User reviews

I really like the kind of movies that make you feel like one of the characters. The photography was spectacular, I was captivated by that directional effect of the camera with focus and out of focus in the same shot, I think it gave the entire film dimensionality. Excellent work and I cannot fail to mention how excellent the music is, from the first 5 minutes I was intrigued by what would happen.

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.

This movie is good with great acting and cinematography. It's a story about love, family and struggle. Making sacrifices and fighting for family. It's real life situations that could happen to anyone. Love it.

A low-boil thriller that starts hot and ends a tad hotter. This is the story of a marriage falling apart, with one of the two parties moving on, and the other clinging to what's left. There is jealousy and pent-up rage. There is a nice balance between vengeance craved and responsible parenting. I have very few complaints about this small indie film.

... but lived in a real world, in reality, where unsupported collapse, distraction, deviation and despair far too often rule the roost. An outstanding and convincing performance by Claude Crawford, held high through incredible cinematography and sound that carries you into a fracture as visible, visceral and raw as any you'll come across.

'The Killing of Two Lovers' (2020) directed by Robert Machoian is another one of those films whose fate has been changed by the pandemic. The premiere took place at the Sundance festival in January 2020. I'm not sure if and how much it got to be seen in theaters, but certainly the business plans were seriously disrupted. Throughout the year, the film was presented at several festivals, it was quite well received, but very few people from what we call the 'general public' came, I think, to see it. I confess I'm not sure how he was received. In my opinion, the film starts from an interesting idea, and is well done, with many beautiful moments of cinema. But there is also, I believe, a weaker or at best debatable part, related to the way in which the idea of the film is developed on the screen and transformed into a cinematic narrative.

The story takes place in a small town in the middle of America. David (Clayne Crawford) and Nikki (Sepideh Moafi) are a couple in crisis. Married very young following a love story since high school or college, have four children - a teenage girl and three boys, and their marriage is probably routinely gnawed. They decide to try separation without breaking off the marriage. David moves into his sick father's house, a few hundred yards away. Nikki meets another man (Chris Coy) who starts spending the nights in their house, where the children also live. David finds it difficult to bear the situation, he would like to return to 'normative' family relations, but Nikki does not seem convinced, and for David his temperament, his (lack of) emotional intelligence, and especially his husband macho pride are not good advisers.

What I liked. The cinematography is excellent. Choosing a 'classic' screen format to film many outdoor scenes in natural light, using long frames and relating the characters to the nature and houses of rural America, director Robert Machoian and cinematographer Oscar Ignacio Jim?nez achieve an effect of psychological pressure added to what is happening on the screen. Acting is very good, both of the actors in the lead roles and also of the actors in the supporting roles and of the extras. The film has an air of authenticity, we can almost feel the cold winter air from the screen. What I liked less. The film starts from an interesting idea and questions about love and family, but the way it develops seemed to me linear and less captivating. I was more curious to understand how the crisis of the couple David - Nikki evolved before making the decision to separate temporarily, and how they came to this solution, which opened the Pandora's box with the problems presented in the film. There is an imbalance in the relationship between the two spouses as shown on the screen, and it is perhaps due to the fact that David's character is much better defined than that of Nikki, whose attitudes and decisions seem less justified. Robert Machoian is a screenwriter and director whose interests seem to be focused on the genre of films that describe personal and family relationships. I would be curious to see him evolve into other genres, he deserves to be watched.

So emotionally raw, you really feel for the characters. Also very visually beautiful.

(2020) The Killing of Two Lovers DRAMA

Edited, co-executive produced, written and directed by Robert Machoian that opens with David sneaking through a window and pulls out a gun pointing at a couple of people lying on bed, before he escapes through the same window. And then as the movie continues further, we then find out that the couple David was thinking about using his revolver on is his wife, Niki (Sepideh Moafi) who he has separated from and her current lover, Derek (Chris Coy). And upon David sitting in his pickup truck, he follows him a soon as he sees him leave. For awhile and driving halfway, David stalks Derek halfway through the highway, and then decides to drive back to his four kids again, to make sure they are going to school. Three of them made it to the school bus, while David's oldest daughter, Jess had plans to skip school until he stops her.

The small community feel was well made but I did not appreciate the sudden departure of Niki's former lover. Like, suddenly he became not a factor anymore even though he assaulted David. David would have been justified to shoot at him, as Derek was trailing David after the bloody assault. It would have made things a lot easier if the police were involved. Former boyfriends don't just accept their departure like that, like they suddenly did not not exist.

A bleak, slow burn thriller about a man with rage issues who's pushed to the brink when he finds out his wife -- who he's temporarily separated from -- is in a relationship with another man.

