Two Lovers (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
James Gray's name fits the type of films he makes. The 1st film of his that I've seen is We Own the Night, a very gray, grainy crime drama; depressing. And here is the 2nd film I've seen of his, 'Two Lovers', an equally grainy, gray, depressing, but altogether decent motion picture. The setting: cold, gray winter, Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. Leonard Kraditor (Joaquin Phoenix) is a burn-out, a troubled man in his 30's with a disturbing past. He still lives with his immigrant parents (Moni Moshonov, Isabella Rossellini), his fiancee has left him, he takes photographs as a sort of hobby, helps out at his parents' dry cleaners, & mopes around. He's ordinary, lonely, & stifled. There are scars on his wrists (just one of several suicide attempts). And in fact, the film opens with another one of his attempts, jumping off a bridge into the bay. He summons the strength to survive. And then something happens which will completely change the course of his life.
In fleet succession, he meets 2 very different women: Sarah (Vinessa Shaw), the daughter of his parents' business associates, & Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), an eccentric neighbor who's involved with a married man. Sarah is sweet, dependable, sensual, & Jewish (like him). He likes her, a lot. And she's everything his parents could have hoped for; for him. Michelle is fun, wild, alluring, & unattainable (like most desired women). Logic dictates that the needy, depressed Leonard 'should' be with Sandra; the pretty, stable girlfriend who wants to save him. But Michelle, like Leonard, is a wounded soul. He attracts to her like a moth to the light. They both struggle, they both need validation in life. But is she willing to compromise her already messed-up relationship with a married man to be with Leonard. Who will he choose? Will he settle for Sandra to please his family? Will he act upon an escape with Michelle? Who'll get hurt in the process?
'Two Lovers' is one of those classic 2.5/B- star movies, for me. It's not great enough to warrant anything more than 2.5, nor is it bad enough to be less. It's a well-acted (though not superbly) romantic drama; kinda soap opera-y, but the performance quality raises it a few notches. The plot is very simple & very low-key. It speaks to anyone who is troubled, can't find themselves, looks for love, finds it, & then self-absorbedly doubts it. Leonard follows the fantasy of having Michelle. He thinks it will 'make' him happy, but perhaps it won't. Then again, if he chooses Sandra, is it because he can see a future with her, or is he just pleasing everyone involved except for himself? He's torn. Joaquin Phoenix is great as our brooding, damaged, alienated protagonist. Whether or not I enjoy the particular movie at hand, I always enjoy Joaquin's performances. There's just something about him that always intrigues; that digs deeper below the surface.
Everyone gives good performances because the movie allows some breathing room for its actors. But the other performer of note who 'got to me' (as did Phoenix) was Isabella Rossellini. She's perfect as the overprotective, suffocating mom who just wants her boy to be happy, but may be hurting him in the long run. I respect that the screenplay is without many (or any) melodramatic moments. And while much of the plot is downbeat in tone (bordering on dreadful), there's still a hint of promise at the end. That said, I did not like the final 5 minutes. I actually don't mind the final outcome, it's the way that outcome came about that I found disingenuous; false. So overall, while 'Two Lovers' is a bit heavy, a bit simplistic, & fumbles the ending, I still think it's a great showcase for the actors involved; and it's nice to see when the frustrations of love & desire are filmed realistically, & not romanticized to cater to a mainstream audience.
In fleet succession, he meets 2 very different women: Sarah (Vinessa Shaw), the daughter of his parents' business associates, & Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), an eccentric neighbor who's involved with a married man. Sarah is sweet, dependable, sensual, & Jewish (like him). He likes her, a lot. And she's everything his parents could have hoped for; for him. Michelle is fun, wild, alluring, & unattainable (like most desired women). Logic dictates that the needy, depressed Leonard 'should' be with Sandra; the pretty, stable girlfriend who wants to save him. But Michelle, like Leonard, is a wounded soul. He attracts to her like a moth to the light. They both struggle, they both need validation in life. But is she willing to compromise her already messed-up relationship with a married man to be with Leonard. Who will he choose? Will he settle for Sandra to please his family? Will he act upon an escape with Michelle? Who'll get hurt in the process?
'Two Lovers' is one of those classic 2.5/B- star movies, for me. It's not great enough to warrant anything more than 2.5, nor is it bad enough to be less. It's a well-acted (though not superbly) romantic drama; kinda soap opera-y, but the performance quality raises it a few notches. The plot is very simple & very low-key. It speaks to anyone who is troubled, can't find themselves, looks for love, finds it, & then self-absorbedly doubts it. Leonard follows the fantasy of having Michelle. He thinks it will 'make' him happy, but perhaps it won't. Then again, if he chooses Sandra, is it because he can see a future with her, or is he just pleasing everyone involved except for himself? He's torn. Joaquin Phoenix is great as our brooding, damaged, alienated protagonist. Whether or not I enjoy the particular movie at hand, I always enjoy Joaquin's performances. There's just something about him that always intrigues; that digs deeper below the surface.
Everyone gives good performances because the movie allows some breathing room for its actors. But the other performer of note who 'got to me' (as did Phoenix) was Isabella Rossellini. She's perfect as the overprotective, suffocating mom who just wants her boy to be happy, but may be hurting him in the long run. I respect that the screenplay is without many (or any) melodramatic moments. And while much of the plot is downbeat in tone (bordering on dreadful), there's still a hint of promise at the end. That said, I did not like the final 5 minutes. I actually don't mind the final outcome, it's the way that outcome came about that I found disingenuous; false. So overall, while 'Two Lovers' is a bit heavy, a bit simplistic, & fumbles the ending, I still think it's a great showcase for the actors involved; and it's nice to see when the frustrations of love & desire are filmed realistically, & not romanticized to cater to a mainstream audience.