Love Is Strange is one of those intimate, independent films, that I so wished to like, yet didn't. It is a drama directed by Ira Sachs and written by Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias, staring Alfred Molina and John Lithgow in the leading roles; with Marisa Tomei, Charlie Tahan and Cheyenne Jackson, amongst several others, in supporting parts.
The story follows a same-sex couple named Ben and George who, after 39 years together, finally get married. The ramifications of achieving their dream, turn out to be devastating, testing both their relationship with each other, as well as with their families and friends. What's not to love here? Still, despite fantastic performances by Molina and Lithgow – really outstanding, there were many faulty tiny details, that added up to an issue of credibility. Examples, and there are plenty, include, why did Ben and George had to leave an already paid for apartment? How come a single child has a bunk bed in NYC – a not so common setup at all? George being fired from his work, though explained, I found also to be unconvincing, etc. And when believability is not there, even in the minor details, it takes away from the story as a whole.
At its heart, Love Is Strange has a universal theme of commitment, loneliness and relationship. It is, at the same time, also very much a New York City based story, with plenty of small details that will go unnoticed, and maybe that is for the better, by the general audience. It is highly praised by critics everywhere, so maybe it is just me who had issues with it, or perhaps, others chose to ignore what I found to be so distracting to the central message of this tale.