Two Lovers (2008 film)

Last updated

Two Lovers
Two lovers ver2.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by James Gray
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJoaquin Baca-Asay
Edited byJohn Axelrad
Production
companies
Distributed by Magnolia Pictures
Release dates
Running time
110 minutes
Country United States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$16.3 million [2]

Two Lovers is a 2008 American romantic drama film, taking its inspiration from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's 1848 short story "White Nights", [3] which had already been turned into a film seven times, first by Luchino Visconti: Le Notti Bianche (1957). The film is directed by James Gray, and stars Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw. It is set in the largely Russian Jewish neighborhood Brighton Beach in New York City, as was Gray's first film Little Odessa . Two Lovers premiered in competition at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival in May. The film was Gray's third to enter the competition at this festival. It was released on February 13, 2009.

Contents

Plot

Leonard Kraditor is walking along a bridge over a stream in Brooklyn, when suddenly he jumps into the water in an attempted suicide. He changes his mind and quickly walks home to his parents' apartment. His mother Ruth, seeing him dripping wet, tells her husband Reuben their son has tried it again and it becomes evident that Leonard has attempted suicide before.

His parents tell him that a potential business partner and his family are invited for dinner that night and ask him to be present. When they arrive, Leonard finds that he had been set up with the other family's daughter, Sandra Cohen. She inquires about his interest in photography and notices a photo of a girl above his headboard. He explains he had been engaged to the girl for several years, but the relationship was broken off when it turned out both he and his fiancée carried the gene for Tay–Sachs disease, which results in diseased children who generally don't live beyond age 12, so they would be unable to have healthy children.

Leonard meets a new neighbor, Michelle Rausch, and is immediately attracted to her, choosing to ignore that she is a drug addict. He learns that she is dating a married partner in her law firm, Ronald Blatt. At her request, Leonard agrees to meet the pair for dinner at a restaurant. The couple leave him later that evening, as they have plans to attend the Metropolitan Opera. Leonard returns home dejected, but surprisingly, Sandra arrives, sent over by Leonard's parents. Believing that Leonard wanted her to come by, she realizes by his shocked expression that she was set up. She apologizes for the misunderstanding and says that, if he isn't interested, a lot of other guys are. Leonard says that he likes her, and they kiss and eventually make love, and with time, his relationship with Sandra deepens.

Michelle calls Leonard and says she is sick. He takes her to the hospital, where she has a D&C for a miscarriage. She had been unaware she was pregnant and is even more angry that Ronald ignored her calls. Leonard takes her home but hides when Ronald arrives unexpectedly. Ronald apologizes to Michelle for not having come to her aid, but Michelle coldly asks Ronald to leave and then asks Leonard to write something on her forearm with his finger while she falls asleep. Leonard writes "I love you".

Two weeks later, Michelle meets Leonard on the roof of their building and tells him that she has broken up with Ronald and is going to San Francisco. Leonard tells her not to leave and professes his love for her. They have sex and plan to leave together the next day for San Francisco.

On New Year's Eve, Leonard buys an engagement ring for Michelle. Sandra's father Michael then summons him and offers him a partnership in the family businesses, assuming that he is going to marry Sandra. Noticing the jeweler's gift bag Leonard is holding, the father assumes it is for Sandra; Leonard lies that it is.

During his parents' New Year's Eve party, Leonard hides in the courtyard to meet Michelle. Michelle arrives late and tells Leonard that she isn't going to San Francisco, because Ronald, having learned Michelle is leaving him for California, has decided to leave his wife and children for her. Disheartened, Leonard permanently breaks things off with her.

Feeling depressed, Leonard heads to the beach, intending to kill himself. When he drops a glove that Sandra had bought for him, he realizes that, in Sandra, he has found someone who loves him and with whom he can build a happy life. He picks up the glove and sees the boxed engagement ring lying on the sand, where he had thrown it from the boardwalk earlier. He returns to the party, where he gives Sandra the ring and embraces her in a tearful passionate hug.

