First of all, google image searching "Faces (movie)" gets a picture of Patrick Swayze, one of Nicolas Cage from Next, and a bunch of cumshot/facial abuse pictures. THE INTERNET! You know, when I get ready to watch a Cassavetes movie, I'm immediately ready to dislike it. This was especially the case with Faces. I have no desire to watch a movie about the collapse of a marriage. WHY WOULD I WANT TO WATCH THAT?! But then the movie starts... and I realize that Netflix's summary doesn't really do it justice. The movie certainly has a PLOT... but it doesn't attack you like movies these days do. And I... I dunno... I keep forgetting that. I keep waiting for Cassavetes to hit me with some kind of super drama. But he's better than that, I guess. But he's better than that, 'SPOSE THAT'S WHY HE'S SUCH A BIG DEAL, HUH!? The film is so manic that it gave me whiplash. Violently changing tones, mid scene. A scene will begin with hysterical laughing, people falling all over each other, and then suddenly people are spitting venom at each other. And they really are HYSTERICAL. There's such a focus on jokes and half-sung songs. In each scene there's usually a great deal of drunken shouting (ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS!). A kind of forced livelyness is maintained but eventually something else breaks through every now and then. Not like a scene that culminates into an explosion or a monologue but just a kind of useless thrashing. A kind of self-hate pervades through the film. No one is happy with themselves and they've all come to terms with that. Naturally, a film like this needs actors who can pull this off. This kind of breakneck exchange of emotions. I especially liked Lynn Carlin in the first sequence of the film. I thought she was just brilliant at that point. That's not to take anything away from the rest of the actors. Everyone is just GREAT! I've been slowly working my way through Cassavetes OUERVEFERE, I figured Faces and Opening Night would be the low points for me. But I think Faces might have been my favorite so far.
Lynn and John compete to see whose nose will give out first. Sure, its fun now...
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