Review of Faces (1968) by Ryan H — 01 Aug 2011

Go ahead and call me a philistine. Everyone seems to get all excited and up on the idea that this is like a documentary, but it's hard to get fully into it when the cuts don't match up at all for the characters actions.

Gena Rolands' hair changes every cut, mouths don't match up from distances, etc. Of course, this is an independent low budget film, but it felt like Al Ruban (and the others who shot the film) were sloppy in their shots and Cassavetes wasn't worried enough about their actions.

It is an interesting concept, but maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it today. I can appreciate what Faces and other Cassavetes did for independent cinema, but I didn't find it as realistic or heartbreaking as everyone else does.

Conflicts arise right in the middle of conversations without any real reasons for them to pop up. They just happen. Like when he tells Maria in when she starts singing they are making fools of themselves.

Why the insult? I'm sure someone will tell me I just didn't get it. Well, that's probably true. While they are at it they can explain to me why the hell everyone is laughing so damn much in the film.

I understand using it to make sure everyone knows how uncomfortable the characters feel, but it felt out of place. It was like Cassavetes' go to move. These characters are not realistic, what should they be doing? Laughing! Well, I say skip this one, or maybe I just need to be in a different frame of mind, or maybe it's just not for me.

Whatever it is, it felt like such a chore to get through Faces due to characters I never cared about and the lack of a realistic feels even though that's what everyone boasts about.