The Killing of Two Lovers

expertly crafted reality that adamantly resists the romanticization or simplification of it’s subject matter.

I didn't find it compelling, brooding, or tense. Nor did I care for any of the mediocre characters. A waste of time

This was one of those movies where I waited for the other shoe to drop and then when it ends, I wonder what I watched. Sometimes, that is a very annoying thing. In this case, I realized that marriage and family is the killer of two lovers, and that seems just about right, and I don't have any regrets. I figured the random sounds would mean something so I tried to pay attention to them. Perhaps they did. I couldn't make any sense of them, though. It really was very poignant and well acted by all involved. The actress who played Jess really nailed angsty teen. The actor who played David was incredible, playing unhinged and on the edge while convincing me he was also a caring and present father. The actress playing Nikki was fine, but honestly, this story was about David, so she seemed like a bit player. The actor who played Derek played him as a total jerk, so he did well, too.

I wish I could get that hour and a half back. Horrible.

Started off with intrigue but sort of sputtered off into family drama. Visually appealing and interesting characters.

HOME RENOVATION Getting right to the point, the film opens with a tense bedroom scene as a man shakingly points a gun at a sleeping couple. How all this came to be is not fully explored, there is no tidy backstory. Shit is happening, and it may not stop. Shot in a claustrophobic 4:3 aspect ratio which renders the colourless dustbowl expanses into small town landscapes of no escape, exasperated by long and tight pickup truck cab shots. A very effective aesthetic. Though presented as a young family struggling through a trial separation, we only see the events through David: his love, his confusion, his despair, his denial, his mistakes. Clayne Crawford is excellent in the role, adopting a fragile and vulnerable bravado facade as he valiantly and clumsily fights to regain his family, and some semblance of normalcy without really understanding what is going on. He is cordial, southernly mannered, respectful of his elders and overtly sweet to his kids, yet quick to temper and prone to missteps. He is easy to like, easy to hate, and easy to sympathize with. The rock on the bottom is coming into focus. In what is otherwise a gripping drama, there lurks the lack of development of everyone in David's immediate circle, especially his wife. This plot restraint may not feel satisfactory, but it does reinforce the fact that everything revolves around David, for good or bad. Besides the bleak and cramped cinematography, "The Killing of Two Lovers" ramps up the tension with an insistent, rumbling, percussive soundtrack punctuated by twig snaps and door slams. Audioscapes found mostly in the horror genre. It's as if the movie is breathing, has a life of its own, or perhaps burning. Quite disconcerting. This is all about what's going on in David's head, which is a dark, noisy, hazy ball of confusion. Whatever happens, it is evident that it will not be great. Real life can be brutal at the best of times, but it is relationships that suffer, and even though there are a bevy of multiple choice answers, none of then are easy, or any good for that matter. A film that sticks around long after the credits have rolled to black. - hipCRANK

Deeply moving movie. Must Watch!

What a waste of time. I'm a big fan of slow-moving, dialogue-heave, indie films. This one did absolutely nothing for me. Zero plot. Mediocre acting. And super annoying soundtrack that included doors creaking and slamming. You know it's going to be esoteric garbage when it gets a super high RT rating. Avoid this one like the plague!

Simple and thoughtful, this one takes a realistic approach to marriage, separation and everything in between. Well acted and well shot too.

If you are reading these reviews and are confused by the 5 star/1 star dichotomy I can explain it this way: if you are under 35, and got the impression from the title this was going to be a crime thriller... sorry, that's not what this is and you will likely find it slow and boring. The audience for this film needs a lot of years of emotional life experience to appreciate what's unfolding here. Those folks are more likely to be deeply moved by the quiet, authentic portrait of a man struggling in an internal cage fight for self control in the face of losing his his wife and family. An incredibly powerful performance by Crawford, who masterfully conveys all this man's love, confusion, longing, hope, humiliation, rage and vulnerability simmering just under the surface.