Gloria

In spite of his own dismissal of the crime thriller fantasy, Cassavetes brings his own unique style of gritty realism while transplanting a gangster movie, which inadvertently becomes his most commercially successful work. What’s clear from the opening montage is that it’s no Hollywoodstyle hokum – his hero is a chain-smoking New York moll who charges around town in her high heels, reluctantly lumbering with a Latino boy whose family has been wiped out by the mob. Antagonism turning into affection, it’s Rowlands’ half-whore, halfmother relationship with the kid that gives the film its subversive power, inspiring Léon: The Professional and the like.

Venice Film Festival: Golden Lion for Best Film

Academy Awards: Best Actress nomination