For Lovers Only

The rawness played by Stana and Mark is astounding. Each glance, kiss and vocal tone is filled with emotion. You actually go on the journey with the characters and you become them. You become embroiled in this French love tryst before you realise and you become swept along in the beauty of the production. Knowing that the movie was shot so simply enhances your experience as a viewer. It feels so intimate and honest. It feels so right being shot in black and white too. The photography is just stunning, each frame is almost a work of art in itself. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. It's a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. Absolutely love.

While I had seen a few of the Polish Brothers other moves, namely 'Twin Falls Idaho' and 'Northfork' I freely admit I may not have been aware of 'For Lovers Only' if I didn't follow Stana Katic on Twitter. We all know what a great job Stana has been doing in the role of Kate Beckett in Castle for the past 3 seasons so any other project that she is involved with deserves a peek, right? Are you tired/bored with the usual Hollywood CGI laden, big bang, beat 'em up fare? Like me, do you need to be emotionally invested in a movie? If the answer is "yes" then 'For Lovers Only' is definitely the movie for you.

It quite simply couldn't be any further from your 'conventional movie' and trust me it doesn't suffer for it in the slightest. What Mark Polish has written is an honest and heartfelt depiction of being in love - not just the joys but also the sorrows.

'For Lovers Only' was conceived under the radar, with zero budget and zero marketing. The movie was shot with a tiny crew on the fly while travelling throughout France over a short period of time. There are no sets, no artificial lighting just amazing scenery, architecture and touching performances.

The director, Michael Polish has done a magnificent job in capturing the tone of this movie. Filmed in black and white with a digital SLR camera he has managed to create the most romantic and almost ethereal feeling – it looks timeless. I don't know how he's done it but Michael has managed to make Stana look even more stunning! When we first met former lovers Yves (Mark Polish) and Sofia (Stana Katic) they seem to be only half a person, barely functioning. When they bump into each other again in Paris after 8 years apart it is palpable. It's almost like they've been hit by a truck, no words are necessary as it's written all over their faces. We all know Stana can say more with her eyes than most actresses can with a couple of pages of dialogue. From that moment on you just know that there is more to their story and they are going to reconnect – it's inevitable.

As they leave Paris on their journey the ease with which Yves and Sofia fall back into the role of lovers or more importantly being in love is in stark contrast to the stilted and awkward phone conversations they have with their respective spouses. These two seem to be each others perfect, each others everything that it's hard to imagine why they broke up in the first place – it's never explained either.

If viewers are expecting what follows to be a 'sexcapade' throughout France then they are going to be disappointed. Yes, there is a sex scene but it's not gratuitous or explicit – this is a movie for grown ups after all. The most intimate moments in the movie are when Yves and Sofia are simply in each others personal space, totally comfortable with one another, sharing their feelings and thoughts. If the objective was to have the viewer almost feel like a voyeur then mission accomplished in spades.

I don't want to dissect the movie scene by scene, it is better for the viewer to simply go on the journey with the lovers and let their story unfold before your eyes. You'll laugh, you'll cry but most of all you'll feel.

The haunting score by Kubilay Uner fits each scene perfectly and only serves to heighten the experience.

The choices of songs by artists such as Arcade Fire, Jeff Healey, John Lennon, A Girl Named Eddy and Serge Gainsbourg to name but a few are inspired. One could be forgiven for thinking that they had been especially written for the movie as they sit so comfortably within it.

All in all 'For Lovers Only' is a treat for the heart and the soul. You will get a little something different out of it with each viewing. I first saw this movie just over a fortnight ago and it's still rattling around in my head. How many movies can we say that about?

What can I say after seeing utter perfection!

This film has an excellent cast, heartfelt storyline and a beautiful score. But to me It didn't feel as though I were watching a film; it was more like visiting an art gallery and seeing the works of art move in front of your eyes. Its visually stunning, perfect lighting and location.

I can't recommend this film more then I do. Its just so refreshing to see a film, not some Hollywood blockbuster that makes no sense, but a film, about love, life and sacrifice.

Don't miss out on this one, you'll die with regrets..

A chance encounter between photographer Yves (Mark Polish) and former lover Sofia (Stana Katic) leads to a passionate reignition of their relationship.

The sound recording has excessive background noises to the point of being distracting. I have to assume that it's a choice but it's an annoying choice. It's hard to understand the dialogue at times. I suggest turning on the subtitles. There are sections where the film uses music and it turns somewhat into a music video. That helps. This is guerilla filmmaking. It helps with the feeling of dropping in on their fling. The black and white cinematography certainly looks beautiful. It doesn't hurt to have the beautiful Stana and the Parisian streets. This is fine for an arthouse experimental film.

Mark and Michael Polish set out to make a timeless, intimate film about being in love and wound up making what appears to be on its way to an indie classic.

The story is deceptively simple - a photographer and a journalist meet by chance again in Paris, eight years after splitting up. Shot in black and white with a small hand-held SLR camera, the film both recalls the verite style of the French New Wave, while simultaneously reminding us of the technological now of mobile phones and iPods. The result is something both retrospective and timeless; a tiny, heartfelt story in which yesterday is never quite understood and tomorrow may never come, but love lives on regardless.

Michael Polish's cinematographic style has always been visually epic (Northfork), while Mark Polish's writing has always done gentle intimacy best (Twin Falls Idaho). Here, their strengths combine to create one of their best outings yet; the splendid landscapes of France backdrop for an intimacy possible only with a tiny camera and a crew of two. The brothers are aided by the luminous and perfectly retro-looking Stana Katic -- a modern cross between Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Lauren -- in an honest, beautifully understated performance which complements Mark Polish's habitually low-key style exceptionally well. Joyous and tender and heartbreaking, this is the kind of film that sticks with you long after it's done. Really a must-see, whatever you have to do to find it.