The Lovers

I thought this would escalate much better than it did. It had potential if given in a totally different way. Slow paced and disappointing. Too bad.

A middle age couple are in the throes of an affair. Both of them.

The subtleties of a middle age relationship will be wasted on the young. Having read the negative reviews here, there's no doubting the reviewer's age. They've completely missed the point. That's fine. It's not for them. I may have felt the same way, once.

For everyone else, this is subtle, poignant, witty, truthful and very funny. It takes you to places you expect, in a natural but charming way and then surprises you. It's a very delicate balance, pulled off beautifully by writer and director.

And what a superb cast. All four of the main parts are played to perfection. These are no hacks. A top notch class act. The Lovers is a wonderfully fresh film for a mature audience. About time.

The only other review so far (by Bastille above) is on the money. He does a good job of describing the acting, script, etc. I would like to add another point, however: it also cleverly examines the issues of love, marriage, lust, and sex and how they are intertwined...or not.

Very creative.

Debra Winger and her trademark scratchy voice star in The Lovers, with Tracy Letts. They are husband and wife, who are both having affairs. of course, they are both telling their own lovers that they are on the verge of divorce, but neither one seems to really want it to happen. everything moves SO slowly. the scenes between everyone are all too long and drawn out... in my life, when people are angry and arguing, they yell back and forth, and say things they don't mean. Here, the pauses are always SO long. and everyone keeps saying "i'm sorry". The story itself is fine... but this probably would have played better as a short film. its okay. written and directed by Azazel Jacobs; has won at several film festivals. on netflix.

The premise of this film surely does it no favors. It sounds very much like a standard type of narrative when it's actually not. The way the film progresses in unexpected ways and it never feels forced or contrived. The performances are a testament to how natural it feels, but the screenplay is quite strong as well. Tracy Letts and Debra Winger are both very resonant and vulnerable when they need to be and they hit the various notes of the film in a pitch perfect way throughout. Someone else might have made this a complete melodrama and overblown but the film is anything but. This is highly recommended.