This review was first published on InterfaithFamily.com on Feb. 27, 2009.
You wouldn’t know it from the trailer, but Two Lovers is one of the most spot-on portraits of modern Jewish life to come along in years. Then again, the trailer doesn’t tell you much of anything about this quietly powerful film. Movies that capture the nuances of real relationships don’t lend themselves to catchy marketing.
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| Isabella Roselini and Joaquin Phoenix in a scene from Two Lovers. |
Directed by James Gray (We Own The Night), Two Lovers tells the story of Leonard Kraditor (Joaquin Phoenix, Jewish on his mom’s side), a mentally unbalanced Jewish man who is torn between the woman his parents want him to like (Vanissa Shaw) and a mysterious non-Jewish neighbor (Gwyneth Paltrow, Jewish on her father’s side). The setting is Brighton Beach, one of the most Jewish zip codes in the country. Leonard lives with his parents, owners of a dry cleaning business. He spends his days sleeping, working for his father and popping pills to fend off his chronic depression.
Posted by myownworstcritic 
