By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Robert Machoian
Starring: Avery Pizzuto | Barbara Whinnery | Chris Coy | Clayne Crawford | Noah Krershisnik | Sepideh Moafi
Country: united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 85
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10702148/reference
Bob says: “David and Niki are a married couple in a small rural town in Utah. They got married right after high school, and have a teenaged daughter and three younger sons. Things are not great in the marriage. They’re on a trial separation, and David has reason to believe that Niki has already reached a verdict.
:”So he sneaks into the bedroom of the home he no longer lives in, and points a gun at Niki and her new boyfriend, both asleep. There’s a noise out in the hallway that stops him from, well, see the title of the film. Or maybe he had already lost his nerve. Interestingly, as he backs away from the bed, we see a framed picture on the wall that looks like two figures. One of them is standing and watching the other float away into the air.
“That’s the first scene of the film, and you assume (OK, I assumed) that there would be some framing device utilized: that we’d jump back to when the couple first separated and work our way back to this moment at the end of the film. Nope. That’s not the way this is going to work. Everything proceeds from here chronologically.
“Most of the film is in David’s perspective. I believe he’s in every scene, and his mood often affects the audio: when his feelings are more intense, we get these odd, mechanical clanking and rumbling sounds, some of them like the sound of a gun being cocked, others like tires on a road, and when this happens, other sounds, like people’s voices, become muffled.
“There’s also a feeling of claustrophobia, despite the open landscape with mountains in the distance. This is in part due to the almost square aspect ratio (1.3, I think) and the fact that many of the shots are long takes in David’s pickup truck. There’s a notably uncomfortable scene in which he and the four kids are packed into the cab. He’s taking them to the park and trying to make small talk. The only person not playing along with the happy talk about school is Jess, the daughter, whose mood prevails over the whole scene, which feels like it goes on for a long time.
“The end of the film felt a little pat to me. I’m not certain whether it’s intended to be seen as a positive outcome to the story, but it’s not what I expected, based on the events leading up to it, and it felt to me like a lot was being swept under the rug. Then again, maybe having so much swept under the rug is the point. 3.5 cats
Michael says: “There’s an intensity and suspense to Robert Machoian’s THE KILLING OF TWO LOVERS that hits the ground running in the very first scene, where our protagonist, David, stands over his wife, asleep in bed, and another man, pointing a gun at them. From there we follow David’s struggle to cope with separation from his family (in addition to his wife, he’s got a daughter and three sons). David and Niki where married just out of high school, most likely after she got pregnant, and are now in their mid-30’s, together for what feels like a lifetime in rural Utah, the stunning vista of the Rockies in stark contrast with the cramps, squared-off aspect ratio Machoian and cinematographer Oscar Ignacio Jiménez utilize. Machoian doesn’t give away much either… only what we see and hear, and the characters really wear their hearts on their sleeves for the most part. David is clearly in love with Niki, and desperate to come home to be with his family. Niki still loves David as well, but is enjoying their time apart a bit more, exploring other possibilities, and dating another man, much to David’s frustration. The kids are all terrific too. even Jess, the teenager who is given a lot of stiff lines to deliver, but she does so admirably, whether she’s sullenly storming off, of getting her hackles up to defend her parents.
“The intensity of emotions and the suspense of that activities is heightened by the static camera Jiménez employs, allowing people to move in and our of the frame, or sometimes mounted on the passenger side of a moving car, so all we can see is the driver. This set up is used particularly well toward the end of the film during a brief, nail-biting scene were it’s difficult to tell what’s going on around a rapidly moving vehicle. The ending wraps up rather neatly on first glance, but digging deeper, it’s thoroughly believable, and depending on the viewer, could go either way — toward optimism or pessimism. Regardless, Machoian turns a somewhat pedestrian domestic drama into a highly-charged suspense film about relationships. Oh yeah… and that sound design is amazing! 4 1/2 cats”
Toni responds: “Great review, Michael and also in referencing its use of Sound Design. In 2014, we interviewed and still keep in touch with the great Peter Albrechtsen. https://spoileralertradio.libsyn.com/peter-albrechtsen
Brett says: “I usually do don’t this, but in going back to this film that was discussed in late May, those who are looking to fill required viewing and nominate and such, I have to say that THE KILLING OF TWO LOVERS should be one you make time for. It’s pretty widely praised among those of us who have seen it, so I’d hate for this 5-Cat gritty psychodrama to miss out due to limited viewership. If you don’t enjoy it, that’s fine too. But, I just don’t want it to be left out of being recognized as one of the best films of the year (which it is, in my opinion) due to being unseen or “under-seen.”