Lovesong

It's not an exciting movie. It moves very slowly but it's only about an hour and 20 minutes long. There's no big payoff. But the writing, directing and acting are superb. It feels like you're watching a documentary. I wonder if most of the dialogue was ad libbed because it feels so natural. Riley Keough (as she did in "The Girlfriend Experience") has an incredible ability to convey all of her character's feelings without saying a word. There are many scenes when the camera focuses on her eyes, body language, wrinkle of her mouth, tone of her voice, body movements and expressions which move the scene along better than any dialogue could ever do.

Jena Malone is also very good but despite her top billing, this is clearly Keough's movie. The movie will disappoint those who want action or suspense or a tidy ending. But for people who appreciate superb acting, writing and directing, the film is rewarding and Riley Keough is amazing.

Definitely didn't know to expect for this film, but what it eventually ended up being is a solidly written and very well acted tale of two friends. It's not a film driven by plot at all, and for that reason it may not engage all types of viewers, but it does tell a nice human story. More than anything, the two leads are really quite good in this. It's nice to see Riley Keough leading a film like this and I hope she continues to get offered roles, and Jena Malone can always be relied on something extra in her roles. This was no exception.

I haven't seen any of So Young Kim's other movies, but I am going to make an effort. I understand the varied responses of others here, and make no excuses; it is different for me, and this love story really is a Lovesong, one played in the background over several years, which rises from piano to sforzando, and back to quietness. Remarkably acted and directed, Riley Keough and Jena Malone are just perfect in the depiction of their barely suppressed love for one another. The film both delighted and depressed me, but it has become one that I will buy to keep. I do agree with a review of Lovesong by Justin Chang in "Variety" on 25 Jan 2016: "There's a remarkable truthfulness to the film's acknowledgment that people often make enormous decisions rooted not in fear so much as uncertainty, even laziness, as well as a comfort with their lives as they've lived them until the present juncture." What is left unsaid is the consequences of those decisions, that we are left to look out the window and consider. Well done.

I knew nothing about Lovesong going into it and was initially pleasantly surprised by what was going on. The direction and somewhat minimal dialogue was creating a real vibe that drew me in. The main character Sarah has some things going on inside her but as the film progressed I felt like she was drifting away and I knew her less, not more as things progressed. Then her friend Mindy comes for a visit and things come into focus again. You can tell these two are close but Sarah is the type of person in my mind is kind of hard to be friends with as she seems to always be holding back. Some people are just that way but it was a bit frustrating at times. The ending felt a bit abrupt but overall Lovesong is worth checking out if you're genuinely interested but not essential viewing.

This movie was just kinda under everything--underwhelming, under developed, under communicated, etc. If you're going for slow naturalism you still need a heartbeat, but this script is too lethargic to hold attention. At the end of the day it felt padded when it could have made a really poignant half hour short film...

...or rather it would if the plot and characters were laid out better. The main character is as passive as other reviews say. I can sympathize with a woman winding up in a mundane, boring life where motherhood doesn't feel like her end-all-be-all and her husband has essentially abandoned her. It's a very real-world situation. But she does nothing to improve it. Maybe, MAYBE, her attempt to improve it is by going to her love interest's wedding in hopes of running away with the bride...but I have no idea as very little character motivation is ever established. We don't even know why it ends the way it ends, and instead of feeling indie and human and ambiguous it feels like we just wasted a bloated ninety minutes to watch yet another disappointing end to a LGBT story.

In that way it felt extremely dated. Essentially the same story can be found in numerous LGBT books and films that were made in the 80s, 90s, and even 00s. It's 2020, dude. Do something different.