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• December 2, 2008
• Screen Shot

Shadow Play: Lelia Goldoni is Cassavetes' Manhattan Girl

By Sarah Maher

Shadows, John Cassavetes' directorial debut, focuses on the late 1950's Beat Generation, racial identity, and personal heartbreak. Lelia Goldoni stars as Lelia Carruthers, a young girl involved in an interracial romance with the perfect jerk who dons party frocks, sweet smiles, and a snappy style against a black and white Manhattan backdrop and Charles Mingus' jazz score. Kissing strangers in a multi-tiered ruffle cocktail dress, Leila's dress straps flirtatiously slip from her shoulders as she teases boys and orders more champagne. Liquid eyeliner coats her lids and her dark wavy hair is tousled and pinned back. Her Avant Garde earrings and arm bangles add an exotic element to her lacy black party dress, as she dances off with her new, hopefully kinder, less racist, beau. With her flawless cocktail attire, and a broken heart on her adorable sleeve, Lelia is the classic New York girl.

Match Lelia's jazzy Beat charm in Acne's ruffled Bazaar dress, the ruffle front shift dress from 3.1 Phillip Lim or a lacy ruffled dress from Rendez-Vous by Paul and Joe. We love any cocktail numbers from Kai Kuhne, the Silence and Noise strapless dress and the strapless bustier dress from McQ. Add the Starburst slingback from Urban Outfitters, Staerk's stiletto Spectators or Kristen Lee's midnight kid suede Portia pumps with the 5 wrap bracelet by Chan Luu and the Marquis-Bezel earrings by Mizuki and try to avoid any heartbreaking romances!