Two Lovers

If the recent proclamations and TV stunts by Joaquin Phoenix are to be believed, "Two Lovers" is his last film as an actor. I don't know that I buy it, but if it's true, it would be a real shame. James Gray's discomfortingly honest drama is as authentic a portrait of the frustrations of love and desire as I've seen, and Phoenix's performance as the once and potentially still suicidal Leonard, an inarticulate would-be artist who has moved back in with his parents and grudgingly gone to work in the family dry-cleaning store, is one of the finest and most vulnerable of his career. Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw are the two lovers of the title, Shaw the emotionally fragile daughter of her father's business partner who sets her sights on Leonard, and Paltrow the gorgeous and bright new neighbor who is hopelessly involved with a married man and just as messed up as Leonard. It all plays out in the cold light of Brighton Beach in the winter, where the howling, hollow wind has as way of making even the most intimate moments feel desperate. I've not been a fan of Gray's earlier work, but his observations of the messy and unkempt emotions and intimate awkwardness of these relationships carries the sting of authenticity and the bittersweet pain of disappointment. Isabella Rossellini and Moni Moshonov co-star as his parents.

It's available on DVD and Blu-ray. Both editions feature James Gray's thoughtful commentary, where he engages the practical aspects of making a film and working with actors to create characters and a story with real zeal. The two featurettes are far less informative, more promotional than documentary, and there are three deleted scenes.