Lover's Game

Ideas are only as good as their execution. In fact, it is actually more disappointing when a good idea is squandered by poor execution. While not necessarily an original idea, "Lover's Game" starts off promisingly; but things quickly go awry, with the film failing to follow the more interesting plotlines through and not lacking a clear vision behind the camera to successfully find the tone and guide the narrative.

Annabella and Vincent are seemingly perfect couple. He is the A.D.A. in New York City, and she runs her own art gallery. The only thing missing to make the picture complete is a child, which they find out might not be possible for them, biologically. The stress from this news drives a wedge between them just as Annabella meets Gillian, a painter who instantly captivates her attention. What starts off innocently enough quickly becomes an affair that could take away everything that Annabella has been working to build.

The relationship between the women is a whirlwind romance. While Annabella is driven to Gillian by the stresses of her marriage, Gillian quickly falls in love. It's hard to tell whether the two of them have actually formed a true connection, or if it's a matter of circumstances that has brought the two of them together. Annabella spends almost as much time pushing Gillian away as she does running to her. Things take a turn during the second half of the film, when it seems as if the slightly unhinged Gillian might be getting ready to go the "Fatal Attraction" route to ensure that Annabella is hers forever and always.

It's difficult to attempt to figure out the characters' motives because there isn't much attention paid to developing them beyond the surface level. If you were more invested, you might find yourself yelling at the screen because of things that the characters do, seemingly just to move the plot along. An example is when Vincent randomly takes a gun to visit Gillian after he finds out about the affair. Barring temporary insanity, which hadn't been adequately set up, why would the city's A.D.A. think this was even remotely a good idea?

Director Danielle Earle is the sole creative force behind the film, having written, produced, and directed "Lover's Game." Earle has trouble landing the conclusion of the film. She has framed the film around Annabella's important gallery show. However, as the minutes tick down to the final moments of the film, it almost seems like the gallery show will never appear in the film. When the big event does finally arrive, it feels more like any other scene that the culmination of everything that has happened previously. Along with foregoing a flashy climax, Earle also lets much of the fallout happen off screen, with an epilogue that includes a time jump into the future that ties everything up a little too neatly in a bow.

As for the directorial style of the film, "Lover's Game" is shot in mostly close-up shots that give the film an intimate feeling. The trade-off, however, is that it's sometimes hard to tell everything else that is happening around the characters in a scene. Had this technique been saved for only scenes between Annabella and Gillian, it might have been more effective, offering a disorientating and claustrophobic view of their whirlwind affair. The audience would be able to feel how all-consuming the desire was between the two women.

In the lead role of Annabella, actress Crawford M. Collins is able to keep the film floating along; though even she seems confused at times. Still, Collins is able to convene more with a simple facial expression than most actresses could with an entire monologue. It would be nice to see her in something that gives her a little bit more to bite into than what is available here. On the opposite side, actor Blaine Pennington, who plays her husband, struggles to rise to his co-star's level. Weirdly, as the character becomes more emotionally wounded, Pennington becomes more flamboyant in his portrayal and vocal choices.

"Lover's Game" starts out interestingly enough, but flounders quickly. Despite a standout performance, the script and direction are so half-baked that this is more of a game of patience than love for the audience.