LOVE IS STRANGE, a film, unaffectedly directed by Ira Sachs, is so
natural and unassuming in its portrayal of relationships that the divide
between audience and the characters on the screen disappears; we are directly
slipping into their lives with the ease of familiarity. There is a formal
beauty to the movie, thanks to the cinematography of Christos Voudouris - the
way he captures each space - delineated not only through décor, but through the
light which mutates with the atmosphere, very much like a Chardin still-life
painting, classic in its grandeur and silence.
The plot revolves around two gay men who have lived together for 39 years and finally get married, a decision
that will alter their lives in ways that are unexpected and transforming. We
first meet Ben, a seventy-one year old artist, (John Lithgow in a breathtaking
performance) and his partner George (Alfred Molina in an equally fine
portrayal,) a music teacher in a Catholic school - both excitedly, and nervously preparing for the ceremony
and the post-wedding party. From the moment we first view Lithgow and Molina
singing a duet together - their
voices and theatrics in synch and at odds - tender intimacy is apparent. Ira
Sachs and co-writer Mauricio Zacharias have created two remarkably gentle and
loving individuals, their intimacy and enduring connection, is both understated
and powerfully passionate.
The consequences of
ultimately legitimizing their union bear witness to the harsh realities that
accompany that choice. Soon after the nuptials, George gets fired from his job,
and the economic demands of existing in NYC, forced to sell the apartment in
order to find more affordable housing, interrupts their former cadence of
living. Having no alternative, George and Ben, temporarily separate to move in
with friends and relatives till they can find a home of their own. Molina and
Lithgow stunningly convey the anguish of living apart and the intense longing
of being united again. It is as if one person is sliced in half – going through
the motions, but not fully functioning without the other.
LOVE IS STRANGE also references the mysterious corridor of
generational diversity - both fractious and enriching. The anxious, rebellious
teenager slowly embracing life’s uncertainties embodied by Joey, Ben’s
great-nephew in an excellent performance by Charlie Tahan who is likable,
secretive and obnoxious – an eternal artifact of an adolescent’s growing
awareness of life’s promises and aching discomforts. And approaching mid-life,
are his parents - Kate (Marisa Tomei - a natural wonder) - a writer trying to meet the demands
of motherhood and still do her own work and Elliot (Darren E. Burrows) a father
too wrapped up in doing business (supporting the family?) to notice the
splintering family dynamic. Tomei’s facial expressions convey a woman’s inner
tug-of-war between being a caregiver and accomplishing her own ambitions,
shifting from haggardly frustrated to a luminous empathy, particularly for the
growing pains of her son on the cusp of adulthood.
Director Ira Sachs has given
us a tone poem to the beauty, delight and fragility of living in a city - New York - dynamic, diverse and constantly changing, echoing the
vicissitudes of life as we stumble through our own personal unfolding. A love
story that has depth and endurance - delicate and supple, both romantic and mundane, LOVE IS STRANGE is wrenchingly lovely and generous, but also a reminder that nothing is permanent.
Postcript: This film will be in theaters in the summer of 2014. I saw a preview at The Tribeca Film Festival.
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