Thanks to a knight in shining armor (literally, a friend who’s a metal worker), my Friday evening was salvaged, meaning good post film conversation on a balmy spring Floridian evening.
However, I’d like to hand out an award based on the film The Lovers I saw at Burns Court Friday evening. No, no, not to any actor or director, to the audience, including myself, who did not scream out, “God this movie is quiet and boring!” I mean really…what was Tracy Letts thinking? Tracey, you write better stuff as ideas on napkins! I have to chalk it up to one of two theories: 1. He was taking a money grab to help make one of his own passion projects or 2.He was just thrilled to play a Lothario.
Azazel Jacobs, writer and director of The Lovers, did a much better job on a previous film, Terri. If you’re going to make a ‘comedy’, you have to balance the squeamish with laughter which Terri did, probably because John C. Reilly could teach a master class on uncomfortable humor. The Lovers lacked a funny bone. Stupid, vapid parents are not funny, bad editing (like do I need to see Tracey roll up his car window?) not funny, and drama queens and kings, also, not funny.
I like Debra Winger, but her eye brow twisting is also not funny or endearing. I saw an exuberant review quote by Peter Travers in the Rolling Stone. I really have to look that up and read. I fear he’s received an overdose of edible medicinals because the only think I can think of combining this film with his magazine, is a literal rolling over the master tape of this film with a rolling stone.
The Lovers makes Norman look like Tolstoy, and that’s saying something.
Back to PPLL’s I go.
