Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Love Streams Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 14, 2014

Winner of Golden Bear Award for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival, John Cassavetes' "Love Streams" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive new video interviews with executive producer Al Ruban and actress Diahnne Abbott; Michael Ventura's documentary "I'm Almost Not Crazy..." - John Cassavetes: The Man and His Work"; archival interview with Seymor Cassel; and more. The release also arrives with 30-page illustrated booklet featuring: "A Fitful Flow" by Denis Lim; "How Love and Life Mingle on Film" by John Cassavetes; and technical notes. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

"Love is a stream. It's continuous. It doesn't stop..."

Successful writer Robert Harmon (John Cassavetes) is addicted to love, but there is no one around him that is willing to give it to him, at least not for free. This is why he pays to get his fix -- sometimes he meets strangers in shady bars, buys them drinks and for a few hours they pretend to care for him; sometimes he hires hookers to spend a few days with him in his secluded villa in the Hollywood Hills.

Robert is also addicted to alcohol. Without it in his system, he feels like a Ferrari with an empty gas tank. Alcohol helps Robert see the world more clearly, understand its flaws and explain them to those who have been trained to tolerate them. Some are thankful for his wisdom and when they part ways begin reevaluating their lives. But some get annoyed by his ramblings and occasionally use their fists to make him shut up.

Robert’s sister, Sarah (Gena Rowlands, Faces, A Woman Under the Influence), is in the middle of a complicated divorce from her husband, Jack (Seymour Cassel, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Faces). They have agreed that their daughter, Debbie (Risa Blewitt), will live with Sarah, but now both seem unhappy with their arrangement. Their lawyers are confused. Debbie is also confused and is no longer convinced that it is in her best interest to follow her mother around while she sees "dying people".

After a serious nervous breakdown, Sarah packs her bags and heads to France to have an affair. It is what her doctor prescribed -- a love affair that will clear her mind and restore balance in her life. But after the long flight and a sudden realization that with her limited French she will have a terrible time finding a decent man to fall in love with, Sarah quickly returns home and ends up with Robert.

Robert has always had a difficult time communicating with Sarah, but he genuinely loves her. He also understands why she has become so brittle -- she has the same weaknesses and needs love in her life as badly as he does, but unlike him she hasn’t found a good fix that would help her get through those horrible days when being alone feels like the cruelest punishment. Sarah also understands why Robert’s life has been so disappointing -- he has been unable to commit to a serious relationship because he could never see himself spending the rest of his life loving only one woman. She is convinced that a child could have made him a very different man.

John Cassavetes’ final film is a fascinating study of love and the way people understand and consume it. It overflows with raw emotions, but it isn’t as difficult to endure as some of the American director’s earlier films. Indeed, as extravagant as they may seem at times, its characters are very easy to embrace and understand.

The film is based on a play by Ted Allen, but it is about Cassavetes and Rowlands’ world, their own feelings and emotions, the pleasures and pains they experienced together. There is energy and purity in it that are directly channeled from Cassavetes and Rowlands’ real-life relationship.

Cassavates was already seriously ill when he began shooting Love Streams and one can easily sense that there is something quite definitive about the way this film bids goodbye to its audience. At the end Cassavetes’ character looks exhausted but relaxed, like a man who has experienced everything the world he is a part of has had to offer and is now ready to exit it. Virtually all of Cassavetes’ previous films simply stop; they leave behind their characters and create the impression that they continue to live and struggle with their dilemmas after the final credits roll. Love Streams does not. Moments before it ends, when Cassavetes looks at the camera and then waves at it with his Mexican hat, it is obvious that character and actor have become one.

Love Streams Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Cassavetes' Love Streams arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

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

"This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on a Scanity film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, and splices were manually removed using MTI's DRS and Pixel Farm's PFClean, while Digital Vision's Phoenix was used for small dirt, grain, noise management, jitter, and flicker. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the 35mm magnetic dialogue, music, and effects track. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum, and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD, AudioCube's integrated workstation, and iZotope RX 3.

Transfer supervisor: Russell Smith.
Colorist: Sheri Eisenberg/Colorworks, Culver City, CA."

The high-definition transfer is very beautiful. Close-ups boast outstanding depth, even when light is occasionally restricted, while the few larger panoramic shot impress with excellent fluidity. There are a few minor contrast fluctuations, mostly during the indoor footage, but they are part of the film's cinematography. Color reproduction is outstanding -- there is a wide range of very well saturated and stable colors that never appear artificially boosted. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening corrections. Lastly, there are no serious stability issues to report in this review. Also, large debris, cuts, damage marks, and stains have been removed as best as possible. All in all, this is a wonderful organic presentation of Love Streams that should delight fans of John Cassavetes' work. (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).

Love Streams 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.

Overall dynamic intensity is rather limited, but this is hardly surprising as the majority of John Cassavetes' films have very organic soundtracks. The dialog is clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. There are no balance issues to report in this review. Finally, there are no pops, cracks, background hiss, audio dropouts, or distortions.

Love Streams Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Love Streams. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

• Interviews - in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Al Ruban - in this video interview, executive producer and cinematographer on Love Streams Al Ruban discusses his professional relationship with John Cassavetes, Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus' interest in the film, the production and shooting processes (Jon Voight was initially set to play John Cassavetes' character, Robert Harmon, but backed out of the project), Gena Rowlands's acting style, John Cassavetes' 'difficult' directing style, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2014. (19 min, 1080p).
  
  2. Diahnne Abbott - in this video interview, actress Diahnne Abbott (Susan) talks about her love for John Cassavetes' films and directing style and explains what it was like to be part of Love Streams. The actress also quickly addresses her performance of Bob Marley's "Kinky Reggae". The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in in 2014. (13 min, 1080p).
  
  3. Seymor Cassel - presented here are excerpts from an archival interview with Seymor Cassel in which he discusses his professional relationship with John Cassavetes. The interview was conducted at the 2008 Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankyla, Finland in 2008. (12 min, 1080p).

• Watching Gena Rowlands - this new visual essay focuses on Gena Rowlands' performances in John Cassavetes' films. The two made seven major films together: A Child is Waiting (1963), Faces (1968), Minnie and Moskowitz (1971), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Opening Night (1977), Gloria (1980), and Love Streams (1984). The essay was created exclusively for Criterion by film critic Sheila O'Malley in 2014. In English, not subtitled. (25 min, 1080p).

• "I'm Almost Not Crazy..." - John Cassavetes: The Man and His Work - this documentary, created by writer Michael Ventura in 1983, chronicles the shooting of Love Streams. It features numerous clips from archival interviews with John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, and Seymour Cassel, amongst others. Menahem Golan requested the documentary because Love Streams was the first film by John Cassavetes to be produced by Cannon Films. In English, not subtitled. (57 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - author Michael Ventura, author of Cassavetes Directs, discusses in great detail John Cassavetes' directing methods, his maturation as an actor and director, the unique qualities of the characters in his films, John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands' productive professional relationship, the dilemmas the main characters in Love Streams face, etc. The audio commentary was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2014.

• Booklet - 30-page illustrated booklet featuring: "A Fitful Flow" by Denis Lim; "How Love and Life Mingle on Film" by John Cassavetes; and technical notes.

Love Streams Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Cassavetes' final film is a fascinating and deeply moving study of love and the way people understand and consume it. It transitions to Blu-ray after an outstanding 2K restoration that has literally given it a new life. As usual, Criterion have provided an excellent selection of supplemental features. I particularly enjoyed Michael Ventura's documentary "I'm Almost Not Crazy..." - John Cassavetes: The Man and His Work and new audio commentary. VERY HIHGLY RECOMMENDED.