Love is Strange (2014) - Ira Sachs

After nearly four decades together, Ben and George have finally been able to officially get married, having a small but intimate ceremony in lower Manhattan.  The two men couldn't be happier, but when George loses his job at a catholic school, due in large part to his homosexuality, the couple is forced to sell their apartment.  Living in New York City, the couple struggles to find an apartment that fits into their price range, forcing them to temporarily live apart, Ben with his nephew and his family, George with two friends who live downstairs from their old apartment.  Struggling with their temporary separation, Ben and George also are faced with tension in their new living arrangements.  Ira Sachs' Love is Strange is a tender, touching film about the power of love that thankfully never gets caught up in delivering some form of political message.  What I appreciate most about Love is Strange is that Ira Sachs never makes this a film about homosexuality, but rather about love itself.  In using this approach, Sachs is able to create a powerful film about two loving men that perfectly expresses how homosexual relationships are no different than heterosexual relationships, without beating the viewer over the head with a message.  While the premise itself requires a little suspension of belief - I find it hard to believe these men couldn't find a place to stay together temporarily- Love is Strange is a tender character study with two impressive performances by John Lithgow and Alfred Molina.  Ira Sachs' Love is Strange isn't as artistically satisfying as his last film, Keep the Lights On, but it's a powerful examination of

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