Rami Malek delivers a performance of premium-strength intensity in Ira Sachs' new film The Man I Love, but critics at the Cannes film festival have found it hard to love. The actor's distinctive style, reminiscent of John Malkovich or Jeff Goldblum, is described as overripe and mannered, even when delivered quietly. The film, set in 1980s New York, explores gay culture during the height of the Aids crisis and Reagan-era homophobia.
Malek plays Jimmy George, a charismatic actor and performance artist recovering from a life-threatening HIV-related hospital stay. He lives with his partner Dennis (Tom Sturridge), who is stressed by caring for him and suspicious of their new neighbour Vincent (Luther Ford). Jimmy's sister Brenda (Rebecca Hall) visits with her family, witnessing his complicated health and mental state.
The film follows Jimmy as he prepares for a new stage piece based on André Brassard's 1974 film Once Upon a Time in the East, playing the defiant Hélène. The performance, with Jimmy in a blonde wig, is portrayed as an exhausting swansong that may consume his remaining health. Malek's singing scenes are particularly criticised for their stridency.
Despite some nice moments, such as a party scene where Brenda sings 'How Are Things in Glocca Morra?', and a spirited declamation of Henry V's St Crispin's Day speech, the film fails to come together. Sachs creates nostalgic 80s moments with songs like Talking Heads' 'Crosseyed and Painless', but the lead performance sits uncomfortably in an otherwise well-intentioned drama.
