Love Is Strange

I liked this film. It contains the right balance of pragmatism and romance to make it work for me. I didn't find the plot too predictable and the sentiments expressed by the family were plausible. Kate Nelligan (Kathryn) and Ron Silver (Tom) are good adversaries. I particularly liked the part of Michael (Kevin Patrick Walls) as their son. Being a romantic film then it has an idealized ending - which is probably just as well!

This film is clearly not a comedy - although parts will make you smile if you've ever had a long-term relationship. A case in point is when Kathryn tells Tom that they're at their best when they don't talk. Ever tried reasoning with your partner when you have a really serious problem?

I started watching this movie for two reasons: because it starred Kate Nelligan, who is one of my favorite actresses, and because it was described as a romantic comedy. Well it may have been a rom-com for the first five minutes, but then it turns most definitely into a dark drama. It soon focuses on Nelligan's character and the fact that she has cancer. This is probably the last thing I want to be watching right now, and I am beyond irritated that this was painted as some lighthearted film. I turned it off after about half an hour, so I can't speak to how the whole film is. The part that I watched seemed forced and going into too many directions. I guess if I have to make a decision as to whether or not to recommend it, I would say look for a better movie.

Sometimes it seems like the filmmakers wanted this to be a florid, emotional "three-hanky" movie. But then they cast two leads who are about as unemotional as any in the business. The music says tearjerker, but the dialogue says subtle. Regardless, whoever wrote the plot synopsis that called this a "romantic comedy" doesn't know romantic comedies very well. Even muted as it is, this is a thoroughly serious movie. Kevin Walls (as the couple's son) and Julie Harris (as her mother) are much more interesting than Nelligan and Silver. Overall, this film is a little too middle-of-the-road to have much lasting impact.