Love Streams (1984) - John Cassavetes

John Cassavetes last film tells the story of a brother and sister, both played to perfection by Rowland and Cassavetes, whom could be classified as extremely damaged but ultimately good souls.  Robert (Cassavetes) is a full blown alcoholic who needs multiple woman in his bed nightly.  He is a horrible father as well, and yes he is absolutely fascinating, as we can't help but care for his plight.  Sarah (Rowland), has just gone through a divorce and lost custody of her kid.  She is in a poor mental state believing love is continuous and never dies.  She is a woman who has had everything she cares about taken from her, leading to mental anguish and disorientation.   John Cassavetes uses these characters to explore love, family and life in general, never judging these characters but simply presenting both the good and the bad.  In a less capable directors hands the audience would absolutely despise these characters, but with Cassavetes behind the wheel, he gives them true dimension and weight, capturing their internal struggle.  With elements and themes prevalent in many of Cassavetes earlier work, Love Streams may just be my favorite film by the filmmaking, being a perfect swansong to his career.  Love Streams is more surreal and even experimental compared to much of his previous work, pushing the medium as he explores these tortured souls.  The dream sequence towards the end of the film really stands out for me, a truly powerful and hypnotizing scene, that is not quite like anything else Cassavetes has done before.  When it comes to relationship dramas, Cassavetes is undeniably one of the best filmmakers out there, with Love Streams possibly being his greatest achievement.  

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