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Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other

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Tomatometer 9 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
Life, death and making meaning are the heart of a beautiful and often very witty film about an aging couple who, after an accident, face the inevitability of impermanence and seek a deep peace in their relationship while they still can. Thirty years after a chance encounter, Maggie and Joel, aged 75 and 84, are still very much in love. But their relationship is not without complications. Born in the hard-boiled Bronx, Joel Meyerowitz is a world-renowned photographer with major exhibitions and 40 books to his name. British-born Maggie Barrett is a talented but less recognized artist and writer. There is a knot of unease in their relationship, which is further strained when Maggie falls and breaks her leg and Joel must take on her caregiving. In the shadow of mortality, each with a long and dramatic life behind them, the hard truths of life together provoke in Maggie and Joel an attempt to find a shared inner peace while there is still time. With unique access to the couple's lives, directors Jacob Perlmutter and Manon Ouimet and have created a profoundly moving film about living, creating and loving.

Critics Reviews

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Leslie Felperin Guardian It’s a salutary reminder that love never stops being challenging while also finding a way to meet the moment. Rated: 4/5 Mar 20, 2025 Full Review Marina Ashioti Little White Lies The impact of the long, unedited takes making up the film’s last few moments attest to a real sense of honesty and candour, leaning into complex questions that lack straightforward solutions. Rated: 3/5 Mar 20, 2025 Full Review Wendy Ide Screen International A thoughtful, revealing and sometimes profoundly uncomfortable viewing experience — at times, it’s like eavesdropping on an unusually tetchy marriage counselling session. Mar 19, 2024 Full Review Rob Thomas Not That Rob Thomas (Substack) The word “intimate” doesn’t begin to capture it. By the end of “Two Strangers,” we feel we know this couple better than we know most of the people in our own lives. Rated: 4/4 Apr 8, 2025 Full Review Saskia Baron The Arts Desk Frustratingly, [the] brief references to skeletons in closets don't get a further airing in this documentary; the filmmakers seem happy to remain inside their hermetic relationship. Rated: 3/5 Mar 21, 2025 Full Review Nadia Dalimonte Next Best Picture The personality-driven approach of “Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other” keeps its subjects front and center. Still, the overindulgence makes them feel a little too much like strangers in this otherwise poignant journey. Rated: 6/10 Nov 26, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Movie Info

Synopsis Life, death and making meaning are the heart of a beautiful and often very witty film about an aging couple who, after an accident, face the inevitability of impermanence and seek a deep peace in their relationship while they still can. Thirty years after a chance encounter, Maggie and Joel, aged 75 and 84, are still very much in love. But their relationship is not without complications. Born in the hard-boiled Bronx, Joel Meyerowitz is a world-renowned photographer with major exhibitions and 40 books to his name. British-born Maggie Barrett is a talented but less recognized artist and writer. There is a knot of unease in their relationship, which is further strained when Maggie falls and breaks her leg and Joel must take on her caregiving. In the shadow of mortality, each with a long and dramatic life behind them, the hard truths of life together provoke in Maggie and Joel an attempt to find a shared inner peace while there is still time. With unique access to the couple's lives, directors Jacob Perlmutter and Manon Ouimet and have created a profoundly moving film about living, creating and loving.
Director
Manon Ouimet, Jacob Perlmutter
Producer
Manon Ouimet, Signe Byrge Sørensen, Jacob Perlmutter
Production Co
Manon et Jacob, Final Cut for Real
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 40m