Watching James Gray's Cannes entry "Two Lovers," I found myself wondering why the film seemed such an odd romantic dramedy. About halfway through, it struck me: "Two Lovers" is a poetic tale with purpose, or it at least tries to be. Despite being a welcome departure from base humor and predictable "drama" found in today's romantic comedies, a genre increasingly dominated by Judd Apatow,  "Two Lovers" lacks in the level of tension needed to make a lasting impression. Just as Gray's 2007 Cannes entry "We Own The Night" played out to be bland and unsatisfying, this film feels like a rough draft of a really great film.

We meet Leonard (Joaquin Phoenix) within the first frames of the film. In a somber sequence shot in slow motion, the audience follows Leonard as he jumps off of a bridge. He is saved by a random bystander, and when he returns home soaking wet, his mother simply comments, "I think he tried again" to her husband. As it turns out, Leonard is bipolar and has moved back in with his parents following the end of a serious relationship.

Socially awkward and childish, Leonard is a strange character and a bit of a recluse. Nonetheless, the daughter of a family friend takes interest in him. Sandra (Vinessa Shaw) is the ideal wife and daughter-in-law. But soon after Leonard and Sandra are introduced, Leonard runs into Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), a new resident in his parents' building. Michelle is the opposite of Sandra: she parties hard, takes drugs, and is having an affair with a married man with whom she works. Though Leonard tries to convince Michelle that they are meant to be together  (all the while carrying on a relationship with Sandra), Michelle, keeping with the age-old cliché, remains set on the hope that her boyfriend will leave his family for her.

"Two Lovers," bathed in warm tones and scored with a melodic and wandering soundtrack, is a strange juxtaposition of adult relationships and juvenile situations. Leonard possesses a seemingly impossible combination of social awkwardness and sexual prowess; he lives at home but manages to score two girls. What is unclear is whether this is meant to be funny or sad. Michelle sees him as a brother at first, but the fact remains that he's not scaring women away. The whole set-up of sneaking out of the house to go to a party and seeing his parents ask him where he's been and with whom, or Leonard throwing rocks at Michelle’s window, gives the film a high-school feel. Though this may seem silly or ridiculous to some viewers, this quality of the film is what makes it so hard to categorize. Gray’s portrayal of Leonard and Michelle as child-adults is one of the few elements that sets “Two Lovers” apart from generic tales of romance.

Richard Menello and James Gray's script illustrates perfectly the nervous excitement of meeting someone for the first time and the pain of losing him or her. Bringing this script to life is a cast of talented actors, led by Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix is proving himself to be a chameleon of sorts. In Gray's last film, Mr. Phoenix portrayed a womanizing and jovial nightclub owner in the boroughs of New York. Here he portrays a more delicate and sentimental character (yes, creepy at times), disturbed and lost until he finds Michelle. If only she returned his feelings.

The script gives the most depth to Phoenix’s character and relegates the female roles to clichés or bland dependence upon Leonard. Instead of developing these characters, they’re written as generic roles, meaning any actress cast would have given comparable performances.

The story has a few holes here and there; it is difficult to understand why Sandra likes Leonard so much. She says she wants to take care of him, but he is consistently distant around her and both she and her father claim that she has many other suitors begging at her feet. We don't see them, but we'll take their word for it. I suppose it is this same need to take care of someone that drives Leonard towards Michelle. Though she at first seems to represent the freedom Leonard does not have, it is soon revealed that she too is a mess. It is Leonard's constant sense of hope that keeps the film moving along. While the audience knows the happy ending is impossible, Mr. Phoenix's performance as Leonard keeps us wishing until the very end.

Despite Mr. Phoenix's heart-wrenching portrayal, "Two Lovers" fails to move the audience in the way the tale of a tragic romance should. The ending is predictable and therefore unfulfilling and brings to mind the adage, “if you can’t have the one you want, love the one you’re with.” The story plods along as clichés are rolled out at scheduled points in time, resulting in a final product lacking in drive. Mr. Gray and Mr. Menello would have done themselves a great service by pushing the script to lift it out of mediocrity.

Like "We Own the Night," "Two Lovers" will probably gain wide release based on its star power but will enjoy only moderate success. “Two Lovers” is difficult to categorize and will thus create a challenge for distributors trying to appeal to niche audiences. After its theatrical run, the film will fade into obscurity in the romantic drama genre.

Directed by James Gray; produced by Donna Gigliotti and James Gray; written by Richard Menello and James Gray; cinematography by Joaquin Baca-Asay. Running time: 100 minutes. Not yet rated.

With Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw, Isabella Rossellini, and Elias Koteas.