MovieChat Forums > Two Lovers (2009) Discussion > nobody upset about the ending? - SPOILE...

nobody upset about the ending? - SPOILERS!

posted 16 years ago by ricorosen
82 replies | jump to latest

I really enjoyed this film and its honest and tender tone, but the end felt completely false and ruined everything for me: that Leonard gave the ring to Sandra.

It's one thing to get rejected by the girl you think you're in love with, but that's no reason to flee in the other girls arms and to marry her instead - that really hurts, because its a such a bitter arrangement: Sandra want to take care for Leonard and Leonard agrees to be taken care of. That's not about love. Very disappointing, because I really believe Sandra and Leonard could have become a loving couple.

I wished Leonard would have left the ring at the beach, returned to the party and just sat with Sandra, making an effort to "see" her / get to know her / make contact with her. Just a few words, a joke maybe, but to give her and himself the chance to become something (instead of pretending to be something).

The end the filmmakers did is only a "medical" one to me: Leonard is to weak and to compromised by his bipolar disorder to see the chance he has in Sandra.

Any thoughts?

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 12 years ago

I loved the ending, in part because it dares to stick its thumb in the eye of conventional audience morality.

And another way it goes against cinematic convention, that is so realistic in my opinion, is that I do think he actually did love Sandra and wanted to be with her, once his sort of wild impetuous romance with the other woman was no longer a possibility.

I say it's realistic because guess what: I had something similar happen to me. I used an online matchmaking service which found me two women that I really hit it off with. There was one though that looked like it was the "true love" match (from my perspective), so although the second one seemed promising too I told her that I had already found someone. She was very upset as she really liked me a lot.

Then the one I thought was the match made in heaven decided that she wasn't really feeling it after all. I went back to the "second choice" and asked if it was too late for the two of us to give it a try. She said that it was not...and, fast forward five years and we are married, have two kids, and are very happy together. It happens!

[–] paynejeremy 12 years ago

AKT that's just beautiful. Congrats! The thing in this film is that there's more to love than pure romance. That's why many of the best romance films, I'm especially thinking of two from the 1940s, do ultimately seperate the central romantic couple in the name of a higher love than what basically amounts to emotion and/or lust.

As for the two films, I don't want to name them for fear of spoiling plots, so here's some hints for buffs:

(1) A chick must pick between Rick and Vic: Oh whom to flick and with whom to stick?

(2) The Rach 2. Will that do?

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 12 years ago

Thanks, Jeremy!

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[–] paudie 12 years ago

A very dark ending would have been for Leonard to kill himself, the audience knowing this would have broken the hearts of Sandra, her family and his family and probably even Michelle. Since he sufferred from mental illness that conclusion wouldn't have far fetched at all.

The ending where he gets engaged to Sandra is "happier" though also bittersweet as we know that he loves Michelle more.
I started wondering how the marraige would be? Could he be a really good husband to Sandra or would his greater love for Michelle threaten the marraige at some time in the future.

You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks, to collect a bill

[–] NewKonoiche 12 years ago

I just hope Sandra never finds out about the fact that she was basically a sort of "consolation prize." I know that sounds silly, since she isn't a real person, but I still feel bad for her.

Leonard's mom at least kind of knew about Michelle it seemed and about how Leonard planned to leave with her. What would happen if she let that slip to Sandra at some point?

[–] morningdewpr 11 years ago

The end was tragically romantic. I think Leonard had feelings for Sandra but he was infatuated with Michelle, who never reciprocated him nor was into him. Although he realized this, he took his chance with Michelle when the opportunity presented itself. He wanted a companion... Sandra was worthy enough.