There's nothing quite like a classic love letter to get the heart swelling.
In "The Last Letter from Your Lover," an ambitious journalist's discovery of the letters between
two secret lovers in the '60s leads to a journey into the past to uncover the truth of a forbidden
romance.
In addition to the sublime look of the movie, it also boasts riveting character dynamics
thanks to the stellar work of the cast.
And one of the film's most complex relationships exists between Jennifer, portrayed by Shailene
Woodley, and her husband, Laurence Stirling, played by Joe Alwyn.
"Everything is going to be fine, darling."
No marriage is simple, but when we first meet the Stirlings, it's clear that they have an
unusual number of complications looming between them.
Not only is Laurence an important industrialist whose thriving career often keeps him away
from home, but thanks to a mysterious accident, Jennifer has very few memories of who she
is -- and, more importantly, who her husband is.
Even as she tries to put on a brave face and go along with the flow of this privileged
but unfamiliar life, Woodley presents Jennifer as a woman who's quietly struggling to play
the part.
Her early expressions in the film make it clear that she has more questions than answers
when it comes to her status and marriage.
"You have the perfect life.
The cleverest best friend, the rich, handsome husband who adores you."
"Do you know why we don't have children?"
"He's away an awful lot, your husband.
It's one of the reasons I've always been horribly envious of you."
Meanwhile, Alwyn depicts Laurence as someone who's self-assured and confident when it comes
to most people but who's always leaving something unsaid in his curt exchanges with Jennifer.
"Larry, Mobuto's a dictator.
I doubt very much…"
"Yes, darling. I'm aware.
Thank you."
"Enough, enough.
This is all far too depressing for the dinner table."
One scene that particularly reveals the simmering discontent and distance between Jennifer and
Laurence takes place early in the film, when they entertain some friends with a lavish
dinner.
Jennifer is still trying to figure out who she was before her memory loss, and her quietness
during the dinner scene suggests that she's not quite convinced her life is as perfect
as everyone keeps telling her.
But her expression changes once she's silently whisked away into a flash of a returning memory
-- one that seems freer and far less stuffy than her current state.
When her mind returns to the table, Woodley's face shows that her character is quietly crestfallen
by this fleeting glimpse of something that's missing.
Things get even more tense when Laurence interrupts the conversation to insist that Jennifer not
have a second drink.
"Darling, I think that's enough.
"But it's just my…
"Doctor's orders.
Just water."
After Laurence pulls his power move, Jennifer's whole demeanor changes.
With just her strained smile and pointed looks, Woodley manages to reveal the exact moment
her character realizes she isn't happy, even if she doesn't yet know why.
We've certainly seen Woodley pull off some powerful scenes before, particularly when
it comes to her celebrated work in dramas like "The Descendants" and "The Fault in Our
Stars."
Here, though, her turn is especially impressive as she manages to say so much about her character's
confusion and contempt with very few words.
Plus, Alwyn's line delivery is extremely impressive throughout the scene.
The actor doesn't need a raised voice or an overt expression of anger to convey that his
character has a thinly veiled sense of resentment for Jennifer or that he's trying to control
her.
Instead, his tone is gentle and refined, even if his own piercing eyes tell a different
story than his handsome smile.
Alwyn presents Laurence as a man who's prideful about keeping up appearances and keeping his
wife under his carefully manicured thumb.
This scene is just one of many moments in "The Last Letter from Your Lover" where Woodley
and Alwyn shine, but it's a critical one to establish what's really happening between
the Stirlings.
Even though it's a relatively cheery scene on the surface, both actors do an excellent
job of encouraging audiences to read between the lines to discover something foundational
about their characters.
"Now I have to know how it ends."
Thanks for watching.
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