Review of Love Streams (1984) by Paul Z — 10 Nov 2012

You never know exactly how you feel about a John Cassavetes film until long after it's over. Just as it should be! He makes me think more than any other filmmaker, and yet he rides on pure gut emotion.

Like everything he made before Love Streams, it directly provokes us, because we never know where we stand or what will happen next. I feel that's a unique strength that's difficult to achieve.

There's a euphoria in this gut-wrenching ebb and flow through scenes that come out of nowhere. There's a knotting in our stomachs with every desperate bid for affection that we witness. Culminating in arguably the most poignant and powerful final shot of his pioneering career as a director, the movie hums with the feeling that Cassavetes knew this could very will be his last; it's also his most musical film since his first.