Love Is Strange

Director: Ira Sachs
Year Released: 2014
Rating: 2.0

A gay couple (John Lithgow and Alfred Molina) finally get married after decades of being (mostly committed) partners, but when the one is fired from his teaching position, they are forced to sell their apartment and live in separate locations. Hollow enough to make for a TV movie, the Lithgow/Molina partnership doesn't come across as being powerful enough to warrant any kind of emotional pull: most of the movie consists of them being apart and trying the patience of their respective hosts (that they're clearly imposing on). The tears produced by the one boy following the (unexpected) death of Lithgow's character isn't particularly warranted - if anything, he only came across as an annoyance and less as a mentor. Had the movie 'proved' their inseparability from the beginning, their separation might have seemed more potent - if anything, the two come across as acquaintances and not long-time lovers.