She's not cheating on him, exactly, because their mutual arrangement allowed for them to see other people. But he's not as into the separation as she is, and his sense of failure, as a husband and father, threatens to come to a boil. The best and cringiest scenes of the film are those between the dad and his teenage daughter, while a confrontation with his wife's boyfriend late in the movie sends the film teetering a bit into overwrought melodrama.

The ending, which looks like a happy one on paper, is actually deeply unsettling when you let it sink in.

And this movie isn't going to help change anybody's mind about rural America being a dismal, depressing place to live, where aggressive white men who don't know what to do with their anger and America's gun culture make for a volatile stew.

Grade: B+

Somewhat watchable. It's one of those movies where you suspect it might suck but it's engaging enough that you keep waiting for it to get better. Such a bad ending leaves one upset that you wasted an hour and a half of your time watching it.

KILLING OF TWO LOVERS (2021) - It begins where one might imagine it ends based on the title and the trailer. It takes time for Writer-Director Robert Machoian's KILLING OF TWO LOVERS to take shape. It's mainly shot in long static takes where the viewer is often kept at a distance, sometimes straining to see what is unfolding or even hear what is said. Further, the framing is in the boxy 1:37 aspect ratio of old. The nontraditional score is full of industrial sounding grinding noises and low rumbles - the inner rage of protagonist David (Clayne Crawford). It's a very sideways manner of telling a story.

Eventually, we meet David's wife, Niki (Sepideh Moafi) and her lover Derek (Chris Coy). The couple also have four children. Machoian's dry technique does eventually bring the viewer into the tale, but, the drama has to be seen on more an intellectual than a gut level. There are closeups, but, they are rarely employed purely for visceral impact.

KILLING OF TWO LOVERS is as cold and chilly as the wintry Utah setting. And, yet, it works on its own level -- just don't expect a neat and tidy resolution. Machoian aims to leave the viewer with the same unease as he begins with.

A raptured relationship shot in a realistic tone of common life as so many peasants know it to be.

When I reviewed modern-day Western Let Him Go I said it could, with different presentation, have been a social realist drama. And in a way that's what this is, with its Big Country setting, loner hero and what-a-man's-gotta-do themes: social realism with shades of the Western.

It's made with skill and commitment, and it really is a relief to see anything these days that is just about normal people living normal lives and is not working some political angle. But the drama needed to be developed more - it almost feels like a story with no middle - and it's just desperately, depressingly sad: sad, for me, right up to the somewhat unconvincing and inconclusive end.

A powerful story which is well executed from start to finish.

The movie beautifully shows the complexity of relationships. Whilst to the outside eye the fractures of a relationship might appear obvious, love can be a binding force that masks such fractures to those in the relationship.

The movie depicts the many forms of love which are evident in society; at one extreme there is love which borders obsessive and destructive behaviour, and at the other is love which is simply duty bound. The movie shows this with dark and brute force at times.

The setting of the story is perfectly fitting; a small remote town in a bland environment enhances the focus on the relationship at the centre of the movie. The setting is symbolic of the nature of the love that holds the main couple together. Harsh and obsessive at one end, and unfulfilling at the other.

In reality, true love lies somewhere in between.

The less you know about this film going in the more you will like it. This is a slower film with long shots, but that really helps showcase how good the acting is. I think this will be an indie classic and I can't wait to watch it again.

A film that opens as one thing and closes as something entirely different, The Killing of Two Lovers is a masterpiece film that examines strained relationships in a small town and the dynamics within. A premise that has the potential for melodrama or over-the-top bombastics, the film is a surprisingly small, quiet movie that favors character beats over grandiose plot. David, recently separated from his wife and kids and living at home with his father a mere mile or so away, opens the film with a scene that immediately draws the audience into the film, standing over his wife and her new boyfriend sleeping in his house. From there we follow David grappling with his feelings while jobbing for work around town. The uncomfortable moments spent with his wife are stretched out, giving the viewers a secondhand embarrassment and ache for David as he continually fails to connect with Nikki.

The most fully realized moments with this tortured man are when he's with his 4 kids. The scenes in which he interacts with his 3 boys and navigates his brooding older daughter are some of the highlights of the movie; despite fighting his darkest intentions, David is an incredibly loving father. Whether its sneaking over to the house to tell his boys a joke at 2am or setting off rockets with them in the park, David's joy at hanging out with his children are the only bright scenes in the film. The fact that these bright scenes are usually bracketed by darkness (stalking the boyfriend or using a mannequin for target practice with his pistol) serve to remind the audience that while he seems a dutiful father, he's also a man that needs to seek some serious therapy. Because the focus is set on David, his complexities are on full display, which unintentionally does a disservice to Nikki, as we never get a peek into her point of view.

