John Lithgow and Alfred Molina deliver touching performances as Ben and George, respectively, an elderly Manhattan couple who tie the matrimonial knot after almost four decades of living together. The gentle, bittersweet story begins on their wedding day, with friends and family gathering ‘round to wish them well. But then George is immediately fired as music director at a Catholic school because of diocesan rules, and since 71-year-old Ben is a retired painter, the newlyweds can no longer afford the mortgage on their cozy West Village co-op. Searching for a smaller, less expensive apartment and dealing with the complications of urban bureaucracy, the couple are temporarily forced to bunk separately. Melancholy, pragmatic George moves in with two, much younger, gay NYPD cops (Cheyenne Jackson, Manny Perez), while loquacious Ben lands in the Brooklyn apartment occupied by a filmmaker nephew (Darren Burrows), his novelist wife (Marisa Tomei), and their angst-riddled teenage son (Charlie Tahan). It's a humiliating dilemma because, as George astutely says: “When you live with people, you know them better than you care to.” Director Ira Sachs explores the subject of intergenerational differences and loneliness here at a leisurely pace, and while the soundtrack (leaning heavily on Chopin etudes) is occasionally intrusive, the film works thanks to Lithgow and Molina, whose characters' affectionately tender commitment seems unbounded. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by costars John Lithgow and Alfred Molina and director Ira Sachs, an LA Film Festival Q&A with Lithgow, Molina, Sachs, and costar Cheyenne Jackson (25 min.), a “What is Love” making-of featurette (24 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a charming film.] (S. Granger)
Love Is Strange
Sony, 94 min., R, DVD: $30.99, Blu-ray: $34.99, Jan. 13 Volume 30, Issue 1
Love Is Strange
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: