Gloria (1980) - Rowlands in Cassavetes' tough-woman thriller is a winner

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Gena Rowlands looks like a tough lady with a revolver, sheltering a little boy on this effective poster for John Cassavetes' Gloria

When his whole family gets murdered by the mob over a threat, his father has made, small Puerto-Rican boy Phil winds up in the care of his mother's friend Gloria, who has her own mob connections ...

 

Gloria is written and directed by New-Yorker master filmmaker John Cassavetes (Shadows (1958)), whose 10th film it was.

In Gloria he presents an unusual and strong plot, which is vividly accelerated through the use of cat-and-mouse dynamics, along with the two main characters' varying wish to engage with each other and the inherent, irresistible suspense that lies in the life of a small innocent child being endangered.

The film is shot on New York locations in an exemplary, marvelous way. Gena Rowlands (She's So Lovely (1997)) is fabulous and awards-worthy as the bad-ass and highly empowering title character, a woman who is tougher than the mob. Little John Adames is deeply, deeply adorable as Phil: The crew and filmmaker must have fallen hard for him, - which excuses that he doesn't, - in some scenes at least, - act very naturally. His performance is wonderful nonetheless.

Gloria is both enormously exciting, funny and mock-romantic between the two, (it is kept sweet and innocent, of course.) SPOILER The ending may be a bit overstrung melodramatically, - but thank God at least it's a happy one. (Few audiences would be able to bear to see Gloria or Phil get killed.) Gloria is another Cassavetes/Rowlands collaboration bull's eye.

 

Related posts:

John Cassavetes: The Fury (1978) - De Palma's telekinetic powers run amuck! (co-starring actor) 

Top 10: Best dramas reviewed by Film Excess to date 
A Woman Under the Influence (1974) or, Family Dysfunction (writer/director)

Faces (1968) or, John Cassavetes' LA Misery circa 1968 (writer/director)
The Dirty Dozen (1967) - Aldrich's rough WWII super-entertainment (co-starring actor)
Edge of the City (1957) - Poitier gleams in Ritt's idealistic debut (co-starring actor)

Watch a trailer for the film

Cost: Unknown

Box office: 4 mil. $ (North America only)

= Uncertain, - but likely at least a big hit

[Gloria premiered 5 September (Venice Film Festival) and runs 122 minutes. Shooting took place from July - September 1979 in New York and New Jersey. If made on a realistic 1 mil. $ budget, the film would rank as a big hit with its domestic gross alone. It was nominated for an Oscar; Best Actress (Rowlands), lost to Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner's Daughter. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe, won the Golden Lion award in Venice, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. The film was remade with the same title in 1999 with Sharon Stone, by Sidney Lumet, a film that was a box office disaster. Cassavetes returned with Love Streams (1984). Rowlands returned in Tempest (1982). Gloria is fresh at 93 % with a 7.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Gloria?

The Skeleton Key (2003) - Hudson and co-stars fuel suspenseful Louisiana mystery

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+ Best Louisiana Movie of the Year

Kate Hudson has seen better real estate than on this poster for Iain Softley's The Skeleton Key

A nurse working in a hospice in the Louisiana swampland discovers that something isn't as it should be at her workplace...

The Skeleton Key is written by Ehren Kruger (Scream 3 (2000)) and directed by Iain Softley (Backbeat (1994)).
The Skeleton Key is about Hoodoo magic, - a mix of African religious practices and beliefs brought to America by slaves, - and ghosts. It doesn't reinvent the spoon, but it does have good building of suspense, and Kate Hudson (You, Me and Dupree (2006)) is good as the protagonist. John Hurt (The Hunting of the Snark (1987)) and Gena Rowlands (Tempest (1982)) add substantial interest and weight with their performances.
The Skeleton Key is a good little mystery chiller with fine local musical choices but too much flickering CGI use.

 

Related posts:

 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Softley gives an interview here on the red carpet for his latest film, Curve (2015)

Cost: 43 mil. $
Box office: 91.9 mil. $
= Flop (returned 2.13 times its cost)
[The Skeleton Key premiered 29 July (Spain, UK and Ireland) and runs 104 minutes. Shooting took place in Louisiana, including New Orleans, and in Los Angeles, California from April - October 2004. The film opened #2, behind fellow new release Four Brothers, to a 16 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another week in the top 5 (#5) and grossed 47.9 mil. $ (52.1 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 5.9 mil. $ (6.4 %) and Mexico with 4.7 mil. $ (5.1 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, translating to a notch harder than this one. Softley returned with Inkheart (2008). Hudson returned in You, Me and Dupree (2006). The Skeleton Key is rotten at 37 % with a 5.26/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Skeleton Key?

Faces (1968) or, John Cassavetes' LA Misery circa 1968

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A hype-filled poster with a strip of pictures of faces from the film, John Cassavetes' Faces

SPOILER At an overwrought drinking  party of three people, a man decides to leave his wife, who goes on to have sex with a younger man - and attempts suicide.

