Two Lovers
United States
2008
110 Min
Color
2.35:1
English
Synopsis
Set in the insular world of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, Two Lovers is a classic romantic drama, with Joaquin Phoenix giving a raw and vulnerable performance as Leonard, a charismatic but troubled young man who moves back into his childhood home following a recent heartbreak. While recovering under the watchful eye of his parents (Isabella Rossellini and Moni Monoshov), Leonard meets two women in quick succession: Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), a mysterious and beautiful neighbor who is exotic and out-of-place in Leonard’s staid world, and Sandra, the lovely and caring daughter of a businessman who is buying out his family’s dry-cleaning business.
Leonard becomes deeply infatuated by Michelle, who seems poised to fall for him, but is having a self-destructive affair with a married man. At the same time, mounting pressure from his family pushes him towards committing to Sandra. Leonard is forced to make an impossible decision – between the impetuousness of desire and the comfort of love – or risk falling back into the darkness that nearly killed him. –Official site
Director
James Gray
Bio: Writer/director James Gray made his first film Little Odessa (1994) at the age of twenty-four. The film, which starred Tim Roth, Edward Furlong, Vanessa Redgrave and ‘Maximillian Schell’, received critical acclaim and was the winner of the Venice Film Festival’s prestigious Silver Lion Award in 1994.
Miramax Films released James Gray’s second feature, The Yards (2000) starring Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Faye Dunaway, Ellen Burstyn, Charlize Theron and James Caan in fall of 2000. The film was selected for official competition at the 2000 Cannes International Film Festival. Prior to ‘The Yards’ and ‘Little Odessa’, Gray attended film school at the University of Southern California. It was there that his student film Cowboys and Angels was first seen by producer Paul Webster, who encouraged Gray to write his first feature script.
As a child growing up in Queens, New York, Gray aspired to be a painter. However, when introduced in his early teenage years to the works… read more
Wall
Displaying 4 of 39 wall posts.
Cody Hoskins
20Jan12
This was the most realistic love story I'd ever seen. The characters were so believable and never over-the-top. The subtle emotions and the quiet atmosphere made it beautiful and haunting. It really captures what everyday life in an urban environment is like with its depressing and bright days, personified through Joaquin Phoenix's character, that it was moving and heartbreaking.
-
-
Tiago Costa
25Nov11
Sure. There's still a lot to see. But excuse me if I doubt that I'll see anything even remotely close to this cinematic miracle.
Related Films
Fans
Displaying 5 of 550 fans.
Articles
Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
Movie Posters of the Year
By Adrian Curry on January 1, 2010
Since it’s no secret by now that The Girlfriend Experience is my favorite movie poster of the year and since I already selected a few of these
Forms of Fate: "Two Lovers"
By Ryland Walker Knight on August 19, 2009
A version of this essay was published in German, in the film magazine Cargo, in June, as a DVD review. The Auteurs Notebook now presents the
TWO LOVERS Review
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
James Gray is a filmmaker with exquisite sensibilities. As he has demonstrated with Little Odessa, The Yards, and We Own the Night, he has great empathy for damaged souls trapped in emotional isolation
TWO LOVERS Review
By Twitchfilm.net on July 17, 2010
James Gray is a filmmaker with exquisite sensibilities. As he has demonstrated with Little Odessa, The Yards, and We Own the Night, he has great empathy for damaged souls trapped in emotional isolation
Lists
Displaying 5 of 192 lists.
Reviews
Displaying 4 of 10
A BI-POLAR REALITY
By Cody Hoskins on January 20, 2012
This movie made me feel really sad although I could see where it was going to go, which also made me feel relief, the same way one would feel if they were as bi-polar as Joaquin Phoenix’s character… read review
Amantes
By Bruno Sanchez on October 2, 2011
Em um ano cheio de superproduções, efeitos especiais incríveis, muito 3D e comédias boca-suja, é delicioso ser surpreendido por um drama como Amantes (Two Lovers, 2008). Um filme simples, despretensioso… read review
Une soumission sans échappatoire
By hubertguillaud on April 21, 2010
Une soumission sans échappatoire – 04/05/2009
Après nous avoir servi des polars crépusculaires, James Gray s’attaque aux histoires d’amour et signe un film remarquable. Remarquable car cette… read review
TWO LOVERS
By Igor Varga on February 2, 2010
Some would say that this is an average movie with totally predictable story but this is basically a story about all of us, going through series of ups/downs, dissapointments, and various emotional… read review
Forum
Displaying
1 discussion topic.
Interpreting the ending
12 posts by 6 people
over 2 years ago