"Two Lovers" Film Review - James Gray

Of all the movies Joaquin Phoenix could have ended his acting career with, he chose 'Two Lovers.' With his apparently unstoppable rise in the film industry with roles like Commodus in 'Gladiator' and Johnny Cash in 'Walk the Line', he chose the suicidal, monochromatic, boring character Leonard Kraditor, the protagonist in a poorly written script. Couple that character with two beautiful women and a man's inability to choose which one he wants to be with/sleep with and you have a stifling, stilted film. Set that film in a cold, jaded Brooklyn and you only add insult to injury.

Here is the plot in a nutshell. After a devastating breakup with his fiance, Leonard, on the brink of suicide and living with his parents, is introduced to Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), the daughter of his father's business partner/associate. She is sensible, professional, yet sweet. He is attracted to her, but when Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow) moves into his apartment complex, he begins to have second thoughts about his feelings for Sandra - and which woman he should choose. Sandra and Michelle really could not be different characters, and Leonard's interest in each only serves to manifest different colors of his character, too. With the self-destructive, insecure, but beautiful Michelle, spontaneity, sexiness, and elusive pleasure ring true. Sandra embodies stability, rational decisions, and control. Leonard is visibly torn.

The comparison to Mike Nichols' film 'Closer' surfaced in my brain as I watched 'Two Lovers'. Both involve relationships, infidelity, and pursuit of happiness (and power) - however shallow and worldly. But in 'Closer', I could sympathize and understand the characters more. I could understand the plights, the reasoning; I could see in the actors eyes when there was a change of heart or a flicker of doubt. And to me, the acting was better.

With 'Two Lovers', I just could not empathize or understand Leanard's character. All I could gather was that he is a bored, sad individual who sat around, moped, and tried to make himself feel better by half-heartedly involving himself with two women at the same time. In the end, all he ended up doing was digging himself a deeper hole and ending up right where he started: back at his parents' house.

I should really give it a chance before I give this film a disappointing review. There are some redeeming qualities to it: the cinematography, the acting, and the occasional steamy scene. But In a character-driven film like this one, the script lacked clarity and development. What could have been an interesting, well-acted, final performance by Phoenix just goes unnoticed, in my mind. Maybe he will be better as a white rapper, after all (no jokes, please).

6/10 stars