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Not to be confused with star Joaquin Phoenix's headline
grabbing split between his passion for acting and music,
Two Lovers delves into the quirky life of a mentally unstable
Brooklyn man who never got around to leaving home, and his
dysfunctional relationships with both females and family.
Director James Gray, who excels best at capturing the extraordinary
in unremarkable bottom feeder urban lives, as in Little
Odessa, returns to that scene of thwarted existence lived
out in quiet desperation as Two Lovers unfolds in the emotional
prison of seedy Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.***
The film immediately sets its anxious, muted tone in
a clash between crushed yearnings and suffocating daily
routine as Leonard (Joaquin Phoenix) dutifully makes his
dull rounds delivering dry cleaning from his father's store
where he works, but decides to end it all instead by jumping
off an overpass into the water below. Rescued by a stranger
whom he doesn't bother to thank, a glum Leonard returns
home just in time for dinner in the depressing knowledge
that he can't seem to be successful at anything in life,
not even suicide.***
It soon becomes apparent that a smothering Jewish mom
and borderline child stalker (Isabella Rossellini) is going
to get the blame, as she frets over her evidently disturbed
thirtysomething son and whether or not he's taking his meds.
And who still happens to live in his childhood bedroom in
their cramped apartment, where he's been sulking ever since
a failed romance. Mom is also currently playing matchmaker,
nudging Leonard into an unwelcome relationship with Sandra
(Vinessa Shaw), daughter of a business colleague of his
dad (Moni Moshonov).***
Meanwhile, a stunning new neighbor Michelle (Gwyneth
Paltrow) catches Leonard's eye, and honing his exceedingly
awkward, childlike people skills, he follows her on the
subway one morning, engaging her in a conversation by pretending
to be going downtown to work as well. A similarly troubled
Michelle adopts the hopelessly smitten and soon disappointed
and increasingly frustrated Leonard as a platonic confidante
and appendage to her life. And he learns to his dismay that
she's suffering miserably in an affair with a rich married
lawyer, who is not making good on promises to leave his
wife for her.***
Steeped in the dense aromas of moth balls and chicken
soup with the odd effect of both dulling and disturbing
the senses, this authentically crafted, even if at times
overly sentimental slice of life mood piece is filled with
tender moments and occasional touches of macabre humor.
Though what such a dazzling hottie as Gwyneth is doing moping
and slumming around in the oppressive shadows of outer Brooklyn,
is one matzah ball that's hard to swallow.***
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