Love Is Strange (2014)

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Execution: 3/10 As we see George and Ben get married we as the audience are not given enough set up to know how exactly the two ARE together and how important their union us, so when they are separate it doesn't really matter. We are not "thinking about the other when watching George or Ben be alone" because there's no previous reference by which to do that at all. Once they're separate it's only 30 minutes away but we don't see enough of them looking for housing or anything else.Extra nonsense that could have been replaced with better conflict, George and Ben trying to be normal again with each other despite their situation, something other than stolen French literature and Kate complaining about being home all the time. Leave and do something elsewhere! I didn't know NY cops were so apt to party like frat boys every night. Why does Ben have a pension from an undisclosed source but not have SS or any type of insurance? Seems these old guys have making rookie mistakes they're too old to make.Romance: 3/10 They kiss four times and cuddle once and that's it. It's a good amount of affection but not enough to where I would call romantic. And the end is quite ridiculous and nowhere near the note it should have been. I've never seen a film that ends on the wrong people; people the narrative was NOT ABOUT!

Yes, there are a few plot mistakes - such as the group intervention/"We need a place to crash" meeting - something a group email could have easily handled. But, what a lovely story of two mature gay men who have become so deeply connected over the tenure of their life together. The film includes family issues, teen struggles, gay rights issues, religious bureaucracy, art and music, socio-economic realities, and more. I cried many times and longed to grow old with my partner as these two characters have. It is rare that I get to see a love story about two older men - usually gay love stories involve young men falling in love, or maybe there is an older gay couple playing a supporting role in the far background of a mainstream film. To see Lithgow and Molina embrace so naturally and shares kisses of true companionship (and not of Hollywood lust) warms my heart and validates those of us who share a similar path. Thanks Ira Sachs!

OK. We have Ben & George, two gay men in their late 60s/early 70s,who have been together for almost 40 years. So far, so good. Finally they get married and as a result, George is fired and they find themselves having financial trouble, which forces them to sell their apartment and to move in with some friends (George) and some relatives (Ben).The acting was OK, Ben and George really came across as a devoted couple, genuinely loving each other, and devoted to each other.The rest was a bunch of nonsense.Ben and George have been living together for almost 40 years. They do not seem to live the high life, or to be extremely extravagant. They have a nice apartment, comfortable, but not overly luxurious. Even their own wedding party is fairly simple: they did not even order a cab to the ceremony, but tried to find one on the streets. They did not throw a big party, or even have dinner with their friend and family in a restaurant, they just had some drinks at their own home. OK, they went on an expensive honeymoon, but if that is the only extravaganza they allowed themselves over all the years they were together, it is not over the top.So all in all, they come across like people who have a simple lifestyle, do not overspend and are content with simple things.Yet, when George is fired, they do not have a penny in the bank. Really? No savings, no insurances, nothing? That seems totally out of character.But pennyless, they have to resort to moving in with friends/relatives. They do not seem to do any effort to stay together, if even in a single room. Just like that, after 40 years together, they decide to separate. George moves in with some neighbors (young gays), Ben goes to live with relatives (a young couple with a teenage son), where he has to share the room with this boy. Really?Where did they leave all their stuff, their furniture, the paintings, the books? Did they just sell it all, or what?Ben lives with those relatives, who seem wealthy enough (he is a businessman, she is a novelist), they have a maid, but they are still living in an apartment the size of a shoebox. Somehow, the only son has bunk beds in his room (why?), where Ben has to sleep. This son also has a friend, Vlad, with whom he spends hours and hours in his room. Why? Nobody knows.Somehow, Ben, who is a painter, decides to make a picture of this Vlad on the roof top of the building. Why? He does not know this boy, he hardly has spoken to this boy, but somehow this boy Vlad agrees to pose for him. Does this make sense? No. Wouldn't it have made more sense for Ben to paint a picture of his nephew Joey on that roof top, which he than could have presented to the parents as a small "thank you" for taking him in?In the mean time, George is living with this young gay couple, who are partying all the time, and meets a young guy. They get along very well, and somehow they end up having dinner together and looking at his apartment, which is for rent, as he is leaving for Mexico. Although they seem to have some sort of connection, no sexual attempts are made (really?) while they are alone in that apartment. It is mentioned that the rent is 1400 dollars a month, and somehow George suddenly has the means to pay that amount of money (earlier in the movie, George and Ben where house hunting and could not even afford 600 dollars...).Than there is that whole issue about Joey and Vlad having stolen French literature books from the library. Really? Teen boys stealing Cyrano de Bergerac and other books like that? It is never explained why or how that ends, so what is the meaning of that?And there are more issues that made this movie in itself a strange thing, the love between the two main characters was the most logic thing in the whole movie... SO no "Love is strange" here. But the rest was strange as hell.

"Life has its obstacles but I learnt early on they will be lessoned with honesty." Ira Sach's begins and ends his feature with the music of Frederic Chopin, it's an exquisite piece of music and sets the tone for the film.Love is Strange is a New York story about George and Ben played by Molina and Lithgow who decide to get married. George is a music teacher in a catholic school and Ben is an artist. They have been together for approximately forty years, they are comfortable, living in a spacious apartment in Manhattan, then suddenly George is sacked from his job as a music teacher at the Saint Grace Academy. The ageless John Corbett as the Head Priest represents the hypocrisy of the catholic church. "it's important that you don't question your faith" George a catholic is told. Suddenly their lives are in free-fall, close family and friends come on board to support what at first appears to be a temporary arrangement. The apartment with a mortgage and taxes attached is sold for a massive profit of 17,500 the couple begin looking for a new apartment to live in. This becomes progressively more problematic in a competitive market and a strict budget. Seventy-one year old Ben goes to live with his nephew Elliot and his writer wife Kate (Tomei). He sleeps on a bunk bed shared with the couples moody teenage son Joey (Charlie Tahan) whilst George stays with gay friends in the downstairs apartment, who happen to be cops and seem to have a party ever second night. Tensions begin to rise, as the impositions of time and personal space takeover. A conversation between the chatty Ben and the frustrated Kate ends when he tells the exasperated writer, "I can't really work if there is someone else around," which signifies the underlying tensions within this claustrophobic space.The film is simply shot, little camera flourishes are on display, shot largely inside the homes and the streets of Manhattan Sachs creates a rich tapestry of complex human characters, his camera lingers stationary on his performers, for long periods to ensure he captures what is going on inside their heads. The strength of the film is in the script and performances. It will be hard to find a more sharply observed and well written script this year. Molina and Lithgow are wonderful together, see their duet "You've got what it takes" but the whole ensemble are simply terrific, Charlie Tahan as Joey is a young actor to watch.