By John Corrado

In his latest work, The Man I Love, celebrated filmmaker Ira Sachs crafts an understated AIDS drama, guided by an excellent performance from Rami Malek as a theatre actor in 1988.

Malek’s Jimmy lives with his partner Dennis (Tom Sturridge) in New York City. A new love interest emerges when Vincent (Luther Ford) moves in as the roommate of their downstairs neighbour Leslie (Maisy Stella). Vincent is starry-eyed for Jimmy, who finds in him a possible new muse.

But Jimmy is HIV positive, and while his sickness is never named, there is an awareness that this performance he is meticulously preparing for could be his final one. The scene he is rehearsing is taken from an obscure work by Quebec playwright Michel Tremblay, allowing him to perform in drag. These totally captivating performance and rehearsal scenes underpin the film.

The role allows Malek to utilize his physicality, both as Jimmy, and in the scenes when he is in character. Malek’s movements and song performances are mesmerizing to watch. This is some of his finest acting work, with the later scenes taking on a heartbreaking quality that never tips over into melodrama. Sturridge is also a steady presence in the film as his partner and caretaker. Rebecca Hall rounds out the cast as Jimmy’s caring sister, with Ebon Moss-Bachrach as his brother-in-law.

There are thematic similarities to Sachs’ previous works, including his 2023 film Passages, but in a very different key. There are also shades of Paweł Pawlikowski’s Cold War in the film’s structure, which essentially unfolds through a series of long scenes, showing the characters existing within these tableaus. One memorable example is an extended dinner scene where songs are sung and shared.

The artful compositions by cinematographer Josée Deshaies, shooting on 35mm film, allow us to observe these characters and the way they move and interact with each other within the frame. The photography and haunting uses of music are what allow The Man I Love to resonate and linger afterwards.

Film Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)

The 2026 edition of Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 10th to 20th, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.