(Alfred Molina &John Lithgow)
(artSMart reviewer Pranesh Maharaj is
covering the Durban International Film Festival.
I just wanted more
out of this story and this film didn’t give me that. (Review by Pranesh
Maharaj)
Featured on the
current Durban International Film Festival is Love is Strange, directed by Ira Sachs who wrote the screenplay with
Maurichio Zacharias. The cinematographer is Christos Voudouris. The cast
features John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Jackson Cheyenne, Manny
Perez and Darren Burrows
Very strong subject
matters were not dealt with effectively in this production. All it told me is
that life goes on. You know how many stories have told me that already?
Whenever something happens in a movie, you want it resolved - for yourself,
that is. Like if a knife was used on somebody, the resultant effect or expected
outcome will be a person lying in hospital seriously injured or the audience
will be attending a funeral. I am wondering if the writer tried to steer our
minds away from that ‘want’.
Forgive me for
still expecting my desired results at the risk of being rendered useless to
review. Gay marriages and rights are a topical issue and at one point I thought
it was about that. Then I thought that it was about this teenager, but it
wasn’t. Then I thought that it had something to do with love and fidelity but
that notion was dispelled as well.
In my opinion, the
writer did not desire an outcome from the script. Maybe she looked for it
elsewhere in the movie; but certainly not the script. Excellent acting by all
the leads. Brilliant photography. Revered actors make up the cast. I just
wanted more out of this story and this film didn’t give me that. The issue of gay
marriages was left untouched until Alfred Molin’s character reads out aloud a
letter to his students over the background score played by his young student,
pictured on the pupils of his former school. Did you say…’what?’
I heard someone
saying as we exited the cinema “A nice slice of life”; but if you are giving me
that, I want it to be edible. In storytelling, one is required to sacrifice the
obvious and state the thread. There were too many places where this was
reversed. I could have done with shorter shots and lesser build-up by the lens
and a lot more storytelling. But then; there is no story here.
So, the men get
married. He loses his job because of it. They have to sell up and are split into
two different households until they are able to settle down. A few more things
happen after that. I wanted to feel sorry for one of the leads; really sorry,
but the film didn’t allow me that. Perhaps too much emphasis was placed on the
rest of the ensemble for us to concentrate on the main characters and their
journey. I can only deduce that Ira Sachs was trigger happy with the camera in
this project. All that said; go watch it if you like to go “Awe” every now and
then. – Pranesh Maharaj
Programme booklets with the full screening schedule and synopses of all
the films on the Festival are available free at cinemas, and other public
information outlets. Full festival details can also be found on www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or by calling
031 260 2506 or 031 260 1816.
The 35th Durban
International Film Festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts at the
University of KZN (a special project of the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the
College of Humanities, Cheryl Potgieter) with support from the National Film
and Video Foundation, KZN Department of Economic Development & Tourism, KZN
Film Commission, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial
Development Corporation, KZN Department of Arts and Culture and range of other
valued partners.
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