Cast

Reception

Two Lovers received largely positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 82%, based on 167 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's consensus reads, "Two Lovers is a complex, intriguing, richly-acted romantic drama". [4] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 33 reviews. [5] Ray Bennett from The Hollywood Reporter defined the film as "an old-fashioned love story in which the melodramatic trapdoors of shock and surprise never open" and added that the film "will please many and it may win awards", though "the acting is (...) restrained." He also lauded the film as "a throwback to the days when love in the movies involved the mind as well as the heart." [6]

Accolades

AwardCategoryNomineeResultRef.
ALMA Awards Actor in Film Joaquin Phoenix Nominated [7]
Cahiers du Cinéma Top 10 Film Award Best Film James Gray 5th place [8]
Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Nominated [9]
César Awards Best Foreign Film Nominated [10]
Chicago International Film Festival Best FeatureNominated [11]
Independent Spirit Awards Best Female Lead Gwyneth Paltrow Nominated [12]
Best Director James GrayNominated
National Board of Review Awards Top Ten Independent Films Won [13]
New York Film Critics Online Awards Top Films of the YearWon [14]
Online Film Critics Society Awards Best ActorJoaquin PhoenixNominated [15]
Village Voice Film Poll 4th place [16]
Best Film9th place
Best Supporting ActressGwyneth Paltrow6th place
Best Supporting Actress Vinessa Shaw 9th place

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwyneth Paltrow</span> American actress and businesswoman (born 1972)

Gwyneth Kate Paltrow Falchuk is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

<i>Cruel Intentions</i> 1999 American romantic drama film by Roger Kumble

Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American teen romantic drama film written and directed by Roger Kumble and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film is a modern retelling of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, set in New York City among rich high schoolers.

<i>Cool as Ice</i> 1991 film by David Kellogg

Cool as Ice is a 1991 American romantic musical comedy film directed by David Kellogg, written by David Stenn and starring rapper Vanilla Ice in his feature film debut. The plot focuses on Johnny Van Owen, a freewheeling, motorcycle-riding rapper who arrives in a small town and meets Kathy, an honor student who catches his eye. Meanwhile, Kathy's father, who is in witness protection, is found by the corrupt police officers he escaped from years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandy Alexander</span> Brandy-based cocktail of cognac and crème de cacao

A Brandy Alexander is a brandy-based dessert cocktail consisting of cognac, crème de cacao, and cream, that became popular during the early 20th century. It is a variation of an earlier, gin-based cocktail called simply an Alexander. The cocktail known as Alexander today may contain gin or brandy. Ice cream can be added for a "frozen Brandy Alexander".

<i>Shallow Hal</i> 2001 film by Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Shallow Hal is a 2001 American romantic comedy film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black about a man who falls in love with a 300-pound woman after being hypnotized into only seeing a person's inner beauty. Directed by the Farrelly brothers, it was filmed in and around Charlotte, North Carolina as well as Sterling and Princeton, Massachusetts at Wachusett Mountain. The supporting cast features Jason Alexander, Joe Viterelli, and Susan Ward. Shallow Hal was released in theaters on November 9, 2001 by 20th Century Fox, and grossed $141 million against a $40 million budget.

<i>How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days</i> 2003 romantic comedy film

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Donald Petrie, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on the picture book of the same name by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. The book has no narrative, only a list of comedic dating "don'ts", so the characters and plot were created specifically for the film. In the film, advertising executive Benjamin Barry makes a bet that he can make any woman fall in love with him, while women's magazine writer Andie Anderson plans to write an article about how she led her boyfriend to dump her, putting them at cross-purposes after they choose each other as their romantic partners. Andie employs a number of the dating "don'ts" from the picture book in her efforts to get Ben to break up with her.

<i>Hiroshima mon amour</i> 1959 film by Alain Resnais

Hiroshima mon amour, is a 1959 romantic drama film directed by French director Alain Resnais and written by French author Marguerite Duras.

<i>Sliding Doors</i> 1998 film

Sliding Doors is a 1998 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Howitt and starring Gwyneth Paltrow while also featuring John Hannah, John Lynch, and Jeanne Tripplehorn. The film alternates between two storylines, showing two paths the central character's life could take depending on whether she catches a train. It has drawn numerous comparisons to Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski's 1987 film Blind Chance, the outcome of which also hinges on whether the protagonist catches a train.

<i>The Pallbearer</i> 1996 film directed by Matt Reeves

The Pallbearer is a 1996 American romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Matt Reeves in his directorial debut and starring David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Collette, Michael Vartan, Michael Rapaport, and Barbara Hershey. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinessa Shaw</span> American actress

Vinessa Elizabeth Shaw is an American film actress and model. She began her career as a child actor, and had her breakout role in Disney's 1993 Halloween comedy-fantasy film Hocus Pocus. Shaw also appeared in Ladybugs (1992) and L.A. Without a Map (1998).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Nights (short story)</span> 1848 short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky

"White Nights" is a short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky, originally published in 1848, early in the writer's career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Connor</span> Fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street

Michelle Connor is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by former Hear'Say singer Kym Marsh. The character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 3 April 2006. Marsh took maternity leave in January 2011, and the character returned on 3 November 2011. On 24 February 2019, it was announced that Marsh would be leaving the soap after 13 years and Michelle's final episode aired on 27 December 2019.

