TWO LOVERS
US, 2008, 110 minutes, Colour.
Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw, Isabella Rossellini, Elias Koteas, Moni Moshonov.
Directed by James Gray.
Joaquin Phoenix starred in two other films that director James Gray had in competition in Cannes: two crime thrillers, The Yards (2000) and We Own the Night (2007). Phoenix had to do tough in these two films. This time he is required to play vulnerable and he does so very well indeed.
The beginning and the end have his character, Leonard, contemplating drowning himself. Leonard is bi-polar and has recently come home to his parents’ house in Brighton Beach (the setting for Gray’s Little Odessa) and works in his father’s dry-cleaning store. His love is photography and he is quite expert at taking black and white pictures. What are his prospects in life?
Two events occur, one planned, the other not. The plan is that the business is to be bought by the Cohen family and Leonard’s parents think that their daughter, Sandra (Vinessa Shaw) would be a good match, a good Jewish match. The other event concerns Michelle (Gwynneth Paltrow), Leonard’s new neighbour who is wandering the hallway to get away from her shouting father. Leonard is smitten and the two become friends, especially as Michelle finds that she can talk to Leonard about her problems, especially her current affair with a married lawyer (Elias Koteas). Not only is Leonard a good listener, he goes out of his way all the time to help Michelle, going to dinner where she asks him to give his verdict as to whether the lawyer will leave his family for her, taking her to hospital in a crisis, looking after her.
In the meantime, Sandra, who had a crush on Leonard, is now in love with him.
Phoenix is a very good actor (when we think of his range from To Die For to Gladiator to Walk the Line) and makes Leonard a very sympathetic character, the audience very much on his side. And Gray makes us realise that there could be fairy tales in actual life as well as the hard and disappointing realities.
1.The title? Referring to whom: Leonard and Michelle, Michelle and Ronald, Sandra and Leonard?
2.The New York settings, Brighton beach, the streets and shops, the subway, the atmosphere of the suburbs? Apartments, interiors and exteriors? The contrast with Manhattan, the skyline, its style, restaurants? Score?
3.The issue of death: the opening, the focus on Leonard, his attempted suicide, in the water, his decision to live, the rescue? His being bipolar? The end, going to the water, wanting to kill himself, throwing away the ring? His decision to live?
4.Leonard in his life, age, in the institution, his mental condition, pills, slitting his wrists? Coming home, with his mother and father, their support? His room, the clutter? Coming out to the visitors, bright with the Cohens, friendly with David, the magic? Sandra and showing her the photos, his working in the dry cleaners but his love of photography, black and white photography? Sandra’s crush? Their going out for desert?
5.Leonard at work, his father running the dry cleaning business, seeing Michelle in the corridor, her shouting “Father”, inviting her inside, her looking over the house, their talking, easily, his parents watching?
6.Their friendship, on the subway, his pretending not to see her? In the train? Her opening up? His seeing Ronald and her being chauffeured? The phone exchange, the texting? His taking photos of her from his room? Going out to the club, the dancing, his vigorous dancing, her taking the ecstasy pill, her collapse, his waiting outside? The discussion afterwards? His going to the dinner, arriving early, having her cocktail? Ronald and his arrival, the discussion, his asking for Leonard’s help? His verdict about Ronald, the discussion on the roof? His being in love with her, willing to do anything for her, taking her to the hospital, home in the taxi, in the room when Ronald came, listening, his listening to opera? The break? Telling her of the plan, buying the ring, going on the Internet for the ticket? Waiting for her, her decision not to go? The effect on him? His mother and his leaving? The return? Going to the beach, the decision to live, the return to Sandra?
7.Michelle as a character, her work, the affair with Ronald, drug-taking, her wealthy background, in the hall, talking with Leonard, inviting him to the club, the ecstasy pill, the dancing? The dinner, the opera? Going to hospital, her pregnancy? Relying on Leonard? On the rooftop, his declaration of love, their embrace? Her decision to go away with Ronald after his divorce?
8.Ronald, Leonard seeing him, his affair with Michelle, going to the dinner, married, comparing Leonard with his son, going to London for two weeks, not knowing she was in hospital or pregnant, the visiting of the apartment, his finally getting the divorce?
9.Sandra, the Cohen family, coming to the dinner, her crush on Leonard, looking at his photos, The Sound of Music and her comments, wanting to go out, stood up, going to the house, the night, together with Leonard? The collage of photos of their outings? Leonard going to the bar mitzvah? The family coming to the New Year celebration, Leonard leaving?
10.The portrait of the Cohens, the family, wanting to be partners in the dry cleaning business, the plans, the discussion with Leonard’s father, the meal, the bar mitzvah and the celebration, the photos, the heart-to-heart talk with Leonard about his future?
11.Leonard, the effect, Sandra in love with him, his neglecting her, Michelle, the phone calls, making decisions for her, always at her beck and call, his sadness? His being thwarted? His return to Sandra?
12.Leonard’s decision to live, Sandra and her excitement?
