Parents' Guide to

Two Lovers

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Joaquin Phoenix indie is a boring, self-indulgent melodrama.

Movie R 2009 110 minutes
Two Lovers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 13+

I approve

A very good movie about a man in love with two women. Well done.

This title has:

Great messages
age 17+

I shook my head throughout

Boring, boring boring. When will movie makers get the idea that the relationships in a movie need to make sense like real life. Otherwise there is no magic. There is no basis for either of the characters (Paltrow - Phoenix) to be attracted to one another. Just like that stupid movie "Knocked Up". Nothing works in this film and there was nothing revealed or discovered nor did I learn anything other than people do stupid things when they are hard up. Also, remind me never to move to Brooklyn. This movie gives it a bad name.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Although several critics have praised the film's cinematography and Phoenix's vulnerability, there's little redeeming the drama from its infuriating, often ridiculous flaws. Whether it's the fact the actors are all clearly a decade older than their characters (and with the exception of lesser-known Shaw, unable to pull off early-20-somethings) or that neither of Leonard's relationships is at all compelling, this self-indulgent character study is just plain boring -- not to mention frustrating to watch.

Phoenix plays mopey well but Paltrow is unconvincingly flaky and poor Shaw's character is just uninteresting. The film features a stand-out supporting cast (Isabella Rossellini, Moni Moshonov, Elias Koteas and Bob Ari), but the central love triangle is such a bust it crushes every other aspect of the film under its dead weight. By the time Paltrow calls her laughable two-minute quickie (two weeks post-D&C!) with Phoenix "beautiful" and bares her breast to him across a courtyard, you'll wish you'd stayed home and prepared your taxes rather than finish this boring treatise on unrequited love and urban loserdom.

Movie Details

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