Not the great John Cassevetes' finest film (that would probably be A Woman Under The Influence), but certainly the best with him in it (although the only competition is his breakout feature Shadows, in which he has an uncredited role), Love Streams is a underrated gem from the great pioneer of American independent cinema. Starring opposite wife Gena Rowlands, Cassavetes actually plays her brother here, the couple electric as a pair of damaged siblings, closely bound by their own emotional wounding; their ability to communicate so well undoubtedly helped by the fact that they were devoted partners in real life. An exhausting, devastating, ultimately bleak picture, Love Streams is rarely cited as premium Cassavetes, at least not in the same way that Shadows, or Faces, or A Woman Under The Influence are. But still, this is a masterwork in its own right, and the last notable movie that Cassavetes would make as both a director and an actor (he would direct and act only once more each after Love Streams, helming the disastrous Big Trouble and starring in a forgotten TV movie respectively).
