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I Loved It to Death

It was bound to happen. Probability dictated it. 2009 has finally yielded something special. Boaz Yakin has written and directed a piece that restores my faith that there remain moments of uniqueness and greatness in the vast wasteland of inane tripe that litters multiplexes. "Death in Love" is a shining example of originality, and one of those films that make us afraid to look away from the screen for fear we might miss yet another great scene. Yes, I liked it.

"Death in Love" is a stark depiction of a family fractured by circumstance and personality issues that are a few steps past bizarre. Yakin examines the effects of those who have survived being in a Nazi concentration camp and how these effects have been transferred to their descendants. A young Jewish woman survives her time in the camp by seducing a Dr. Mengele-type doctor. He takes her in, giving her access to food and shelter and a chance at continuing to live. She does what she has to do and maybe more and maybe for reasons we don't fully understand.

Fast forward to the present and the woman (Jacqueline Bisset) now has two grown sons and a husband. The elder son, played by Josh Lucas, is a mess sexually. He derives his pleasures by avoiding relationships and engaging in what can only be described as bizarre sexual practices, one of which involves his equally bizarre boss. His younger brother, played by Lukas Haas, is unable to leave the home of his parents. His days are spent composing music on the piano and living a life of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Their father is a non-entity; he is barely seen on-screen. This is Yakin's way of demonstrating that mother rules all before her.

The elder son works for a shady modeling agency that fools unsuspecting women into giving them cash for services that amount to nothing. Everything changes when a sharp, young business partner (Adam Brody) is hired, setting off a series of events that will forever alter the eldest son's life. Their relationship eventually conjures up memories of the wild con games displayed in "House of Games", the gold standard for multiple con games. But it is the appearance of someone from the past that really turns "Death in Love" upside-down and reveals what Jacqueline Bisset's character is all about.

"Death in Love" is dark. Real dark. It is not for everyone. It will not make blockbuster money. There is stark sexuality that will prevent it from permeating the mainstream but Yakin has done a magnificent job of presenting believable characters that are three-dimensional. They have weaknesses. They are damaged, but they keep going, not always in the right direction.

All of the other facets of the film match the intensity that Yakin has delivered. The acting is first-rate. Technically, it is pitch-perfect. What else can I say? If you are a fan of, or can handle, an incredibly dark view of society, you will not be better rewarded than to run out and see "Death in Love".