Review of Love Is Strange (2014) by Robert K — 09 Mar 2016

*** Average.

Writer-Director Ira Sachs' romantic comedy indie flick "Love is Strange" has strange highs and strange lows; StrangeLove that is how this movie goes, will you see it for me; will you take the puns I will give to you, again and again, and will you pun return it. Sorry, got a bit in a Depeched mode, with that intro of "Love is Strange". OK, now I am seriously getting behind the wheel in writing my review of the film. It stars John Lithgow as Ben Hull, and Alfred Molina as George Garea; they are a longtime New York gay couple who recently married. However, turbulent times arrive when George is dismissed in his position as a Music Teacher in a Catholic School when the archdiocese finds out of his sexuality & marital status. Ben and George are forced to live apart. Ben with his nephew Elliot and his family, wife Kate and son Joey. George with his gay cop friend Roberto and Roberto's partner Ted. They both discover that living with others is strangely disconcerting and of course miss each other's constant time together. Sachs' shot most of the film in Sachs' 5th Avenue in New York; OK, maybe not but he did not exactly pace the film with an authentic continuity and pacing in his semi-mundane directorial street of "Love is Strange". However, his screenplay, co-scribed with Mauricio Zacharias, had its clever verbal moments. Seasoned thespian pros Lithgow and Molina effectively delivered their performances, and there was also a fine performance from another seasoned female thespian named Marisa Tomei as Kate. "Love is Strange" is actually not too strange, but not too great, but then again no reason to hate.