Faces Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Faces Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 25, 2013

Winner of Best Film and Best Actor Awards at the Venice Film Festival, John Cassavetes' "Faces" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an episode of the French television series Cineastes de notre temps featuring two interviews with director John Cassavetes; alternate opening sequence; interviews with actors Lynn Carlin, Gena Rowlands, and Seymour Cassel, and cinematographer Al Ruban; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Faces

Note: Faces is part of Criterion's upcoming John Cassavetes: Five Films Blu-ray box set.

John Cassavetes' Faces tells the story of two people who desperately want to love and be loved again. They are married but live their lives as if they are single.

Richard (John Marley) is a wealthy businessman who is used to have things done his way. He drinks, at times more than he should, and sees other women when he feels lonely. Lately he has been spending a lot of time with Jeannie, a beautiful prostitute with a long blond hair. He likes her because she makes him feel alive, very much like the type of man he was before he got married.

Maria (Lynn Carlin) has been trying her best to be a good wife but has come to the conclusion that her relationship with Richard will never be the same. She has also realized that he sees other women, but has been reluctant to confront him because at this point it probably won't make any difference. She also feels that there was a time when they could have rebuilt their marriage but missed their chance.

The end comes when one night Richard tries to make love to Maria and she refuses. Slightly inebriated, he tells her that he wants a divorce for all the reasons she has already figured out on her own. After he leaves the house and heads to Jeannie's place, Maria calls a few of her best friends and they decide to go out drinking. She is not in a mood to party but can't stand being miserable.

At a nearby bar, Maria and her girlfriends meet Chet (Seymour Cassel), a young and handsome guy looking for trouble. They drink and Chet tries to dance with Maria. Later on they go back to her house to drink some more. In the early morning hours, Chet agrees to escort one of the girlfriends to her place, but returns to make love to Maria.

Meanwhile, Richard also decides to spend the night with Jeannie. At her place, they talk, drink, and then talk some more. But this is not the kind of talk Richard needs. Even though he knows that Jeannie truly likes him, and possibly even loves him, he feels like she treating him as a client.

It is difficult to explain precisely why but it feels like this is Cassavetes' most intimate film. The camera spends a great deal of time studying the faces of the main protagonists and the environment in which they exist and even though the visuals are raw and at times quite gritty the film exudes warmth and a certain kindness that touch the heart in a special way. Also, despite the fact that all of the characters are flawed, they are extremely easy to like.

There are plenty of terrific improvisations. The long opening sequence from Jeannie's place, for instance, oozes a type of energy which cannot be found in a Hollywood film from the same era. It is so intense that it almost feels like the film is about to self-destruct. Then there are the quieter and more subdued sequences that culminate with a simple look - there are no words, only a look that bares the soul, hurting because something precious has been irreversibly lost.

Shot in black and white in 16mm, Faces pulsates and breathes with its characters. Certain sequences are brighter, looking intense, while others have toned down contrast and restricted natural light. This creates the impression that one is viewing slices of real life, not scripted acts from a low-budget melodrama.

Marley is great as the rough businessman and Cassel definitely leaves a lasting impression as the young hunk. Carlin's inspired performance, however, is the reason why Faces lingers long after the final credits have rolled.

Note: In 1969, Faces earned Oscar nominations for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Lynn Carlin), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Seymour Cassel) and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen (John Cassavetes).

Faces Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Cassavetes' Faces arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit DataCine from a 35mm duplicate negative blown up from the original 16mm A/B reels and restored by Criterion. The original monaural soundtrack was restored by Audio Mechanics in collaboration with the UCLA Film & Television Archive and remastered at 24-bit from the original 35mm full-coat magnetic recordings and a 35mm acetate track negative. Sonic Solutions' NoNOISE, Sonic Studio HD, and Pro Tools were used for pop and click removal, dropout repairs, hiss reduction, and EQ rebalancing. The UCLA Film & Television Archive's restoration of the sound was funded by the Film Foundation and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Transfer supervisor: Maria Palazzola.
Sound restoration supervisor: Ross Lipman/UCLA Film & Television Archive.
Sound restoration: John Polito/Audio Mechanics.
Colorist: Gregg Garvin/Modern VideoFilm, Burbank, CA."

This Blu-ray release uses a high-definition transfer that is virtually identical to the one the British Film Institute used for their Blu-ray release of Faces in the United Kingdom. However, this should not be surprising considering the fact that the foundation for that high-definition transfer was a telecine supervised by Criterion's Maria Palazzola. It also should not be surprising that the film looks wonderful. The various close-ups have appropriate depth, while contrast levels are stable despite the fact that light is often restricted and the camera movement is quite erratic at times. The blacks, grays, and whites are also stable, never appearing boosted or flat. Grain has been carefully toned down, but the film has the proper raw look. There are no traces of sharpening corrections. A few tiny specks and light vertical lines occasionally pop up here and there but never become distracting. Lastly, when projected the film remains tight around the edges and looks pleasingly vibrant from start to finish. All in all, this is very good organic presentation of Faces that is guaranteed to please fans of the film who have previously experienced it only on DVD, as well as those who will see it for the first time. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Faces Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The film does not have a prominent soundtrack. Unsurprisingly, dynamic intensity is quite limited. Some balance fluctuations are present, but they are obviously inherited and never distracting. The dialog is clean and easy to follow. Also, on the UK release occasionally there was some extremely light hiss sneaking in, but it isn't noticeable on this release.

Faces Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Alternate Opening Sequence - an alternate opening sequence which was included only in an early, 183-minute edit of Faces that was screened in Toronto in April 1968. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080i).

• Cineastes de notre temps - this 1968 episode of the French television series Cineastes de notre temps features two interviews with director John Cassavetes: one conducted in Hollywood in 1965, during the making of Faces, and the other in Paris in 1968, after a screening of the film. Cassavetes discusses some of the challenges independent filmmakers were likely to face in Hollywood at the time -- he also shares a very entertaining story about his time at Paramount -- the significance of being able to experiment with different ideas in a system built on credit, the production history of Faces, etc. In English, not subtitled. (49 min, 1080i).

• Making Faces - this documentary features interviews with actors Lynn Carlin, Gena Rowlands, and Seymour Cassel, and cinematographer Al Ruban, in which they recall how Faces came to exist. The interviews were conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2004. In English, not subtitled. (42 min, 1080i).

• Lighting and Shooting the Film - in this video piece, cinematographer Al Ruban, who worked with Cassavetes on eight films, and lensed, produced and edited Faces, discusses the various film stocks and lighting techniques that were used to achieve the film's unique look. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

Faces Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Folks who have been waiting for Criterion to upgrade the John Cassavetes films in their catalog will be very satisfied with the technical presentation of Faces, arguably the best film in the upcoming John Cassavetes: Five Films Blu-ray box set. The supplemental features on this disc are also better than those included on the BFI release. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.