Keep the Lights On

Last updated
Keep the Lights On
Keep The Lights On poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Ira Sachs
Written by
  • Ira Sachs
  • Mauricio Zacharias
Produced by
  • Marie Therese Guirgis
  • Lucas Joaquin
  • Ira Sachs
Starring
Cinematography Thimios Bakatakis
Edited by Affonso Gonçalves
Music by Arthur Russell
Production
companies
  • Parts and Labor
  • Post Factory Films
  • Alarum Pictures
  • Film 50
Distributed by Music Box Films
Release dates
  • January 20, 2012 (2012-01-20)(Sundance)
  • September 7, 2012 (2012-09-07)(United States)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States

Keep the Lights On is a 2012 American drama film written by Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias and directed by Sachs. It premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and was released on September 7, 2012 by Music Box Films. [1] The film stars Thure Lindhardt as Erik, a Danish filmmaker living in New York City to work on a documentary film about artist Avery Willard; while there, he enters into a loving but complicated long-term relationship with Paul (Zachary Booth), a lawyer in the publishing industry who struggles with drug addiction. [1] [2] The film's cast also includes Julianne Nicholson, Souléymane Sy Savané, Paprika Steen, David Anzuelo, Maria Dizzia, and Miguel Del Toro.

Contents

The film is based on Sachs' own past relationship with Bill Clegg, a literary agent who published his own memoir about his struggles with addiction, Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man, in 2010. [1]

Plot

In 1998, Danish artist Erik living in New York City meets Paul, a lawyer, through a phone sex hotline. Attracted to each other, they share an intimate moment and sex. Erik later visits a man named Russ who seems more interested in showing off his muscles to Erik than having sex. Erik sees Paul again and tells him about how he broke up with his ex-boyfriend Paolo, who was HIV-positive. Erik confides to his friend Claire on how he is happier with Paul than he was with Paolo.

Paul asks Erik to keep quiet about his drug use and gets Erik high. Paul, who has been closeted, sees his ex-girlfriend while visiting an art gallery with Erik. Paul avoids introducing Erik to his ex, by walking to a section of the gallery out of sight.

While away from the city, Erik calls his doctor and learns that he is HIV-negative. Later, Paul throws a surprise birthday party for him.

In 2000, Paul catches Erik talking to another man in the street. He confronts him and they argue but manage to get over it. Paul then briefly goes missing during a dinner with Erik and his friends and evades questions about where he was. Erik, temporarily away to work on a documentary, feels lonely and calls a phone sex hotline. He is startled when he is connected with Paul and becomes upset. Back in New York, Erik argues with Paul, but they make up again. Erik comes home to find an unconscious Paul outside their apartment. Paul is sent to rehab and states that Erik ruined his life. Erik goes to a gay club and meets a painter named Igor.

In 2003, with Paul's release from rehab and Erik's success with his film, Erik assumes everything will be better. The assumption is rocked when he learns that Paul left home while he was at work. While his sister comforts him, Erik gets a call from Paul who tells him to visit him at a hotel. Paul displays erratic behavior, trying to pretend he is okay while it is clear to Erik that he hasn't improved since rehab. Erik tries to convince Paul to return home, but he remains at the hotel and hires a male prostitute whom he has sex with while Erik watches. Erik goes to visit Russ, and the two share drugs and possibly sex.

In 2006, after not having seen each other for about a year, Paul meets Erik at a diner where both seem better than before. Erik invites Paul to spend the night at his apartment, to which Paul agrees while avoiding to having sex before going to sleep. Erik later runs into Igor and the two have a drink at a bar.

When spending time together in the countryside, Erik asks Paul how he feels about their relationship. Paul turns aggressive and gives Erik an ultimatum. They either decide to move in together or break up. Erik says they should move in together, but later at night drives to Paul's apartment to tell him that he changed his mind. He walks Paul to work and admits that he still loves him, although Paul is skeptical. The two hug and Paul tells Erik to be well.

