A twilight years love story may not seem to obviously appeal to our quirky taste, but the rather offputtingly titled Lovely, Still, the debut feature from writer-director Nicholas Fackler, has built itself a bit of a rep, was nominated for Best First Screenplay at this year's Independent Spirit Awards, and stars two rather lovely actors in the shape of Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn. Here is the official press release:
Academy Award winners Martin Landau (Ed Wood) and Ellen Burstyn (The Fountain; Requiem for a Dream), the latter currently wowing London audiences starring alongside Keira Knightley in the West End stage production of Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour, star in writer-director Nicholas Fackler's debut feature, Lovely, Still, a "miracle of a movie...full of love and life" (John Foote, InContention.com) "that both touches your heart and tickles your funny bone, while also reminding us of what is most important in life" (TonightAtTheMovies.com).
With Christmas fast approaching, the reclusive bachelor lifestyle of elderly grocery store clerk Robert Malone (Landau) is, this year in particular, making him feel ever more lonely and loveless. Having arrived home from work one day, Robert turns to find a beautiful stranger (Burstyn) standing behind him in his living room. She introduces herself as Mary and explains she lives across the street and had become concerned for her neighbour when she saw Robert's front door ajar. Robert is understandably shocked and a little angry, but the awkwardness of the situation soon evaporates when Mary, just as she is about to leave, pertly invites him out to dinner.
Following their date, Robert and Mary's somewhat unusual initial encounter quickly blossoms into a romantic late-life love affair that begins with a highly emotional, heartfelt intensity before things begin to take a very unexpected turn.
Skillfully and sensitively directed by Fackler, Lovely, Still co-stars Elizabeth Banks (Scrubs; The Uninvited), Adam Scott (Piranha; Step Brothers; Knocked Up) and Sean Tillmann (better known as musical alter ego Har Mar Superstar), and features original music by singer-songwriter Conor Oberst and a moving score by his fellow Bright Eyes band members Nate Walcott and Mike Mogis.
