A Constant Forge

Charles Kiselyak's documentary on the life and work of John Cassavetes is worthy of its subject -- which is high praise. Even those who have never seen a Cassavetes film will pick up on his passion, his integrity, and his artistry and will get some idea why Shadows, Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, and Opening Night (to name four of the films that Kiselyak excerpts and discusses) are so essential.

"John was more interested in the surprise moment than he was in the planned moment," says Ben Gazzara. To encourage these moments, Cassavetes shot endlessly, encouraging his actors to forget the camera, lose their preconceptions, and take risks. This is a better film about actors and acting than any other documentary I can think of. Kiselyak's interviews with Gazzara, Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Lynn Carlin, Lelia Goldoni, Seymour Cassel, Jon Voight, and others are compelling not just for what they reveal about Cassavetes but also because these people seem as if they were still in a Cassavetes movie, still possessed by his enthusiasm, humor, and joy. He got so involved in his characters' lives that when it came time to shoot the title episode of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, he agonized over whether to go through with it. Cassavetes's films make seeing and thinking about film not futile; A Constant Forge absorbs their power and transmits it.

-- Chris Fujiwara