Cast

Reception and awards

Keep the Lights On received acclaim from most movie critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 90% of 67 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10.The website's consensus reads: "Keep the Lights On is a mysterious, sexy journey deep into the love affair of two men that always manages to stay true to life." [3] Metacritic.com gave the film a score of 79 out of 100 based on 26 critics. [4] [5]

The film won the 2012 Teddy Award for best feature. [6] Thure Lindhardt was nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor. The film was also nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards: Best Feature, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ira Sachs</span> American filmmaker (born 1965)

Ira Sachs is an American filmmaker. Sachs started his career directing short films such as Vaudeville (1991) and Lady (1993) before making his feature film debut with The Delta (1997). Sachs later won acclaim for his dramatic independent films Forty Shades of Blue (2005), Keep the Lights On (2012), Love Is Strange (2014), Little Men (2016), and Passages (2023).

<i>The Class</i> (2008 film) 2008 film directed by Laurent Cantet

The Class is a 2008 French drama film directed by Laurent Cantet, based on the 2006 novel of the same name by François Bégaudeau. The novel is a semi-autobiographical account of Bégaudeau's experiences as a French language and literature teacher in a middle school in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, particularly illuminating his struggles with "problem children": Esmerelda, Khoumba, and Souleymane. The film stars Bégaudeau himself in the role of the teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thure Lindhardt</span> Danish actor

Thure Frank Lindhardt is a Danish actor, educated at the drama school at Odense Theatre in 1998.

<i>Goodbye Solo</i> (film) 2008 American film

Goodbye Solo is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Ramin Bahrani. It premiered as an official selection of the 2008 Venice Film Festival where it won the international film critic's FIPRESCI award for best film, and later had its North American premiere at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was distributed by Roadside Attractions. The film exhibits significant thematic and plot similarities to Abbas Kiarostami's 1997 film Taste of Cherry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Souléymane Sy Savané</span> Ivorian actor

Souléymane Sy Savané is an Ivorian actor. He is best known for his role in the drama film Goodbye Solo (2008).

<i>Buried</i> (film) 2010 film by Rodrigo Cortés

Buried is a 2010 English-language Spanish survival thriller film directed by Rodrigo Cortés. It stars Ryan Reynolds and was written by Chris Sparling.

<i>Twelve</i> (2010 film) 2010 film

Twelve is a 2010 teen crime drama film directed by Joel Schumacher from a screenplay by Jordan Melamed, based on Nick McDonell's 2002 novel of the same name. The film follows a young drug dealer whose luxurious lifestyle falls apart after his cousin is murdered and his best friend is arrested for the crime. It stars Chace Crawford, Rory Culkin, Curtis Jackson, Emily Meade, and Emma Roberts.

<i>Catfish</i> (film) 2010 American documentary film

Catfish is a 2010 film directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. It involves a young man, Nev, being filmed by his brother and friend, co-directors Ariel and Henry, as he builds a romantic relationship with a young woman on the social networking website Facebook. The film was a critical and commercial success. It led to an MTV reality TV series, Catfish: The TV Show. The film is credited with coining the term catfishing: a type of deceptive activity involving a person creating a fake social networking presence for nefarious purposes.

<i>Why Stop Now</i> (film) 2012 American film

Why Stop Now is a 2012 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Phil Dorling and Ron Nyswaner and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo, and Tracy Morgan. It is a feature-length adaptation of their 2008 short film, Predisposed.

<i>Don Jon</i> 2013 film by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Don Jon is a 2013 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, and Julianne Moore, with Rob Brown, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson, and Tony Danza in supporting roles. The film premiered under its original title Don Jon's Addiction at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2013, and was released in the United States on September 27, 2013. The film grossed $41 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>Adoration</i> (2013 film) 2013 Australian film

Adoration is a 2013 drama film directed by Anne Fontaine. It is Fontaine's first English-language film. It stars Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Ben Mendelsohn, Xavier Samuel, and James Frecheville. The film tells the story of a pair of middle-aged women who are life-long friends and have sex with each other's teenage sons, and the resultant emotional consequences of their ongoing affairs. It is based on a 2003 novella by British writer Doris Lessing called The Grandmothers.

