For Lovers Only

The rawness played by Stana and Mark is astounding. Each glance, kiss and vocal tone is filled with emotion. You actually go on the journey with the characters and you become them. You become embroiled in this French love tryst before you realise and you become swept along in the beauty of the production. Knowing that the movie was shot so simply enhances your experience as a viewer. It feels so intimate and honest. It feels so right being shot in black and white too. The photography is just stunning, each frame is almost a work of art in itself. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. It's a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. Absolutely love.

Ahh...love. So what happens when the "one that got away" is right there in front of you and your life, now, is far away? Do you turn and walk away or do you dive in again, head first and follow far past the distance you can swim? What a beautiful film. What a beautiful fantasy. What a sweet, sad situation that so many of us can relate to. Brava for taking us along on this lush and dreamy affair. It brought back memories of long ago and far away and left me playing the "what if" game for the rest of the weekend. The actors were perfect, the dialogue spot on, the scenery fabulous and the choice of filming in black and white leaves so much more room for our imagination to stretch the story over any period of time. Watch it alone first, and if you are brave, watch it with someone else, if you are prepared to talk about periods of your life that you haven't decided to share yet.

While I had seen a few of the Polish Brothers other moves, namely 'Twin Falls Idaho' and 'Northfork' I freely admit I may not have been aware of 'For Lovers Only' if I didn't follow Stana Katic on Twitter. We all know what a great job Stana has been doing in the role of Kate Beckett in Castle for the past 3 seasons so any other project that she is involved with deserves a peek, right? Are you tired/bored with the usual Hollywood CGI laden, big bang, beat 'em up fare? Like me, do you need to be emotionally invested in a movie? If the answer is "yes" then 'For Lovers Only' is definitely the movie for you.

It quite simply couldn't be any further from your 'conventional movie' and trust me it doesn't suffer for it in the slightest. What Mark Polish has written is an honest and heartfelt depiction of being in love - not just the joys but also the sorrows.

'For Lovers Only' was conceived under the radar, with zero budget and zero marketing. The movie was shot with a tiny crew on the fly while travelling throughout France over a short period of time. There are no sets, no artificial lighting just amazing scenery, architecture and touching performances.

The director, Michael Polish has done a magnificent job in capturing the tone of this movie. Filmed in black and white with a digital SLR camera he has managed to create the most romantic and almost ethereal feeling – it looks timeless. I don't know how he's done it but Michael has managed to make Stana look even more stunning! When we first met former lovers Yves (Mark Polish) and Sofia (Stana Katic) they seem to be only half a person, barely functioning. When they bump into each other again in Paris after 8 years apart it is palpable. It's almost like they've been hit by a truck, no words are necessary as it's written all over their faces. We all know Stana can say more with her eyes than most actresses can with a couple of pages of dialogue. From that moment on you just know that there is more to their story and they are going to reconnect – it's inevitable.

As they leave Paris on their journey the ease with which Yves and Sofia fall back into the role of lovers or more importantly being in love is in stark contrast to the stilted and awkward phone conversations they have with their respective spouses. These two seem to be each others perfect, each others everything that it's hard to imagine why they broke up in the first place – it's never explained either.

If viewers are expecting what follows to be a 'sexcapade' throughout France then they are going to be disappointed. Yes, there is a sex scene but it's not gratuitous or explicit – this is a movie for grown ups after all. The most intimate moments in the movie are when Yves and Sofia are simply in each others personal space, totally comfortable with one another, sharing their feelings and thoughts. If the objective was to have the viewer almost feel like a voyeur then mission accomplished in spades.

I don't want to dissect the movie scene by scene, it is better for the viewer to simply go on the journey with the lovers and let their story unfold before your eyes. You'll laugh, you'll cry but most of all you'll feel.

The haunting score by Kubilay Uner fits each scene perfectly and only serves to heighten the experience.

