Two Lovers
As a simple, intimate drama, this transfers particularly well to the small screen. A sad, but compelling story, set against the bleak backdrop of Brighton Beach (that's the community in Brooklyn, not the resort on the Sussex coast), written and directed by James Gray. He does a fine job, but this is really an actors' film.
Joaquin Phoenix embodies so much emotional pain and confusion in the lead role. Gwyneth Paltrow is in her element playing a character who's fragile, vulnerable and seemingly lost. And Vinessa Shaw (who I still remember as the prostitute Domino in Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut') gives a stand-out performance as the charming every-girl.
