lushgreen_2003

A genre-bending odyssey, full of dank, dark alleys, filthy side streets, buses, taxi cabs, trains and subways, John Cassavetes' film "Gloria" is perhaps the most impersonal of his personal work, which surely inspired Luc Besson's 1994 action-packed "Leon," the film explores the development of the mother-son bond under extreme circumstances.

One of Gena Rowland's most underrated performances, Gloria stands shoulder to shoulder with other iconic heroines of American cinema; such as Dietrich's Shanghai Lily and Uma Thurman's Beatrix Kiddo.

Cassavetes explores new narrative possibilities unlike any other of his contemporaries. Though there always seems to be a surplus of emotion, dialogue or trivialities in his work - and I'm not the first to make such an observation - Cassavetes maintains his focus, which is of course, to show us a slice of life, however extreme or crazy it may appear to an audience.

This original screen adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic story of interplanetary war offers plenty of special effects, and floating spaceships of death. While dated by todays standards, the effects do not detract from this film, which offers a multitude of readings into the general mindset of America during the 1950s when paranoia and the possibility of nuclear annihilation by the reds was at its highest. Though the medium's technological limitations change certain aspects of the novel, the overall themes remain. An exploration of humanity's vulnerabilities and ultimate fears that is still applicable to our contemporary world.

For the film Capote director Bennett Miller, along with his cast and crew traveled back to the late 1950s and early 1960s to shoot their film. Somber lighting, empty fields of farmland and poignant color conveys an assortment of moods throughout the film, from impending death, to the infectious laughter of a high society party scene.

Cast and Crew are in top shape; it is a rare treat to find such rich performances from both principal and secondary actors. It is not only an era that is captured on screen but the personalities of the characters within the frame. Especially important in films depicting actual historical figures.

Never condescending or judgmental the filmmakers offer a rare and intelligent discourse concerning the relationship between writer and subject. The score is used to conjure a specific mood, and though the same solemn piano score has been used to the same effect in other films, the restraint of the director and others involved prevent the film from indulging in any kind of sentimentality or forcing the audience to feel something that is not present.