***1/2 Stars
In a rather unorthodox way, I was hoping Two Lovers would be disappointing. I was wishing Joaquin Phoenix's performance would be sub-par and self-arrogant. But of course that was not the case. Two Lovers is actually one of Phoenix's strongest and most impressive performances ever. And that frustrates me because the man is apparently done with acting forever.
So with this Catch-22 situation, I had to gather my thoughts, reconnect them to the actors and their characters, and somehow understand why this film wasn't a wide release for all audiences to see. This is a truly great film that haunts anyone whose ever experienced the potential dark-side of love.
Phoenix plays Leonard Kraditor, a depressed and heartbroken man who moves back in with his parents after a recent breakup. An "aspiring photographer" (although ironically enough, it's one of those clear cases where aspiration is no where to be found), Leonard is unsure of where his life is leading him to. The opening scene, both beautifully shot and tragically acted, is a clear sign of Leonard's depression. He is casually walking on a boardwalk when out of nowhere, he throws himself off the side and into the water. He floats underwater for several moments. After realizing he is not ready to die, he swims back to the top, gets pulled out by a few kind-hearted on-lookers, and doesn't even have the curiosity to say thank you on his on terms. He then goes back to his parents' house, still soaked and still miserable.
When he gets home, his parents see him dripping with water. He quickly rushes into his room without any explanation. His mother Ruth (a perfectly subdued performance by Isabella Rossellini) turns to his father Reuben (Moni Moshonov) with instant concern. "I think he did it again," she says to him, with that mother-like tone. Director James Gray explains to us Leonard's entire past with only five minutes of running time. These are the strongest scenes in the film, but the acts that follow rarely let up.
The movie is called Two Lovers, so we know that eventually Leonard will have...two lovers. Played strongly by Gwyneth Paltrow and especially Vinessa Shaw (who has the least amount of screen time, yet steals every scene she is in) Leonard hobbles back and forth from his possible future wife Sandra (Shaw) and his lustful desires with Michelle (Paltrow). Two Lovers has a cat-and-mouse like ring to it, only without, you know, the characters having any real motivation to do anything.
And this surprised me in many ways. A 110-minute film about depressing people (minus Sandra) doing depressing things, in a depressing setting, leading to depressing conclusions. Painful right? Wrong. Somehow, the film kindles with spirit and sparks boundless charisma both on and off the screen. James Gray's strongest effort yet has Joaquin's most daring performance in a film that deserves to be recognized as more than just Phoenix's final on-screen appearance (you know, before he went all Eminem on us). Two Lovers will hit you where it hurts.
If you plan on seeing this film with a date, enter with caution. You won't leave Two Lovers with that feeling of sunshine and rainbows. In fact, I don't even remember this film having any scenes where the sun actually shines. I guess we now know what it feels like to live in Seattle.
So with this Catch-22 situation, I had to gather my thoughts, reconnect them to the actors and their characters, and somehow understand why this film wasn't a wide release for all audiences to see. This is a truly great film that haunts anyone whose ever experienced the potential dark-side of love.
Phoenix plays Leonard Kraditor, a depressed and heartbroken man who moves back in with his parents after a recent breakup. An "aspiring photographer" (although ironically enough, it's one of those clear cases where aspiration is no where to be found), Leonard is unsure of where his life is leading him to. The opening scene, both beautifully shot and tragically acted, is a clear sign of Leonard's depression. He is casually walking on a boardwalk when out of nowhere, he throws himself off the side and into the water. He floats underwater for several moments. After realizing he is not ready to die, he swims back to the top, gets pulled out by a few kind-hearted on-lookers, and doesn't even have the curiosity to say thank you on his on terms. He then goes back to his parents' house, still soaked and still miserable.
When he gets home, his parents see him dripping with water. He quickly rushes into his room without any explanation. His mother Ruth (a perfectly subdued performance by Isabella Rossellini) turns to his father Reuben (Moni Moshonov) with instant concern. "I think he did it again," she says to him, with that mother-like tone. Director James Gray explains to us Leonard's entire past with only five minutes of running time. These are the strongest scenes in the film, but the acts that follow rarely let up.
The movie is called Two Lovers, so we know that eventually Leonard will have...two lovers. Played strongly by Gwyneth Paltrow and especially Vinessa Shaw (who has the least amount of screen time, yet steals every scene she is in) Leonard hobbles back and forth from his possible future wife Sandra (Shaw) and his lustful desires with Michelle (Paltrow). Two Lovers has a cat-and-mouse like ring to it, only without, you know, the characters having any real motivation to do anything.
And this surprised me in many ways. A 110-minute film about depressing people (minus Sandra) doing depressing things, in a depressing setting, leading to depressing conclusions. Painful right? Wrong. Somehow, the film kindles with spirit and sparks boundless charisma both on and off the screen. James Gray's strongest effort yet has Joaquin's most daring performance in a film that deserves to be recognized as more than just Phoenix's final on-screen appearance (you know, before he went all Eminem on us). Two Lovers will hit you where it hurts.
If you plan on seeing this film with a date, enter with caution. You won't leave Two Lovers with that feeling of sunshine and rainbows. In fact, I don't even remember this film having any scenes where the sun actually shines. I guess we now know what it feels like to live in Seattle.
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