A wordless, tender scene in which the pair enjoy a bear hug after being separated for days speaks volumes We feel their enduring love and the pain over their separation. "Sometimes when you live with people, you know them better than you care to," says Ben with characteristic honesty, during one of his nightly conversations with George. Burrows), Elliot's wife/author Kate (Marisa Tomei) and their adolescent son Joey(Charlie Tahan).Įach is given makeshift accommodations and they all find themselves awkwardly in the way. George sleeps on the couch of former neighbors, a much younger - and rowdier - gay couple.īen goes to stay in Brooklyn with his workaholic nephew Elliot (Darren E. Soon, the pair split up temporarily, compelled to reside apart with neighbors and relatives for significantly more than a week or two. "It's just a transitional phase, probably just a week or two," says Ben, a gallery owner and painter, to a small group of friends and family. So, they turn to those who love them for help. Even with George's income from giving private lessons and Ben's pension, they can't afford to rent a place and also pay health insurance. Without George's steady salary, the two are forced to sell their Manhattan apartment. His sexual orientation was an open secret, but once the couple made it official by taking vows, the archdiocese steps in and fires him. George loses his job as a music teacher at a Catholic school. The ceremony is an idyllic moment in their lives, but things soon unravel. Sixtysomething George (Molina) is also harried, though gently reassuring.īut their intimate outdoor celebration goes off swimmingly.Īt the reception, they sit at the piano and sing You've Got What it Takes while the crowd joins in the fun. The film takes their long-standing romance in stride and opens on the day of their wedding.That morning, 71-year-old Ben (Lithgow) wakes up fretful. We fully believe these vital older men have been together in a loving, committed relationship for nearly four decades. Love Is Strange makes that case with a remarkable blend of tenderness, wit and intelligence (*** ½ out of four rated R opens Friday in select cities).Ī deftly written and sensitive film about a longtime New York City couple dealt professional, economic and emotional blows, it is, above all, terrifically acted by leads John Lithgow and Alfred Molina.Ĭonsummate professionals, Molina and Lithgow have terrific chemistry. Love may be weird, complicated and uncertain, but it is also wondrous.