Lovely, Still

Given that Lovely, Still spends the majority of its running time a sweet, almost fairy tale-esque love story between two seniors, there’s little doubt that certain revelations towards the end subsequently leave the viewer reeling. The film, which casts Martin Landau as a lifelong bachelor who finally finds love with the kindly widow (Ellen Burstyn’s Mary) across the street, has been infused with an almost egregiously ostentatious sense of style by filmmaker Nik Fackler, and it’s hard to deny that his less-than-subtle choices do mute a few of the film’s emotional moments. Yet it’s impossible to deny that his approach makes a lot more sense following the aforementioned third-act shift, as the viewer is essentially forced to reconsider the importance and meaning of everything that preceded it (ie a second viewing would certainly be apt). And as uneven as the whole thing generally is, Lovely, Still is anchored by Landau’s absolutely spellbinding and unexpectedly layered performance – as the actor’s stirring portrayal is ultimately the most consistently captivating element within the proceedings.

**1/2 out of ****