I Am Love [Io sono l'amore] (2010, Guadagnino)

[kaytee]

An Italian dysfunctional traditional family based in Milan who love to throw lavish dinners where the whole family meets and celebrates. The family are the Recchi's who are struggling to keep up with the traditional family business and have decided to sell a part of the company after the patriarch the grandfather has passed away.

The opening dinner setup is absolutely brilliant mainly due to the eye of the cinematographer who shows us minute details of the mansion where the Recchi's live, from the crystal chandeliers, to the curtains and the paintings the house holds. Everything is perfect but somewhere you can feel that it will all come crumbling down pretty soon.

To bring it all down "Love" plays an important part in the movie. First we come to know that Emma's (Tilda Swinton) daughter has decided to stop painting and has taken up photography which she feels more passionate about. She has also fallen in love with a girl which Emma is made aware of through a note in a CD cover which was not meant for Emma.

What ensues after this is a struggle of Emma who looks perfectly happy with her married life but is left unsure if that is really what she wanted. Tilda Swinton excels at this part where the conflict between the mind and heart takes place.

The film is beautifully shot and directed with pitch perfect acting. It does have a healthy dose of sex and nudity in it too but again shot beautifully. Watch out for the execution of the climax where all is revealed, simply brilliant and marvelous.

One of the best of the year.

5/5

[animatedude]

i do have a feeling that i'm gonna love this...did you watch it in cinema?

[kaytee]

I wish I did but then it's not playing anywhere in the Middle East and if it was they would censor the brilliantly filmed sex scene.

[fizz]

Good job reviewing this kaytee. Ebert and a select others have been heaping praise on this too. Will pick this up for the inevitable year end considerations. How is Tilda Swinton's Italian in this?

[X.]

Ebert is hardly a barometer of quality (well, at least mainstream quality).

But it's got Tilda Swinton and she made JULIA bearable with her magnificent (albeit Cassavetes-flavored over the top) performance.

It does have a healthy dose of sex and nudity in it too but again shot beautifully.

You sound like you are apologizing! Good review -- this goes to the top of my watch list!

[kaytee]

How is Tilda Swinton's Italian in this?

Surprising Tilda Swinton's Italian is pretty fluent and does not hinder the movies tone.

You sound like you are apologizing! Good review -- this goes to the top of my watch list!

I'm not but aesthetically it is perfect. You have to watch it to appreciate it, it feels like Terrance Malick shooting a sex scene.

[animatedude]

Tilda Swinton is amazing..

[Anindya]

I watched the film last week and loved it.Specially the climax where she leaves the house is handled well and has no dialogues,only expressions of the various characters...Marvellous