<i>Young & Wild</i> (2012 film) 2012 film by Marialy Rivas

Young & Wild is a 2012 Chilean coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Marialy Rivas and co-written by Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutiérrez, María José Viera-Gallo and Pedro Peirano. Starring Alicia Rodríguez and Maria Gracia Omegna, the film tells the story of Daniela, a 17-year-old bisexual girl who writes a blog about the conflicts she experiences between her evangelical Protestant, conservative family and her sexuality. The film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival where it was awarded the World Cinema Screenwriting Award.

<i>Other People</i> (film) 2016 American film

Other People is a 2016 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Chris Kelly in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Jesse Plemons, Molly Shannon, Bradley Whitford, Maude Apatow, Madisen Beaty, John Early, Zach Woods, Josie Totah, and June Squibb. It is a semi-autobiographical look at Kelly's family.

<i>The Little Hours</i> 2017 American film

The Little Hours is a 2017 American medieval black comedy film written and directed by Jeff Baena. The film is loosely based on the first and second stories of day three of ten of The Decameron, a collection of novellas by Giovanni Boccaccio, a 14th-century Italian writer. It stars an ensemble cast featuring Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, and Molly Shannon.

<i>Piercing</i> (film) 2018 American film

Piercing is a 2018 American psychological horror-thriller film written and directed by Nicolas Pesce, based on the novel of the same name by Ryū Murakami. It stars Christopher Abbott, Mia Wasikowska, and Laia Costa, and features Maria Dizzia, Marin Ireland, and Wendell Pierce in supporting roles.

<i>The Price</i> (2017 film) 2017 American film

The Price is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Anthony Onah. The film stars Aml Ameen, Lucy Griffiths, Peter Vack, Michael Hyatt,Souléymane Sy Savané, Craig muMs Grant, and Bill Sage.

<i>Honey Boy</i> (film) 2019 film directed by Alma Harel

Honey Boy is a 2019 American drama film directed by Alma Har'el with a screenplay by Shia LaBeouf, loosely based on his childhood and his relationship with his father. The film stars LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe and FKA twigs.

<i>To the Stars</i> (film) 2019 drama film

To the Stars is a 2019 American drama film directed by Martha Stephens from a screenplay by Shannon Bradley-Colleary. It stars Kara Hayward, Liana Liberato, Shea Whigham, Jordana Spiro, Lucas Jade Zumann, Adelaide Clemens, Malin Åkerman and Tony Hale.

<i>Farewell Amor</i> 2020 American drama film directed by Ekwa Msangi

Farewell Amor is a 2020 American drama film written and directed by Ekwa Msangi. It premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. The film tells the story of a family of Angolan immigrants who reunite in the United States after a years-long separation, and is told from the perspective of the mother, father, and daughter.

<i>Passages</i> (2023 film) French film by Ira Sachs

Passages is a 2023 French romantic drama film cowritten and directed by Ira Sachs and starring Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw, and Adèle Exarchopoulos. It depicts a gay couple whose marriage encounters a crisis when one of the men begins an affair with a young woman.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Keep the Lights On: Sundance Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter , January 21, 2012.
  2. ↑ Oleszczyk, Michael (January 24, 2012). "Sundance Film Festival 2012: Keep the Lights On", Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Keep the Lights On". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 19 December 2022. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  4. ↑ "Keep the Lights On review". Metacritic . Retrieved 2012-09-08.
  5. ↑ "Critics Love 'Keep the Lights On'". NewNowNext. 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
  6. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (February 18, 2012). "Berlin 2012: 'Keep The Lights On' Wins Teddy Award", The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  7. ↑ "4 Independent Spirit Award Nominations! | Keep the Lights On". Keepthelightsonfilm.com. 2012-11-29. Retrieved 2013-02-21.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.