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TWO LOVERSMovie Reviews
Romantic drama about a troubled young man living with his parents in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, who must choose between the comfort of love and the impetuousness of desire. Cast:Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw, Isabella Rossellini, Elias KoteasDirector:James GrayRelease Date:February 13, 2009DVD Release:June 30, 2009From:MagnoliaRating:RLength:1 hr. 50 min.
Two Lovers played in key cities to very good reviews. • Norman Wilner wrote in Toronto Now, "...features one of the finest performances of Joaquin Phoenix's career, guided by a director who's always been able to steer him toward his best work." • And Peter Travers wrote in Rolling Stone, "...tender and terrific... an acute vision of love as a battle with loneliness. It'll get to you." More Reviews Below...
Two Lovers Positive Reviews (43 Reviews, reviews below)
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "You have to watch it with different brain muscles... the film has no frills or hooks, no visible 'arcs,' nothing to grab on to but the fragile humanity of the people on screen."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 346 words, 02/13/09
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...seems intentionally devoid of any sort of driving arc... It's more like a somber, subtly observed series of moments which conclude with a resigned shrug."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 563 words, 02/12/09
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "Phoenix gives a heartbreaking, powerful performance as a common man who makes poor romantic choices... Paltrow is perfectly cast as his unstable object of affection."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 66 words, 02/12/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "You could, I suppose, criticize the movie for being too sincere; too generous to its imperfect, self-deluded characters... But that criticism might sound a lot like praise."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 970 words, 02/13/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a film of unusual perception, played at perfect pitch by Phoenix, Shaw, Paltrow and the other actors. It is calm and mature. It understands these characters."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 789 words, 02/26/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a dark and unsettling contemplation of love.... There is an authenticity in the down-cycle world of Brighton Beach that comes effortlessly to Gray..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 824 words, 02/13/09
Kyle Smith, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "The movie limps along meaninglessly as Phoenix does his hangdog act and a deglamorized Paltrow frets about her busted relationship with a married man."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 165 words, 02/13/09
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: EXCELLENT "Although Paltrow is radiant, it's Phoenix's movie. He is, once again, stupendous, and stupendous in a way he has never been before..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 230 words, 02/09/09
Bob Strauss, Orange County Register: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an old story, well told. And it's a successful departure for this interesting (if not always dazzling), low-key auteur, James Gray..."(See all of Bob Strauss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 488 words, 02/13/09
Ella Taylor, LA Weekly: WEAK "If Joaquin Phoenix, who plays a lovelorn bachelor in James Gray's 'Two Lovers,' were 12 years old, the movie might make a touching romantic drama for tweens."(See all of Ella Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 235 words, 02/12/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...features one of the finest performances of Joaquin Phoenix's career, guided by a director who's always been able to steer him toward his best work."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 250 words, 04/09/09
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has a focus, a softness and a candor that turn the more mundane scenes into thriftily acted snapshots of loneliness and sorrow -- and, maybe, redemption."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 653 words, 02/27/09
Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The performances are strong, but the screenplay, co-written by Gray and Richard Menello, underserves by leaving too much unexplained or unexplainable."(See all of Tom Maurstad's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 571 words, 02/27/09
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "It's not exactly a groundbreaking story... But what elevates 'Two Lovers' beyond the mundane is the strength of the performances."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 515 words, 03/06/09
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "If you want to get an idea of what makes 'Two Lovers' an exceptionally well-written and directed film, notice filmmaker James Gray's careful selection of detail."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 697 words, 02/27/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...even though you don't buy Leonard, or the affections shown to him by these women, you're compelled to watch, and compelled by the movie's melancholy soul."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 568 words, 02/27/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...written and directed by James Gray, who up to now has specialized in moody, occasionally ponderous outer-borough crime dramas like 'The Yards' and 'We Own the Night'..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 755 words, 02/27/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "There are no big dramatic conflicts, and story points are undeveloped or left dangling, but in its ragged, nonlinear way, 'Two Lovers' has more going on than most movies."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 488 words, 02/27/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the remarkable intimacy Gray finds with his cast lifts the movie up as its quiet story unfolds... When it's over, you're left a little shaken, as if it all happened next door."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 511 words, 02/27/09
