Review of Two Lovers (2008) by Teemu S — 23 Dec 2009

I thought this was a superior romantic drama headed by a pretty good central performance from Phoenix. He's given decent support from the rest of the cast even if few of them have much to work with.

The real sparkle in the film though is James Gray's direction. I was not impressed by his We Own The Night, which bored me with its story. However, having watched more closely the way Gray uses his mis-en-scene to elaborate on the psychological aspects of the story I may go back and watch that to see what I missed.

There are several tiny interactions in this which allow you to feel with the characters what a moment of falling in love feels like. It is these moments coupled alongside some lovely little set pieces that make this a more cinematic film than you imagined it would be.