Love Is Strange (2014)

Excellent, a Must See

Did you people see the same film I saw?

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

On rewatching writer-director Ira Sachs' touching, perfectly-formed, 2014 low-key drama, it struck me that one of the most thought-provoking things about the film is the multi-dimensional potential of its title. Not only does Sachs' choice to portray the deep affection felt between two ageing homosexuals set his drama apart (even now) from the mainstream of Hollywood films, but a relationship longevity of 39 years is an equally rare thing it seems these days. Most pivotally for Sachs' narrative, though, is the fact that the choice made by Alfred Molina's Catholic school music teacher, George, and John Lithgow's artist, Ben, to seal the marital knot on their obviously loving relationship provokes the powers that be to sack George from his job, thereby forcing the couple to sell their New York apartment and to take up offers of (hopefully temporary) accommodation with family and neighbours, in the process necessitating the pair's physical separation. What follows is a perfectly judged, naturalistic drama, full of moments of poignancy and wry humour, perceptively co-written by Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias, and touching on themes of family dysfunction, intergenerational difference, guilt and regret, in which we really feel for George and Ben as seemingly helpless victims of unfair circumstance. Sachs' observational touch is particularly adept around the intergenerational angle, for which, amongst an all-round superlative cast, Marisa Tomei's niece to Ben, Kate, and her son, Charlie Tahan's Joey are outstanding. The film's subtle, poetic qualities are also enhanced by the choice of some sublime Chopin piano music, whilst Christos Voudouris' cinematography, though generally unfussy, also gives us some memorable sunsets of the New York skyline. The film's narrative arc and its take on the bittersweet nature of fate and fortune also culminates in one of the most strikingly uplifting closing sequences that I can recall anywhere, providing us with a final dimension and take on Sachs' film title.

Execution: 3/10 As we see George and Ben get married we as the audience are not given enough set up to know how exactly the two ARE together and how important their union us, so when they are separate it doesn't really matter. We are not "thinking about the other when watching George or Ben be alone" because there's no previous reference by which to do that at all. Once they're separate it's only 30 minutes away but we don't see enough of them looking for housing or anything else.Extra nonsense that could have been replaced with better conflict, George and Ben trying to be normal again with each other despite their situation, something other than stolen French literature and Kate complaining about being home all the time. Leave and do something elsewhere! I didn't know NY cops were so apt to party like frat boys every night. Why does Ben have a pension from an undisclosed source but not have SS or any type of insurance? Seems these old guys have making rookie mistakes they're too old to make.Romance: 3/10 They kiss four times and cuddle once and that's it. It's a good amount of affection but not enough to where I would call romantic. And the end is quite ridiculous and nowhere near the note it should have been. I've never seen a film that ends on the wrong people; people the narrative was NOT ABOUT!

A lovely and touching film with some frustrations. The script is echt New York, right down to the reference to the Department of the Aging, the disdain for Poughkeepsie and the invocation of rent control. Never mind that the latter is regulated by the state not the city as the script states, or that you can't pass on a controlled apartment willy-nilly to a guy you met at a party. It's still pretty authentic, including the ugly interiors of the Brooklyn apartment and the stunning final scene in the West Village. True New Yorkers discern from the script that the elderly couple bought as renters when it converted to co-op 5 years earlier, presumably at an insider's price, so their net from the recent sale in 2013 is bound to be much greater than the 17,000-odd the script gives them. The longueurs on themes of Chopin add to the atmosphere. The acting is good if somewhat forced because this little film was probably shot over 2 weeks when Lithgow and Molina had the time. The political statement comes early, that a religious institution is exempt from civil-rights laws and can discriminate against someone based on their sexual orientation, which is otherwise forbidden in New York city and state; and that's why the church can fire George because the archbishop doesn't like him being gay. It seems gratuitous that George out of the blue writes to the parents of the school to affirm his faith despite having been wronged: that seems like an afterthought inserted to make the movie extend to 94 minutes. The black screen between Ben and George's discussion of Ben's art and the scene of Joey visiting George sans Ben in his new apartment is jarring, and the viewer is obliged to fill in the missing pieces unaided. Uncle Ben is not a particularly likable character, mostly insensitive to the dynamics of the relatives who have taken him in. Is his asking Joey late at night whether he's ever been in love another filler? Why in 2013 would a couple of high-school kids steal books from the library and what is the point in the story? Why George's reference to Ben's "pension" but none to Social Security, which he would have at age 71? Am I the only one who wondered if Joey's emotional reaction in the stairwell in the penultimate scene is regret at having given George the painting of Vlad, the guy he really loved? That would give the film more poignancy and impact. The film is well worth watching, with a solid message of devotion.

Review:  I wasn't a big fan of this film because it's really slow and there isn't that much going on. The acting is superb from Lithgow and Molina, who play a gay couple who are forced to leave there home after one of them loses his job. They end up living apart with different family members but there love is still strong and they meet up regularly. Molina lives in a lively party going house, which takes its toll after a while and Lithgow lives with a dysfunctional family, were he doesn't feel that welcome. The thing that made the film watchable was the relationship between Molina and Lithgow, which made the film seem very realistic. I was hoping for a bit more from the storyline but the director kept it very basic which made it drag after a while. The scenes with the loving couple were sweet and funny at times and I really felt sorry for them because they were living with inconsiderate family members who didn't acknowledge them at all. Anyway, it's a light hearted movie which has some touching moments but it isn't that amazing. Average!Round-Up: I really did think that John Lithgow was older than 69 because it's seems like he's been acting forever and his looks haven't changed that much. He recently starred in Interstellar, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, The Homesman and This Is 40 and he done a lot of TV work so he's still been taken seriously in Hollywood. He has a unique, no fuss approach to acting, which really worked well in this movie. Alfred Molina, whose is only 62 but also looks like he's been on screen forever, is mostly known for his role as Doc Ock in Spiderman 2 and he also starred in Boogie Nights as the crazy drug dealer, the Da Vinci Code and many TV series. He also has a unique style which made the chemistry between the two actors brilliant. Shame the script wasn't as good! The director, Ira Sachs, has only made 7 major movies which includes Married Life with Pierce Brosnan and Keep The Lights On which is another movie about a gay couple. I honestly think that he wasted the great cast in this film and I wasn't that impressed with the ending.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $2.2millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their dramatic movies about a gay couple who are forced to live separately after loses there home because one of the loses his job. 3/10