Two Lovers

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If the rumours are true and Joaquin Phoenix is to give up acting to concentrate on a hip-hop career, judging by this performance he'll be sorely missed - not because he's in Oscar form here, but because he is (was) starting to show his true potential. Phoenix plays the suicidal Leonard, a budding photographer who lives with his parents (Rossellini and Moni Moshonov) in a cramped apartment. Leonard falls for his neighbour Michelle (Paltrow), an unhinged beauty in the throes of an affair with a married man (Elias Koteas); but there's another woman in his life: his father's dry cleaning business is merging with another and his future partner's daughter Sandra (Shaw) is giving him the glad eye. It's complicated, this love craic.

Gray, who cast Phoenix in The Yards and We Own The Night, wrote Leonard hoping that empathy will get the audience onside and it works: We've all lied, done something stupid, treated someone badly, allowed someone to treat us badly, etc. There's a part of Leonard in all of us, but is empathy enough to carry a film? And would there be as much attention on Phoenix's performance if he didn't announce his 'retirement'? It's hard to dissociate what is happening off screen with what is happening on screen sometimes (Phoenix's rapping and dancing in two scenes don't help). The low-key, slight plot certainly comes second best to Phoenix here, and the focus is very much on him. He's in every scene, every other shot, and it takes a degree of talent not to overact when you're aware it's your last role on the big screen.

Phoenix plays it down and shows signs that he would have gotten better and better. He's not fantastic here, he's just perfect for this particular role and he's not on his own: Paltrow, although still playing the ultimate whinge, is whinging better as Michelle than the other whingers she's played. This won't be Phoenix's last film. I promise you that.