The choices of songs by artists such as Arcade Fire, Jeff Healey, John Lennon, A Girl Named Eddy and Serge Gainsbourg to name but a few are inspired. One could be forgiven for thinking that they had been especially written for the movie as they sit so comfortably within it.

All in all 'For Lovers Only' is a treat for the heart and the soul. You will get a little something different out of it with each viewing. I first saw this movie just over a fortnight ago and it's still rattling around in my head. How many movies can we say that about?

Have you ever strolled with your girlfriend down the street in the perfect mutual moment and wished somebody photographed the both of you at the right angle and turned it into a postcard? That's what this film feels like from beginning to end.

For Lovers Only is a completely intoxicating assault on the senses. They completely capture the intimacy of human touch; someone stroking your hair, nibbling your ear, the saliva strings between kisses, stroking their fingers across your back while clamping their legs around you in a deep embrace. It's every picture-perfect chocolaty moment that any hopeless romantic would love to experience.

Stana Katic looks divine; her beauty makes me want to cry. Suffice to say, she gives a good performance. Mark Polish is fine but his performance is hidden beneath his sunglasses. Together they both make a believable couple and most importantly create the mutual overwhelming rush of passion. Also noteworthy is the film's sensuous soundtrack, of which I listened through the film's closing credits.

Romantic as it is, the Polish brothers also present an insightful examination of love. Relationships are spatial and temporal, and we are confined by how close we are and how much time we have. It's always in moments of ecstasy where time zips by, you begin counting the seconds before the moment is gone. For Lovers Only incorporates this into its film language, most notably in its montage sequences.

Here we see how love amplifies everything up to eleven, how everything becomes life and death (which justifies the dreamy black and white cinematography). And how there is only one person for you in the entire world, right before you wake up and snap out of it. Through the sweet and the sour, we realize Sofia and Yves are intertwined in this moment of passion because of their past relationship and by the romantic excitement of their chance encounter. It's suddenly romantic when they're reminded how they are so used to each other. But does familiarity make a lasting relationship? That becomes the film's central question, but they leave it up for the audience to answer themselves.

In the end, unlike the typical Hollywood romance, this film chooses the emotional journey of love over the final result of whether love is obtained. For Lovers Only is a bittersweet dark chocolate of a film and I recommend every romantic couple have a 89-minute affair with it.

For more reviews, please visit my film blog at http://hkauteur.wordpress.com/

I've been waiting for this movie for almost 4 months .I really had sky high expectations & i say this proudly that it exceeded expectations . For lovers Only is simply 80 minutes of magic .When you see the movie , you just don't feel like ur watching a movie , it simply feels like a love letter written on screen .The fact that it is in B&W makes it more romantic and gives it a mystic feeling . The storyline is simple & the beauty of the movie lies in its simplicity . You just fall in love with the movie from the moment Yves lies on the road to take a photo.The Cinematography is beautiful captures the natural beauty of Paris & the emotions of the characters. Kubilay Uner's music blends perfectly with the movie .The Chemistry between the two leads Stana Katic(Sophia) & Mark Polish (Yves) is amazing .Its not a movie which can watched with eyes you have to feel it with your soul to capture the true beauty .It is for everyone who has ever been in love .It has moments of laughter too .The chocolate scene was hysterical & done with perfection.This movie a rare piece of artwork which is made with so much love & Passion.Stana Katic is simply outstanding as Sofia surreal but nice.Mark Polish as Yves is so natural & lovable & has a smile of a child so heartwarming .. Love itself is such a special effect that this movie doesn't need any special effects.. Its beautiful , sexy , joyful ,poignant & heartbreaking at the end.. Love is a never ending journey which has no finish line .True Love stories don't have endings .Even long after you watch For Lovers Only it leaves a echoing effect in your heart & mind .. Hats off to Mark & Micheal Polish for making such a passionate film .Its a masterpiece , a beautiful love story & truly a film "For Lovers Only " .