Love Is Strange
Directed by Ira Sachs
WITH MARRIAGE equality on the march in the U.S., the topic of gay marriage has become more prevalent in gay and lesbian cinema. Offering a new take on this issue is independent filmmaker Ira Sachs, whose 2012 drama Keep the Lights On depicts the decade-long relationship between a closeted lawyer and the sexually liberated man with whom he falls in love. Now Sachs returns with the more light-hearted Love Is Strange, starring John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, and Marisa Tomei, about two men in their golden years who, after finally tying the knot, suddenly have their relationship thrown out of balance by a temporary separation.
The film, which premiered at Sundance* early this year and is set to be released in August, begins as George (Molina) and Ben (Lithgow) find themselves running late for their own wedding. They finally make it to the ceremony and the deed is done, but the couple’s marital bliss is destined to be short-lived. George, a choir director at a Catholic school, loses his job after news of his recent nuptials gets out, forcing him and Ben to give up their expensive apartment and move in with friends or family members. But while Ben moves to Brooklyn to stay with his niece (Tomei) and her family, George moves in with his neighbors.
The title of Love Is Strange, while hardly an original observation, is sufficiently open-ended to allow for a variety of interpretations. The most obvious reference is to the fact that the film is about an aging gay couple, which is certainly not your standard love connection on the big screen (or any screen). But Sachs wants to expand the concept of “strange” to include a variety of relationship dynamics that exist in today’s extended families. The film’s overall message is most clearly demonstrated by a charming and poignant scene following the wedding, which finds Ben’s niece Kate toasting the happy couple and holding up their relationship an example to be followed. Accordingly, as the plot unfolds and slowly reveals the growing distance between Kate, her workaholic husband Elliot, and their angst-ridden teenage son Joey, Ben and George’s unique bond serves to show them the value of love.
The casting of the film is truly inspired, beginning with Lithgow and Molina in the lead roles, projecting an on-screen chemistry that beautifully attests to their ability as actors (both are straight in real life). While most of the film’s comedic moments are provided by Lithgow’s character, Ben, a retired and failed painter who bizarrely relies on Joey’s Russian friend to be his latest muse, Molina brings heart and depth to the story as he struggles to accept the unjust situation that life has handed him, while carrying the burden of finding a new home for him and Ben. Tomei and the rest of the cast add much to the compelling family drama that unfolds as the various relationships get more complicated. Kate becomes increasingly overwhelmed when she’s forced to take care of both Ben and Joey without any help from Elliot, revealing the ripple effect that George and Ben’s troubled marriage has created for the whole family.
Sachs also makes good storytelling use of the New York City setting, faithfully populating the set with eccentric and multifaceted characters. Between its vibrant cinematography, chic costume design, and fanciful music, the film captures the color and feel of New York City with an authenticity that few films manage. The director brings an air of romance to the scene that complements the otherwise tense and heartbreaking sequences involving the Brooklyn family’s strife.
Where the story falters somewhat is in the actual separation of George and Ben. The scenes in which the two men are together convey a vibrant romance whose interactions are infused with a blend of humor and pathos. But these scenes are few and far between as Ben’s relatives confront their own set of personal and interpersonal problems, and the main love story is almost reduced to a subplot. The scenes involving George and Ben—be it their bleak meeting with a realtor as they desperately search for a new apartment, or their night out at a bar in which they wistfully reminisce about the many good times they’ve had together—serve to underscore the point that both men are much better together than apart.
In the end, the film succeeds in taking on the difficult task of examining love in the modern age. The question of exactly how and why love is strange is contemplated. But Sachs has also decided wisely not to delve too deeply into the matter, as love is never fully explainable. Instead, Love Is Strange simply alludes to the idea that perhaps it is not meant to be understood but merely appreciated in the tragically short time that couples, whether gay or straight, ultimately have in life.
* And most recently at the Provincetown International Film Festival in June.
Ziyad Saadi is a writer and filmmaker based in New York City.
