Love Is Strange

Same sex marriage is gaining legal ground around the U.S. but institutionalized discrimination remains ensconced, as explored in director/co-screenwriter Ira Sachs' film "Love is Strange." (That's true, but a less generic title would have been appreciated.)

Painter and retiree Ben (John Lithgow) marries his partner of 39 years, British ex-pat George (Alfred Molina), which prompts George's firing from his St. Grace Catholic school job. His bosses and co-workers knew he was gay, but the wedding forces his ouster.

"Life does not delight in injustice but rejoices with the truth," practicing Catholic George quotes the apostle Paul.

The loss of his music teacher's income is followed by the loss of their co-op apartment, forcing the husbands to live separately with friends and family members.

Quiet George moves in with downstairs gay cop neighbors (Cheyenne Jackson and Manny Perez), but can sleep on their couch only after their frequent late night parties.

Ben takes the bottom bunk bed in his teenage great-nephew Joey's (Charlie Tahan) room in Brooklyn, where he cramps the boy's relationship with friend Vlad (Eric Tabach), and annoys the hell out of his niece-by-marriage, stay-at-home writer Kate (Marisa Tomei). She is also struggling to co-parent with her often absent, workaholic husband Elliot (Darren Burrows).

The Chopin piano score echoes the pair's quiet passion and melancholic destiny.

Blu-ray special features include commentary with Lithgow, Molina and Sachs, a LA Film Fest Q&A, and a "Making of" piece where Sachs notes that the film is about growing up and history, as well as his reflection on relationships from a middle-aged vantage point, deepened by keeping the camera close to his subjects (cinematography by Christos Voudouris).

He appreciates both his leads, and Lithgow's "attentive kindness"; however, stage-trained Lithgow says he was unaccustomed to Sachs technique of no rehearsal and ongoing directions to "stop acting."

"Love is Strange"
Blu-ray
$22.79
http://sonyclassics.com/loveisstrange/