The Killing of Two Lovers

Its message is timeless. Its performances? Flawless. And if The Killing of Two Lovers can be described as anything more than a must-see film, it can best be defined as a cautionary tale dedicated to the fragility of the family structure in the United States, a showcase of a radically talented filmmaker and a dedication to the painful reality of love.

Fast-moving and slow-burning by turns, The Killing of Two Lovers suggests that real life — and real drama — so often unfold in the in-between moments, in the anticipation rather than the actual execution of the next move.

With [Crawford's] proud, wounded performance at the center, the film's raw vérité style and unforced naturalism do more than set a mood; in its best moments, it breaks your heart.

Machoian has crafted an intense, moving and bleak portrait of a disintegrating marriage and fractured masculinity.

It pulls viewers to the edge of their seats and never relents, and never stops prodding at the emotions of everyone watching.

Admittedly, this 85-minute film is not the kind of movie you wish that had been a lot longer. And yet, it's still worth exploring for a number of reasons—primarily the strength of Crawford’s performance—and those who do not have a problem with raw and unflinching dramas may indeed find it well worth watching.

The Killing of Two Lovers is remarkable to behold, but all the technique in the world can’t distract from the holes littering the production beyond cinematographer Oscar Ignacio Jiminez’s lens.

When a couple goes through a trial separation with an open approach to dating others, difficulties arise when the spouses see the arrangement differently from one another, leading to tense exchanges, heartbreak and eventually the threat of genuine danger. But, in director Robert Machoian's latest, things are not always what they seem to be as this chilling and suspenseful tale plays out. The film's brilliantly orchestrated and executed minimalist treatment, coupled with its expertly crafted atmospheric mood, ethereal soundtrack, stark cinematography and fine performances, combine to make for a taut, gripping story that keeps viewers spellbound, especially when it spins off in unexpected directions. Admittedly, the picture could have benefitted from a little more back story, though that's more than made up for by the production's superb character development and many other attributes, a film that shows more than tells in conveying its narrative. This Independent Spirit Award nominee for the competition's John Cassavettes Award was certainly well deserved, showing cinephiles and the movie industry at large that it is indeed possible to produce great work with meager means.

A small little film filmed in my native Utah, an estranged husband and wife go through a trial separation, pushing the sanity and patience of the husband to the edge as he tries to grapple with his wife's newfound relationship. First off, the always fascinating 4:3 aspect ratio reallyakes this film stand out, as do the performances, particularly Clayne Crawford's unhinged performance. Storyline, the film definitely hooked me, but execution-wose, I felt rather underwhelmed throughout most of the film, and the ending in particular felt loose, open-ended, and like nothing was really resolved. Overall, very well-shot and a tense mood throughout. However, the film simply just underwhelmed a little in the end.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]