“Two Lovers,” a character-based drama, is an exploration of desire with a recognition that romantic love will not always lead to happiness. Leonard Kraditor (Joaquin Phoenix) is a troubled man with a troubled past. In the opening sequence, he jumps off a bridge, but changes his mind about drowning himself once he’s in the water. Recently released from a mental facility, Leonard lives with his mother, Ruth (Isabella Rosselini) and father, Reuben (Moni Moshonov). Ruth demonstrates her concern by badgering Leonard about taking his bipolar medication and acting as his alarm clock each morning while Reuben hovers in the background. However, Leonard views his parents’ anxiety as overprotective and suffocating. Leonard meets Sandra (Vinessa Shaw) when Reuben negotiates to sell the family business to Sandra’s father. Sandra is taken with Leonard, but Leonard is more interested in Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), who has just moved into the apartment building. While agreeing to date Sandra, Leonard pursues Michelle.
Director and co-writer James Gray provides a study in contrasts. Where Sandra gives, Michelle takes. Sandra is available, but Michelle is not. Sandra is reality for Leonard while Michelle is fantasy. And because Leonard and Michelle are both wounded people, it is clear that they would not be happy together. Leonard can barely take care of himself. How can he take care of Michelle? Although Phoenix is convincing as the selfish Leonard, Leonard is not a likeable character, making the 108-minute running time difficult to endure. Paltrow conveys a vulnerability that is at odds with her ‘golden girl’ looks and Shaw is effective as the more unassuming Sandra. The conclusion is bitter sweet because Gray understands that life is often messy, but by the time you get there, do you really care? 2/4/09
2 comments:
Having had time to digest the contents of this movie I think your right........this is a muddled melo-drama without much to like and with poor character development. Maybe a different choice for the male-lead actor might have helped but the thing this film really needed was to be foriegn, probably French and it needed a suicide or two.
Maybe it's good that this is Joaquin Phoenix' last movie. I really don't think he will be missed. This film is more like a French Melodama that might have been improved with subtitles. Or maybe the film would have been improved if "Leonard" had stayed in the river instead of changing his mind to go on with the film. A lot of wasted talent if you ask me
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