While my last review, for "Dolphin Tale 2" was about my dislike for a film that I went into expecting to dislike, I walked into "Love is Strange" with the opposite expectation. It had a good cast lined up and a premise that seemed well suited to the "dramedy" genre. In the end, however, my reaction to the two films was largely the same. Despite some good performances, "Love is Strange" doesn't have much of anything to offer.
The film features John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as a gay couple, together many years, who finally get married. This results in Molina's character losing his job at a Catholic school, meaning that they can no longer afford to stay in their apartment. Until they can find a new place to stay, they're forced to live separately, Molina with some friends, and Lithgow with his nephew's family. While this is a decent setup for a film, it comes with one major drawback. It shows you two leading actors who have good chemistry together, then proceeds to separate them for most of the movie. Watching Molina grow tired of the endless parties their friends throw, or Lithgow gradually become more of a burden to his nephew's family isn't nearly as interesting as the times the two of them have scenes together. In fact, their moments together serve to highlight how lacking most of the other scenes are.
There didn't seem to be much of a point to the film. Instead of having a plot that advanced progressively, the film seemed content to wallow in depression. There was occasional humor to be found, but it often took a backseat to dramatic subplots that felt pointless. Lots of time was devoted to a storyline about Lithgow's great-nephew and a friend that may or may not be a bad influence on him. Why it was such a big part of the film, I have no idea. The filmmakers didn't seem overly concerned with trying to make a grand political statement, except for one scene where Molina reads via voiceover a letter he's written about the injustice he's suffered. It's a very out of place moment. I have no problem with a film trying to make political points, but if it's going to try, it should commit to it, not randomly throw in a single speech.
I also thought the ending ran on a good ten minutes past the point it should have ended. Clearly it was an attempt at some degree of profundity that, for me, fell flat. While Lithgow and Molina are good actors and deliver good performances, I've never found a good performance capable of making a bad film good. I get the sense that the filmmakers did make the film they wanted to make here. In my mind, it just wasn't a good one.
D
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