In this film, photographer Leonard Kraditor moves with his parents in Brighton Beach. In this new life, Leonard continues to discover that his life has been turned upside down because he is fighting again. He is trying to choose between both the lovely daughter of a close family friend and the fickle neighbor next door.
Gray's direction lovingly toys with images of containment and release, effectively playing out the drama in visual terms - but we never really feel it.
I can't stop thinking about Leonard, how I want him to be free, living an authentic life ... but also to to remain under supervision so he won't mess himself up. Phoenix is brilliant here.
Tells a pretty old story but gets you hooked on its atmosphere and how it embellishes the heady sensation of shedding the coldness of solitude and depression with the warmth of walking through a new romance.