Faces is written and directed by New-Yorker master filmmaker John Cassavetes (A Woman Under the Influence (1974)), whose 4th feature it is. It is an intense and impressive B/W drama, which feels a lot like a play. The title is highly auspicious, as the film is ripe with facial close-ups.
The cinematography (by Al Ruban (Love Streams (1984)), Maurice McEndree (Devil's Angels (1967, actor)) and Haskel Wexler (Face in the Rain (1963))) has a curious, youthful feel to it, whereas the characters are a heavy Los Angeles-set gallery of ennui, despair, quick remarks and an endless pool of unfunny jokes, which the characters themselves laugh loudly at.
Gena Rowlands (Gloria (1980)) is fantastic in Faces, but the film, which is a strong example of its time, certainly, does impress me as somewhat self-indulgent and self-centered.

Related posts:

John Cassavetes: The Fury (1978) - De Palma's telekinetic powers run amuck! (starring actor) 
A Woman Under the Influence (1974) or, Family Dysfunction (writer/director)
The Dirty Dozen (1967) - Aldrich's rough WWII super-entertainment (starring actor)
Edge of the City (1957) - Poitier gleams in Ritt's idealistic debut (starring actor)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 275k $
Box office: Unknown
= Uncertain (but reportedly a 'surprise box office success' - source: Jesse Ziegelstein, UCLA Film and Television Archive)
[Faces premiered in March (Beverly Hills, California) and runs 130 minutes, - a Criterion release cut runs 147 minutes, and Cassavetes' long cut ran 183 minutes and is lost. Cassavetes wrote, directed and financed the film with his wife Rowlands in the main part, shooting most of the film in their own Los Angeles home. Post production reportedly took 3 years. Info on the film's box office earnings are regrettably not available online. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to two notches better than this one. It was nominated for 3 Oscars: It lost Best Supporting Actor (Seymour Cassel (Little New York (2009))) to Jack Albertson for The Subject Was Roses, Supporting Actress (Lynn Carlin (Insight (1974-80))) to Ruth Gordon for Rosemary's Baby, and Original Screenplay to Mel Brooks for The Producers. The film won 2 awards at the Venice Film Festival. Cassavetes returned with Husbands (1970)). Rowlands returned in Nick Quarry (1968, short) and theatrically in Machine Gun McCain (1969). Faces is fresh at 85 % with a 7.2/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Faces?

The Notebook (2004) - A modern, and very old-fashioned, love-story classic

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+ Best Breakthrough of the Year: Ryan Gosling + Best Melodrama of the Year + Best Romance of the Year + Best Screen Couple of the Year: Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams + Best South Carolina Movie of the Year

A delicate, sensual poster for Nick Cassavetes' The Notebook

The Notebook is an adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks (A Walk to Remember (1999)) novel by American director Nick Cassavetes (John Q (2002)), the son of great American actor-director John Cassavetes (Faces (1968)) and actress Gena Rowlands (A Woman Under the Influence (1974)).
It's a story of socially awkward love, as a belle of the high society falls for a lower class working country boy. Their relationship ends by orders of her family, and years pass by, in which he fights in WWII, and she gets engaged to another fine gentleman.
The story is told in a frame about an old man, who reads the story to an old lady in the present day in the nursing home where she resides. She has dementia, and by and by, we realize SPOILER that they are the two main characters of the 'story', which is the story of their lives and their strong love.

From the get-go, - a visually breathtaking boating sequence during the title credits, - The Notebook is a swooning, wildly emotional movie. It is securely placed in the melodrama genre and feels comfortable there, without any tinges of irony, elements that are unrelated to the story, or even scenes that do not completely flow with the general, extrovert emotionality of the film. Things are written OUT, and the lines are big, - the characters never hold back. Visually as well, the team go all out, as with the romantic boating scene amongst hundreds of white ducks.
This brings a level of unreality to the film at times. As with the facts that Noah (Ryan Gosling (The Place Beyond the Pines (2012))) writes 365 (no more, no less (!)) letters to his love. Or that they are away from each other 7 (!) years, (but obviously haven't aged more than a few days. - This could perhaps have just been 3 years...?) I swallowed these very minor reservations, because the film makes you do that and just go along and love it for what it is, - but totally real, The Notebook doesn't feel.
The performances of the two leads hooked me early: Gosling and Rachel McAdams (Morning Glory (2010)) are young and vivacious and sparks fly between them, as they command our attention to them wholeheartedly. There's real movie magic going on in The Notebook in their scenes, which gives us a wonderful, believable, impulsive romance that sweeps us away.
The fine cast also includes, playing 'third violin', a good James Marsden (X-Men 2 (2003)). And Cassavetes has cast his own mom, Rowlands to portray the aged, demented Allie, a part which is perfect for her, and she is strikingly beautiful throughout and really made that whole frame-story work for me. Her deeply human face and empathy once again draws you to her. 

James Garner and Gena Rowlands in Nick Cassavetes' The Notebook

In other very good supporting roles, Sam Shepard (Mud (2012)) and Joan Allen (Pleasantville (1998)) are solid. The Notebook is bereft of monsters and tough villains, which is liberating. It is an honest and wonderful love story with a beautiful, touching ending. 
Let yourself enjoy this one; it is a very fine movie and a modern romance classic.

