reflective--like Bresson, Tarkovsky, Kubrick, and Hitchcock. These guys were control freaks when it came to their actors and I like the results.

I do, too. Lord knows, I couldn't watch a Cassavetes or Mike Leigh film every day. LOL But I try to leave room for both directors in my Top 10.

You should check out "Shadows" and "Husbands"--his New York films.

Tarkovsky is getting to be an all-time fav. I watched "Solaris" last night for the 20th time probably. It never ceases to blow me away. "The Mirror," "Stalker," "Rublov" are great, too. I need to see his other films.