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...both director and actor have found a film-friendly rhythm, a more nuanced approach and a compelling script, co-written by James Gray and Ric Menello."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 390 words, 03/05/09
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a slight story of the sort usually seen in European films... But writer-director James Gray never finds the right touch to tease us into involvement with it."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 03/06/09
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "Some moviegoers may be thrown by the ending, which is somewhat anticlimactic. But 'Two Lovers' is more about mood than plot."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 310 words, 02/27/09
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a melancholy love triangle played in a melodramatic key -- an age old tale of 'She loves him, he loves another, but that other loves a married man.' "(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 527 words, 03/06/09
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Gweneth Paltrow proves superb as an unsettled and unsettling woman who doesn't overvalue her beauty and bemoans her shaky character."(See all of Michael Sragow's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 873 words, 02/27/09
Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a decent film, with engaging actors, and it's capably directed by James Gray. But Leonard is, in the end, not interesting enough or deep enough..."(See all of Gerald Peary's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 128 words, 02/26/09
Ella Taylor, LA Weekly: WEAK "If Joaquin Phoenix, who plays a lovelorn bachelor in James Gray's 'Two Lovers,' were 12 years old, the movie might make a touching romantic drama for tweens."(See all of Ella Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 235 words, 02/12/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...features one of the finest performances of Joaquin Phoenix's career, guided by a director who's always been able to steer him toward his best work."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 250 words, 04/09/09
Justin Moyer, Washington City Paper: WEAK "...inexplicably casts über-goys Joaquin Phoenix and Isabella Rossellini in a squirm-inducing film about escaping a one-dimensional version of Brooklyn Jewry."(See all of Justin Moyer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 476 words, 02/26/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (5 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "You could, I suppose, criticize the movie for being too sincere; too generous to its imperfect, self-deluded characters... But that criticism might sound a lot like praise."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 970 words, 02/13/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...an inspired performance by a superb actor, Joaquin Phoenix, in an elegantly grave romantic drama.... Ms. Paltrow has never been more intriguing on screen..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 369 words, 02/13/09
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: GOOD "...takes its humble place in a line of movies, headed by 'Rear Window' and 'In a Lonely Place,' which bloom in awkward spaces and tight corners."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 322 words, 02/16/09
David Edelstein, NPR Fresh Air: EXCELLENT "James Gray has a bit of the self-indulgent about him, but the worlds he creates have weight and texture. You understand why his heroes have such a hard time..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Listen to the full review...) 401 seconds, 02/20/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a dark and unsettling contemplation of love.... There is an authenticity in the down-cycle world of Brighton Beach that comes effortlessly to Gray..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 824 words, 02/13/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Todd McCarthy, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "An involving, ultimately touching romantic drama... a welcome change of pace for director James Gray from his run of crime mellers."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 991 words, 05/20/08
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a dark and unsettling contemplation of love.... There is an authenticity in the down-cycle world of Brighton Beach that comes effortlessly to Gray..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 824 words, 02/13/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "You could, I suppose, criticize the movie for being too sincere; too generous to its imperfect, self-deluded characters... But that criticism might sound a lot like praise."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 970 words, 02/13/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...an inspired performance by a superb actor, Joaquin Phoenix, in an elegantly grave romantic drama.... Ms. Paltrow has never been more intriguing on screen..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 369 words, 02/13/09
18.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Two Lovers's reviews are separated by an average 18.0 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Two Lovers (43 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Two Lovers's reviews cover 79.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 20,786 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 483 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Two Lovers Coverage, Volume & Length (43 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 3 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Two Lovers's reviews on average broke 3 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Two Lovers's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Two Lovers (43 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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