There probably isn’t a single person in the world that hasn’t looked back on his or her life and found at least one instance worthy of asking “what was I thinking”. The light instances are humorous; the more serious one might be a source of embarassment and self-doubt. Two Lovers is two hours of that embarassment, taken to extreme levels.

The film deals with Leonard, a young man who’s recovering from a broken-off engagement and has had some depression issues. Over the course of a few months, two women enter his life: The first woman is Sandra, the daughter of a man his father is doing business with, an understanding and sweet woman that is interested in him and that seems like a good match. The second woman is Michelle, an extroverted and charming neighbor that sparks something deep within Leonard, though she is having an affair with a married man and has her own demons. Nothing about this is terribly original. Heartbreak often leads to new relationships, and there is always a struggle between what is comfortable and what is exciting.

The film is engaging because it treats its characters and their situations honestly. It is clear, for example, that Leonard is unstable. He is withdrawn and sullen most of the film, though we see glimpses of two opposites: Sometimes he is the charming young man that was once engaged, and those are the hints of personality that attract these women. Sometimes he is the unhinged, heartbroken, depressed soul who is not over what happened in his life months ago. His relationships with these women, for better or worse, are more about himself than about them and their chemistry, about what he wants to do with his life, the way he feels about the future, and how he sees himself.

It is also clear that the choice between these two women is not a legitimate dilemma. Shouldn’t be, at least. Michelle is a self-destructive person, completely unfit to be what Leonard needs. Leonard’s intense emotions for her are irrational, in many ways. He is attracted to her, but that attraction is magnified by the fact that it’s the first time he’s felt this way since his breakup and his suicide attempts. His plea for her to love him because he understands her (“I am fucked up too”) is hardly the stuff of romance; if anything, we want to institutionalize him right then and there. Watching Leonard seriously contemplate Michelle is simultaneously annoying, embarassing, and sad. Is Sandra, then, the right choice? She’s portrayed positively. She is charming, understanding, and accepts Leonard the way he is. At first I thought the film was unfair to her. If she gets Leonard, after all, she is getting him because of her role as the “safe” option, as the harmless girl that he can fall back on. Is that so bad, though? Is picking someone he is not obsessing over, but who is, in the long run, probably a good influence, not the right decision for Leonard? In this aspect, the character of Sandra gets what seems like the short end of the stick. But much like Leonard, she has her own reasons to be in a relationship, her own reasons to want this less-than-perfect man. This is the defining characteristic of the trio’s feelings: they all have more to do with themselves than with the person who they’ve chosen to satisfy their needs.

I don’t think this is an easy film to enjoy or appreciate. I often found myself disliking the lead character, since situations like the one he is in are easier to see clearly from the outside than while being a key player. In many ways, the characters do not end up receiving what can be considered “fair” for them. We are left wondering if that is for the best.