Keep The Lights On (2012) or, In Love With a Drug Addict

♥♥♥♥♥

+ Best LGBT Movie of the Year

This warm poster perfectly encapsulates the intimate space which is recreated in Ira Sachs' Keep the Lights On

A gay, Danish documentary film-maker in New York finds love, but unfortunately this love comes with a drug addiction, which becomes a serious test for their subsequent relationship.

Aesthetically beautiful from the memorable paintings during the title credits across most of the well-shot scenes, by cinematographer Thimios Bakatakis (Dogtooth (2009)), often with decreased contrast which softens the edges and increases the intimate feel already inherent in the story.
This is a deeply fantastic film, very relatable and with exceptional acting by both leads: Thure Lindhardt (Into the Wild (2007)) and Zachary Booth (The Beaver (2011)).
Based on personal experiences with a drug addict boyfriend, this deep-felt excursion ends up being a moving experience and one of the year's finest films as well as one of the best gay love movies in a long time. It is directed by Memphis-born Ira Sachs (Married Life (2007)).
Keep the Lights On uses several songs from Arthur Russell and makes his This Is How We Walk On the Moon its unofficial theme, which it maybe overuses just a bit.

Related posts:

Ira Sachs: Top 10: Best drug-themed movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Love Is Strange (2014) - Great performances in roaming, should-have-been-better movie
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  

Watch the trailer here

Cost: Unknown:
Box office: 0.2 mil. $ (US only)
= Uncertainty
[Keep the Lights On won the Teddy Award for Best Feature at the Berlin Film Festival in 2012 and was met with critical praise almost everywhere. However, its cost and its box office results outside the US are unreported.]

What do you think of Keep the Lights On?
Any gay love movie/s that you want to recommend?