The Killing of Two Lovers

Robert Machoian's 'The Killing of Two Lovers' is an oppressively strong and raw picture that relies primarily on Clayne Crawford's performance - You can feel the underlying tightness of his repressed rage. The majority of the film is narrated from a fixed camera at a significant distance from the protagonists. In some moments, the characters take up just a quarter of the screen, leaving the rest for the sky, mountains, and cold landscapes of the Midwest of the United States. This visual design allows the film to depict the tensions and anguish of a character who has gotten himself into an emotional mess.