Two Lovers

R

Released Feb 13, 2009

1 hr. 49 min.

Drama

Romance

List

82%

170 Reviews

Tomatometer

59%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Following a broken engagement, sometime photographer Leonard Kraditor (Joaquin Phoenix) moves in with his parents in Brighton Beach. He soon becomes involved with Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), an honest and sensible young woman. They appear to be a perfect match, then Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow) enters the picture. Beautiful but manipulative, she wraps him around her finger, even though she has a rich, married boyfriend.

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Critics Consensus

Two Lovers is a complex, intriguing, richly-acted romantic drama.

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helder f

This is a story that is way too well known to many lovers. Like the song goes, everyone plays the fool sometimes. One watches the movie like one would watch a friend or even one's past self makes mistakes for loving the wrong person. And scene after scene we know the story will not end well… the characters and their flaws are really clear. In that movie is very successful. The problem I had with the movie is that just like in real life the story is repetitive and tedious for those who are not involved in. We see the characters and their dramas very well and very early in the movie , so that after that, the movie just drags somehow. Having said that, the end is a bit surprising. Both Michelle and Leonard have interesting similarities.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/14/24

Full Review

Hossein M

Everything works out in the end :)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/19/23

Full Review

Jeremy M

Maybe I'm biased towards a lot of things in this film, but it really hit home with me. Would definitely recommend it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/26/23

Full Review

Aaron S

This is a very intriguing romantic drama that focuses more on the emotional health of its interesting characters more than their love stories. Joaquin Phoenix's Leonard feels like a little kid sometimes. Completely unable to understand his emotions and desires and seems to blow with the wind despite where it may lead him. His love interests are a little less complex but are still well conceived characters with their own motivations and are just plot pieces for Leonard's story. Overall, Two Lovers is good and worth a watch, but not a must-see by any means.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/20/23

Full Review

GM M

It's very good but I wished he'd kept walking.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/07/23

Full Review

isla s

This is quite nice, subtle romantic drama. Joaquin gives a good, low key performance and the characters are interesting - they all have their own issues, good and bad points. There's some shaky camerawork and its a bit slow to build, plot pace wise I suppose but I enjoyed watching it and I thought it was a good film. I recommend this film, yes.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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James Gray

Director

Joaquin Phoenix

Leonard Kraditor

Gwyneth Paltrow

Michelle Rausch

Vinessa Shaw

Sandra Cohen

Isabella Rossellini

Ruth Kraditor

Elias Koteas

Ronald Blatt

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Simran Hans

New Statesman

What's striking about this particular entry in the Phoenix-as-isolated-eccentric canon is its flavour of defeated animal loneliness.

Feb 3, 2021

Full Review

Richard Brody

New Yorker

Joaquin Phoenix stars-and delivers his most self-scourging performance-in James Gray's taut and melancholy Brighton Beach romance.

Apr 14, 2020

Full Review

Hank Sartin

Time Out

Rated: 4/5

Nov 18, 2011

Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

No film has captured how we idealize others in relationships better than Two Lovers.

Rated: 9.5/10

Mar 20, 2024

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Gray gives us nothing to cling to emotionally, and so he leaves the audience floating in the indifference of open space, hoping for something worthwhile to happen that might make us care.

Rated: 2/4

Dec 15, 2023

Full Review

Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

Episode 49: Hustlers / Ad Astra / Two Lovers / ALTIPLANO

Rated: 78/100

Oct 18, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Following a broken engagement, sometime photographer Leonard Kraditor (Joaquin Phoenix) moves in with his parents in Brighton Beach. He soon becomes involved with Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), an honest and sensible young woman. They appear to be a perfect match, then Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow) enters the picture. Beautiful but manipulative, she wraps him around her finger, even though she has a rich, married boyfriend.

Director: James Gray
Executive Producer: Agnes Mentre, Todd Wagner, Mark Cuban, Marc Butan
Screenwriter: James Gray, Ric Menello
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Tempesta Films, 2929 Productions
Rating: R (Language|Brief Drug Use|Some Sexuality)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 13, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 15, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.1M

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