The details:

The style of The Notebook is an impressive, well-crafted mix that almost instantly brings back memories of the Douglas Sirk (Imitation of Life (1959)) melodramas of the 50's. One also thinks of Gone With the Wind (1939), yet often the camera does move in closer, so that the style never seems dated but still remains modern and fresh.
The costumes, hair, production and location work is top notch. Just look at McAdams in this picture and try not to get carried away to long lost times:

Rachel McAdams is a joy to the eyes and ears in Nick Cassavetes' The Notebook

Rowlands, who made her TV-debut in 1954, amazingly, is still in movies; Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (2014) being the coming attraction.
Cassavetes has earned tremendous box office but critical disregard for his latest, the vulgar chick flick The Other Woman (2014). His next project will be the real-life period drama Kentucky Rhapsody.
Gosling has premiered his directing debut, Lost River (2014) these days in Cannes to boos, ridicule and scattered praise. Cannes verdicts are notoriously unreliable, though, as with Nicholas Winding Refn's Gosling-starring Only God Forgives (2013), which critics chewed up and spat out last year, but which is really a great film.

 

Related post:

 

Nick Cassavetes: 2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Watch the trailer here

Budget: 29 mil. $
Box office: 115.6 mil. $
= Big hit

What do you think of The Notebook?
Have you seen other Nicholas Sparks adaptations, and if so, how were they?

A Woman Under the Influence (1974) or, Family Dysfunction

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A chaotic and stressful poster for John Cassavetes' A Woman Under the Influence, giving a taste of its title character's state of mind

Mabel is a mother of three and of a nervous disposition, perhaps manic-depressive. Her husband has her committed, but he is himself no good single parent. 6 months later she returns home.

 
Some time lapse before you get into the manic characters of A Woman Under the Influence, - for the husband is nearly as mad as Mabel; overwrought, yelling and tyrannical. It is the 7th feature from New-Yorker master filmmaker, writer/director John Cassavetes (Shadows (1958)).
Peter Falk (The Balcony (1963)) and Cassavetes' real-life wife Gena Rowlands (Tempest (1982)) deliver a master class in acting, and Cassavetes also succeeded in getting real and shattering performances out of the three child actors and the rest of the cast here. The result is a uniquely intense study of dysfunction in a modern family, who are trying all they can to be just that.
A Woman Under the Influence is a a tough emotional roller coaster, a landmark in American film and in independent film, SPOILER and it has, - thank God! - a hopeful ending. It is perhaps Cassavetes best film, a sheer masterpiece.

 

Related posts:

John Cassavetes: Gloria (1980) - Rowlands in Cassavetes' tough-woman thriller is a winner (writer/director)

The Fury (1978) - De Palma's telekinetic powers run amuck! (co-starring actor) 

Top 10: Best dramas reviewed by Film Excess to date 
A Woman Under the Influence (1974) or, Family Dysfunction (writer/director)

Faces (1968) or, John Cassavetes' LA Misery circa 1968 (writer/director)
The Dirty Dozen (1967) - Aldrich's rough WWII super-entertainment (co-starring actor)
Edge of the City (1957) - Poitier gleams in Ritt's idealistic debut (co-starring actor)

 

Watch the original theatrical trailer for the film here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: Reportedly 13.3 mil. $ (North America only)
= Unknown - but likely a mega-hit

[A Woman Under the Influence premiered 12 October (New York Film Festival) and runs 155 minutes. Cassavetes wrote the film for Rowlands as 'vengeance' for her asking him to write something for her. Originally a play, it was altered into a film script, because Rowlands had balked that it would be too intense and exhausting to perform again and again on the stage. Shooting took place from November 1972 in Los Angeles, lasting 13 weeks with a shoestring budget and film students working in most production functions. Financing came together from Cassavetes taking a mortgage in their home and help from friends, including from co-star Falk. Cassavetes reportedly spent 750k $ to distribute the film, a lengthy and costly labor since no major distributor would pick up the film. Initially driving around with the film reels himself, the film would eventually earn rentals of over 6 mil. $ in North America, and a reported gross of 13.3 mil. $. The gross numbers from the film's seemingly limited life in foreign markets are regrettably unknown. If made on a realistic 1 mil. $ budget, the film would rank as a mega-hit. Richard Dreyfuss added to the film's hype when he raved about it in an interview and shared that it had made him go home and vomit due to its intensity. The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: It lost Best Director to Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather: Part II and Actress to Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. It won 1/4 Golden Globe nominations and 2 National Board of Review awards, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Cassavetes returned with The Killing of A Chinese Bookie (1976). Rowlands returned in Marcus Welby, M.D. (1974, TV-series), Columbo (1975, TV-series) and theatrically in Two-Minute Warning (1976); Falk in Griffin and Phoenix (1976, TV movie) and theatrically in Murder by Death (1976). A Woman Under the Influence is fresh at 90 % with an 8.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of A Woman Under the Influence?