In 'The Lovers,' Debra Winger's intensity is too much for goofy grab bag of a movie
Debra Winger, who, in 鈥淭he Lovers,鈥� has her first starring film role in almost 20 years, is always a welcome sight, and one hopes, despite the rampant inadequacies of this film, that she will continue to grace the screen. Before she essentially dropped out of the movie business for a long stretch, she was perhaps the most gifted and galvanizing actress of her generation. Just look at her performances in such films as 鈥淎n Officer and a Gentleman,鈥� 鈥淭erms of Endearment,鈥� 鈥淎 Dangerous Woman,鈥� 鈥淢ike鈥檚 Murder,鈥� 鈥淓verybody Wins,鈥� and 鈥淪hadowlands.鈥澛�
In 鈥淭he Lovers,鈥� which is pitched uneasily between slapstick comedy and stark drama, she is playing opposite Tracy Letts as the deeply dissatisfied wife of a deeply dissatisfied husband. Director Azazel Jacobs knows what he has in Winger, but her intensity is too much for this goofy grab bag of a movie. Grade: C+ (Rated R for sexuality and language.)
