THE TRAILER
THE DIRECTOR
Robert Machoian
THE ACTORS
Chris Coy, Bruce Graham, Clayne Crawford, Ezra Graham, Jonah Graham, Arri Graham, Barbara Whinnery, Avery Pizzuto, Sepideh Moafi, Noah Kershisnik
THE STORY
The sound of the wood and the cocking hammers in the murder of two lovers – startling and foreboding auditory facilities significantly increase the hustle and bustle of the tragic home drama. David tries to handle an unwelcome separation from his wife, Nikki, who stays with her four children in their former house and shares a bed with Derek (Chris Coy), much to David’s disgrace. When David opens his eyes by pointing his wife and their lover into bed, the film describes his protagonist’s endeavor to repair his marriage. At the same time, he faces the barely controlled murder fury that his circumstances have set off. Crawford, who personifies David with an empathic hurt, anger, and desperation that fascinates leadership, full of long and complex compositions that emphasize anguished faces and interpersonal dynamics, has brought the struggle to avoid internal turmoil causing external bloodshed.
THE RUNDOWN
The murder of two lovers starts with an undoubtedly dramatic scene in an average room where a guy is in the bedroom and points at a pistol. Given the film’s title, one can, of course, expect the worst. As writer/director Robert Machoian starts to complete the gaps with what we just saw, the feeling of discomfort begins to increase exponentially, not to lose weight.
Soon we find that David is the strong-looking guy with his weapon, Nikki, his alien wife, and his four children’s mother in bed. Both were sweethearts of secondary education who married immediately after their graduation but never had their music aspirations. It has reached the point where there is no tension between them, and they are now in the middle of a trial break. Her father is still living with her and the children, and she is still in the old town in rural Utah. While the two are trying to get the most from this unusual circumstance, the difficulties are unavoidable.
Outside, David says he is okay with this, they agree he may see others during the separation, but when he is discovered to be not as bloody as he claims, a detective is shocked. There is always an underlying feeling of anxiety about his routine — he does odd work as a handyman, looks after his father (after the incredible performance he had while he was still in high school), and brought the child up for activities. David attempts to demonstrate that he is all right, but there is no escape from the feeling that he is an uncomprehensive guy and does not have the skills to use healthily. We feel for him at a certain fundamental level as things become duller for him. But we cannot ignore him as an instance of toxic masculinity in the manuscript at the same time, and we cannot forget that weapon, still waiting in his vehicle for the inevitable day when everything ends up breaking apart.
So, yes, if the title does not already tell you, “Two Lovers’ Killing” is by no way a little movie escape. To emphasize David’s anguish, Machoian uses two diverse styles — a sound painting of dissident noise that gets louder and louder when alone and a 4:3 frame system during which his life is always confined.
Whilst I think I could have lived without the gimmicks—both found to be just a little too comfortable on my nose—I still like “The Killing of Two Lovers,” both for its minimalist narrative approach and Crawford’s performance. Crawford is doing an excellent job in encompassing the more and more vague gap between the inner character and the external resilience of David. However, in some respects, when the film finished, I thought it might have been fleshier. While the narrative’s emphasis is David, I believe it might have benefited Nikki from growing a little more â; we never really know who she is, what makes her tick, and what she wants to gain out of the separation compared to David.
This 85-minute picture, admittedly, is not the kind of film you wished was lengthy. And yet, for many reasons – mainly for the power of Crawford’s performance – it is still worth seeing, and it is worth watching for those who have no issue with crude and brutal tragedies. I love to see this type of movie. Must Watch it.