Aka Five Reasons Why “Two Lovers” Is An Interesting Film (the other title is better for Google, sorry)
Cinematical has the first look at the poster for James Gray’s “Two Lovers” starring Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw, a film that is interesting for multiple reasons.
1) If Joaquin Phoenix keeps his word (which he won’t, a paycheck will need to be cut at some point) and has really quit movies to record lame rock records, then “Two Lovers” is his last film. We’ll see…
2) “Two Lovers” is the notorious film that a once-unnamed film critic had a tantrum over at Cannes ’08 because the film’s screening was slightly delayed. “I’m not going to wait an hour for fucking James Gray!” the haughty “major U.S. film critic” snapped before storming away from the screening. Defamer put the blame on New York Times scribe Manohla Dargis. Turns out it wasn’t her. It was EW’s Lisa Schwarzbaum who could barely contain her arrogance in her non-mea-culpa when she revealed she was the peacocking critic in question.
3) “Two Lovers” is essentially a remake of the great Luchino Visconti film, “Le Notti Bianche” (starring the great Marcello Mastroianni) which in itself an adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s short story “White Nights.” “Le Notti Bianche” is full of European, woe-is-me emo-ness (back then they called it “existential ennui”), so perhaps it’s another chance to see Phoenix make a jackass of himself.
4) Vinessa Shaw is the comely and shapely actress who appeared in “310 To Yuma,” a film that caused movie blogger Jeffrey Wells to email the director James Mangold begging for topless photos of the actress, which caused a minor Internet controversy, but inadvertently succeeded in boosting Wells’ name within the online movie community. Take note: Shaw was never naked in the theatrical release of ‘Yuma.’ Bummer.
5) Having made three films together, “We Own The Night,” “The Yards” and ‘Lovers’, director James Gray might qualify as the only living human being who can stand being around Joaquin Phoenix for more than three months at a time. A feat we’re sure will be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records soon enough.
The international version of the trailer is here if you haven’t seen it yet. “Two Lovers” also stars Isabella Rossellini and Moni Moshonov, and is due in theaters February 13, 2009.