<i>The Glass Mountain</i> (1949 film) 1949 film by Edoardo Anton, Henry Cass

The Glass Mountain is a 1949 black and white British romantic film drama directed by Henry Cass. It starred Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray and Valentina Cortese. The film was a popular success of its day, and was re-released in the UK in 1950 and 1953. It features acclaimed classical vocalists Elena Rizzieri as herself and Tito Gobbi as himself, with the orchestra and chorus of the Venice Opera House. The theme music by Nino Rota is memorable, and was also a contemporary hit. It was mainly filmed on location in the Dolomites and at Venice's La Fenice Opera House. Co-producer Joseph Janni also co-produced another film shot in Italy, the comedy Honeymoon Deferred, in 1951.

<i>L.A. Without a Map</i> 1998 film

L.A. Without a Map is a 1998 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mika Kaurismäki, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Richard Rayner, based on Rayner's 1988 semi-autobiographical novel Los Angeles Without a Map. The film stars David Tennant, Vinessa Shaw, Julie Delpy and Vincent Gallo, with Cameron Bancroft and Joe Dallesandro. It is an international co-production between France, the United Kingdom, Finland and Luxembourg.

<i>One Way Passage</i> 1932 romantic pre-Code film

One Way Passage is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic film starring William Powell and Kay Francis as star-crossed lovers, directed by Tay Garnett and released by Warner Bros. The screenplay by Wilson Mizner and Joseph Jackson is based on a story by Robert Lord, who won the Academy Award for Best Story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Cohen</span> Canadian singer-songwriter and poet (1934–2016)

Leonard Norman Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, social and political conflict, and sexual and romantic love, desire, regret, and loss. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honour. In 2011, he received one of the Prince of Asturias Awards for literature and the ninth Glenn Gould Prize.

<i>Paul and Michelle</i> 1974 film

Paul and Michelle is a 1974 drama film directed and produced by Lewis Gilbert, whose story Vernon Harris and Angela Huth dramatized. It is a sequel to the 1971 film Friends, by the same director and with the same lead actors. Gilbert says the film was not as successful as the first - "it didn't have the same freshness" - although "it wasn't unsuccessful".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marianne Ihlen</span> Norwegian muse and partner of Leonard Cohen

Marianne Christine Stang Ihlen was a Norwegian woman who was the first wife of author Axel Jensen and later the muse and girlfriend of Leonard Cohen for several years in the 1960s. She was the subject of Cohen's 1967 song "So Long, Marianne".

<i>Sharper</i> (film) 2023 film by Benjamin Caron

Sharper is a 2023 American crime thriller film directed by Benjamin Caron and written by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka. The film stars Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, Briana Middleton, and John Lithgow.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Two Lovers (2008)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  2. "Two Lovers". Box Office Mojo .
  3. "Two Lovers: James Gray Interview". At the Movies . June 3, 2009. Archived from the original on August 23, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  4. "Two Lovers (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  5. "Two Lovers". Metacritic . Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  6. Bennett, Ray (May 19, 2008). "Two Lovers". The Hollywood Reporter .
  7. Robertson, Willa (August 25, 2009). "Alma Awards announce nominations". Variety. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  8. Johnson, Eric C. "Cahiers du Cinema: Top Ten Lists 1951-2009". alumnus.caltech.edu. Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  9. "Two Lovers". Variety . May 20, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  10. ""Public Enemy" Takes Record 10 Cesar Nods". IndieWire . January 23, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  11. "Preview: Chicago International Film Festival". Newcity Film. October 2, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  12. McNary, Dave (December 1, 2009). "Spirit Award nominations announced". Variety. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  13. "2009 Archives". National Board of Review. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  14. Davis, Don (December 14, 2009). "N.Y. Online Critics like 'Avatar'". Variety. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  15. "2009 Awards (13th Annual)". ofcs.org. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  16. "10th Annual Film Critics' Poll: The Abridged Results". The Village Voice . December 22, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2023.