Review of Two Lovers (1928) by Anna L — 04 Oct 2010

If you have the stomach and the heart for it, you'll find the beautifully dismal 'Two Lovers' to be an extremely revealing and interesting character study. To not give special mention to Joaquin Phoenix's hauntingly entertaining and memorable performance seems an injustice, a sentiment that Hollywood 'surprisingly' didn't seem to share back when the movie was first released in 2008.

It would seem as though the film was conjured from the deepest trenches of director James Gray's (a relatively unknown film master) mind as audience members are treated to a movie that strikes a painfully close emotional blow. A long list of themes are interwoven into the movie's bloody fabrics, that include the general awkwardness of life, the price of infidelity as well as the destructive power of sudden infatuation brought on by a damaged heart.

Special mention must also be awarded to the film's clever cinematography that gives the movie a consistent sense of urgency, complementing the protagonist's unstable state of mind as the story quickly starts to spiral down a black hole of tragedy.

Don't let the simple, nice-sounding title fool you - There's no 'nice' to be found in 'Two Lovers', but if you're willing to indulge in a bit of dark, you'll find loads to enjoy here.