Down By Love

Running time: N/A

Eva has just returned from a glorious few days at the beach with her lover. Upbeat and radiantly in love, she says a few words to her neighbor before stepping inside her nondescript flat. And it is there, inside her apartment, we witness both the unraveling of a love affair and the emotional state of a yearning woman, who just might be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Displaying an intense virtuosity, Patricia Kovacs is mesmerizing in a role that has her dominating the screen, primarily with the use of internal dialogue and phone conversations to her unseen lover. Director Tamas Sas takes what is essentially a one set location and makes it feel open and isolated, all reflective of Eva's particular mood at the time. Wavering between self-deceived euphoria and despondency, Eva's fragile emotions mirror the complexities of her involvement in a love triangle. Tough and resilient, Eva stubbornly refuses to deny herself hope of true happiness, despite the growing evidence to everyone but herself that she is in fact the third wheel. But when that realization finally comes to her, she embarks upon on a shocking plot for revenge that reveals a passionate and strangely determined woman. - Sandy Wolf