Two Lovers (2008)

Leonard Kraditor (Joaquin Phoenix) is recovering from a jilted engagement that has left him suicidal and despondent. With the help of his parents (Isabella Rossellini and Mono Moshonov), Leonard is slowly coping. Enter Sandra (Vinessa Shaw) the beautiful, reasonable daughter of his father's business partner. As their relationship begins to blossoms, Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow) moves in across the hall. Leonard is fascinated by both women for entirely different reasons. Sandra is the safe choice. Beautiful, but self-destructive Michelle is the exciting one.

Two Lovers from writer/director James Gray is a beautiful, yet bleak romance set in Brooklyn that explores wants and needs on two levels. It's a startling mature film that is unafraid.

The cast is superb. Joaquin Phoenix nails another weighty role. This time as scarred man, depressed and conflicted. Leonard is perfectly nuanced thanks to Phoenix' unrelenting sadness. As the two lovers, Shaw and Paltrow stand in extreme contrast, but shine wonderfully in their respective roles. As Sandra, Shaw is compassionate and equally fascinated by Leonard. Quickly falling for him, she is the safe, solid choice in this small Jewish community. Paltrow parlays a beautiful turn as an object of desire into a multi-faceted mess. The mistress of a high dealing lawyer, Michelle is equally glamorous and dangerous. Leonard quickly becomes infatuated. For once, Paltrow is simply mesmerizing.

Leonard is a fascinating character study. Watching him juggle to very different women with no malice toward either is riveting thanks to Phoenix. Under Gray's direction, Phoenix is allowed to pace the film as Leonard needs ultimately building to a simple paradox: do you choose the one you love or the one who loves you?

Two Lovers is studded with remarkable performances. A gentle melancholy and authentic setting further cements this unconventional love triangle as refreshingly real. As I see it, Two Lovers is a wonderfully tempered romantic drama that is content to be grounded and revel in normalcy.

Just for Tom: 3 stars