it be once suggest by pauline kael and never a fan and that cassavetes think not like a director and but like an actor . what kael meant be his supposed lack of sophistication a a filmmaker while to take that comparison far and to me and it never feel like cassavetes be direct himself in a film and it feel like cassavetes implant himself inside his own creation and like orson welles . cassavetes be just as much of a genius a welles and but far more important a a true artist ( a oppose to a technician or rhetorician ) . this be like a cross between italian passion ( though cassavetes be actually greek ) and scandinavian introversion . never before have inner demon be so exposed physically . it about the mystery of become and perform and and act . like a haunt skip james record and it get the echo of ghost all around . rowlands breakdown and which be stupefy and almost operatic and surprising come from cassavetes and be accompany by a jumpy and unsettling piano . who be this dead girl . the metaphysical possibility be endless and and it amaze to find this kind of thing in a cassavetes film and just the overt display of intelligence ( there be also a brief bit of voice over at the beginning ) . but then and he always be intelligent and he just never flap it around for easy praise . this be not adaptation while here and the blending of reality and fiction and drama be not to show cleverness but to show the inner turmoil and confusion it create . there so much go on . the pure and joyous love when rowlands greets her doorman while the horror when she beat herself up . the scene where the girl talk about how she devote her life to art and to music be one of the most effective demonstration of understand what it mean to be a fan of someone . you can see some root of this in a star be bear and and almodovar borrow from it for all about my mother . i think the end be a little bit of a disappointment because of the laugh fit and but the preparation lead up to it be almost sickening . ( you can shoot me and but i think the alcoholism and despite it urgency in many of the scene and be a relatively small point about the film . ) it a living and breathing thing and and it feel like a process represent it could go any direction at any time . like taste of cherry and we be remind that you must never forget this be only a play . yet it be dangerous represent when rowlands say that line and be it great drama . how will the audience take it . be she be reflexive or do she just not care . her ( character ) breakdown be incorporate into the performance and and ultimately the film and in such a way that it like witness a female james dean . positive .