Starring Clayne Crawford and Sepideh Moafi, the cast (much like the rest of the film) is minimal, choosing to keep a narrow focus on this struggling family in a small town. Crawford is an emotional whirlwind, oscillating between moods at a moment's notice as he interacts with his estranged family, father, and townspeople. Despair and rage are at the forefront for the majority of the film and Crawford handles both masterfully while managing to not give an overly embellished performance. A testament to both good writing and good acting, Crawford's David is incredibly likeable, sympathetic, and his struggle easy to identify with. Conversely, Sepideh Moafi, as David's wife Nikki, may seem like an antagonist to David but in reality is her own fleshed out character with different wants and needs that run perpendicular to David's. The friction between be the two characters make for the highlights of the film, with Crawford and Moafi flexing their talents to yell, needle, and undermine each other in the unhealthiest of ways. With only a handful of minutes on the screen, Chris Coy does an incredible job as Derek, the interloper between David and Nikki as Nikki's new boyfriend. Of the two scenes where David and Derek interact, the second one is the explosive confrontation that viewers have spent the movie waiting for yet still manages to surprise and eschew expectations.

Produced, written, directed, and edited by Robert Machoian, The Killing of Two Lovers is a stark, minimalistic affair, mostly set at two houses, one convenience store, and at a handful of crossroads, both literal and metaphorically. The low budget is bolstered by the strength of the script, the acting, and the directing choices made by Machoian. The decision to let shots linger or stretch past a comfortable limit is purposeful as Machoian lets Crawford do the lifting as David struggles with whether or not he wants to takes the lives of his wife and her boyfriend. Another highlight of the film is the delightfully odd sound mix that accompanies the score. Machoian uses sound to help ratchet the tension of the film, weaving in certain sounds that are both instantly recognizable and unfamiliar to keep the audience off their toes. The cocking of a pistol or the turning of an engine are sprinkled in at times to represent what's going through David's mind as he attempting to cope with the separation. At a scant 84 minutes, the pacing is slow, almost laconic at times, but never fails to keep the viewer's attention.

Overall, The Killing of Two Lovers is a wonderful film that deserves every accolade its received thus far. A story about learning how to cope with change, navigating new and unfamiliar circumstances, and fighting to keep ones family unit together, it's a wonderful character piece that shines brightest when Crawford and Moafi interact at cross purposes. A slow burn of a film, the will he/won't he looms over the story as David's internal struggle is put on display. Machoian manages to portray the complexities and nuances of a failing relationship set against the backdrop of rural town in middle America with a technical precision that is both beautiful and heartbreaking to behold. A strong script, strong performances, and a steady hand behind the the camera make this one of the best films of the year thus far. The Killing of Two Lovers is in theaters and on demand May 14th.

I'm a big fan of low-key indie films. But this one just did nothing for me. I thought the acting was okay. The dialog was so-so. And the plot? Well, there wasn't one. Guy splits from his wife. They agree to see other people. He wants to see his kids more. The end. The background noises that sort of serve as a soundtrack was super annoying. Doors slamming, Creaks. Other misc. Noises that had absolutely nothing to do with the film. Such a waste of time. I hate movies where every character is irritating. Could you include just ONE likable character? Apparently not.

An illusory title & a well-made trailer will never mask the complete disrespect and double-dealing done to an audience.

This 10+ year trend of TV Series & Films that ultimately have an unsatisfying conclusion really needs to end. STAT.

Now and then a small film deals successfully with the small things that live within the larger life, in this case David (Clayne Crawford), a husband separated from his wife, Nikki (Sepideh Moafi), and trying desperately to save the marriage. As writer/director Robert Machoian portrays them, they are a not-extraordinary couple, he a former singer with a band and she a type of para-legal out West with immovable mountains the ever-present background.

Although they have agreed to date others, he is not happy she is seeing Derek (Chris Coy), a clean-cut local seemingly nice but a serious rival. Underneath David's tortured longing is a seething urge to end the pain by shooting her, and when that fails, maybe Derek.

And so, the little story begins to look like American gothic or kitchen-sink realism, and indeed it has the potential to be both. Yet it is more because Machoian shapes his simple story into an allegory about the need of families to stay together despite the odds of being whole in today's world.

The spare story with Greek-tragic potential is treated with respect and a lingering dignity for this couple desperate to keep things together, best exemplified by teen Jess (Avery Pizzuto) and her wailing about the family staying together. Her teenage taciturn angst helps accentuate the gravity of the separation in need of mending.

The story's end brings the violence promised by the opening with an inevitability for which audiences can only shake their heads in confirmation. In other words, while nothing much happens, everything happens, each set piece measured to illuminate the struggle men and women have endured forever to try to make things right.

Only the mountains evade the effects of fate and human folly while David and Nikki have potential by virtue of their passion to overcome the losses felt deeply out where the mountains rule and man is mostly a bystander.