I Am Love (Luca Guadagnino, 2010)

[John Cope]

As the UK premiere for their new film approaches, The Guardian interviews Guadagnino and Swinton; the site also hosts a shorter video interview and the trailer as well. Actually, the BFI discussion was better so I'll add that too. Real interested in hearing what people think of this one as the constant comparisons to Visconti (as here for one) have me very intrigued to say the least. I have no experience with this director's other works so, unfortunately, I can't speak to their quality either or to how similar or different they may be. Can anyone else?

[TMDaines]

I've got tickets for this in three weeks time. Not seen anything by this director before,

[Amy Racecar]

This one'll be breezing through Honolulu during the HIFF Spring Showcase in 2 weeks. I've been intrigued since I first heard about it and so I'm glad it's making a stop. For anybody on the island it's showing April 17th and 21st at 6 and 2 PM, respectively.

[Amy Racecar]

Caught this last night and I'll say that it's good, though not quite great. The acting was solid overall despite a few sour notes. Swinton was on point, as usual; it hadn't occured to me how tricky it might be to pull off a Russian immigrant in Italy, but she managed quite well.

The colors are very uniform and closely keyed in each scene, and most of the locations are stunning. Guadagnino keeps the camera in almost constant motion which, though providing a few great shots (brief flicks across the facades of Milanese buildings towards the beginning of the film; a shuddering track through Sanremo), feels rather unnatural and detracts a bit from the experience.

SpoilerShow

The strongest points came after Edo's accident. Until then everything had been listing a bit (though not unpleasantly) and the scenes following the announcement of his death were what really drew me up. Particularly enthralling was the family's gathering immediately afterword in the hospital waiting area. The Recchis embrace as Edo's wife sits forgotten to the side: no one seems to notice her or feel any need to comfort her. It's this aspect of the film where Guadagnino really hit the nail on the head. Not simply that interaction, but his portrayal of the three generations of wives' relationships with the Recchi family as a whole, where Allegra is hinted to have been helplessly aware of infidelity on her husband's part, Eva drifts along with the clan even after Edo's death, chained in by her unborn child, and Emma allows herself to be litterally dressed and undressed before breaking away. The daughter was a fantastic counterweight, though I would have loved to get a bit more of Ida's character. I heard a few grumbles about the end among some of the audience members as we filed out, but in my opinion it was perfectly satisfying.
The scene where Emma and Antonio make love in the field would have been terriffic if not for the interspliced shots of flowers and bees.
I'm curious to hear other's thoughts on Guadagnino's intention re: the Indian-American businessman.

Somehow I hadn't realized before going in that Gabriele Ferzetti was in it, if only for just a few moments.

[Michael]

Anyone seen this film? It has been making its theatrical run throughout the USA. I'm anticipating to see it tonight.

[foofighters7]

I have not seen this as yet, but look forward to doing so.

Ever since my wife seen the trailer she has been going on about wanting to see it. I too, want to see it. The trailer is quite good.

I have heard mixed reviews from sources I don't really trust anyway, so yeah, whenever it gets close, think we will go.

[J Adams]

I'd like to see this director work with better material. I like his style. This film is rather chickflicky and foody. A film just about the family would have been fascinating, but they had to throw a Judith Krantz plotline into it. Nevertheless, it's worth seeing on a big screen. Just bring popcorn (or prawns).

[zedz]

Yeah. Nicely done, with a seductive luxe look and feel (and a very nice score by your namesake, Mr Adams), but I felt the dramatics of the plot sat a bit awkwardly between typical melodrama and the heightened, operatic level the film seemed to be striving for. Resonance on a naturalistic, human level was never on the cards, but I don't think it was intended, either.

Some nice, relatively subdued and well integrated film references (e.g. Visconti and Vertigo) and a possibly not-so intentional similarity to Sally Potter's (underrated?) Yes.

[James]

Sally Potter's (underrated?) Yes.

Do you have any thoughts on this? I'm worried I overlooked it when it came out a few years ago.

[zedz]

The parentheses and question mark were partly because I was unsure about the general critical reaction to the film and partly because I was unsure of my own. It's a film I've been meaning to rewatch for a long time.

I enjoyed it as a formal experiment, but some of the political undertones seemed rather clunky, and a few of the actors struggle with the verse (though Joan Allen and Shirley Henderson nearly make up for that). My Potter appreciation is non-standard (love The Tango Lesson, largely indifferent to Orlando) if that helps. At any rate, I'd say it's definitely worth seeing once.

[John Cope]

Some additional links and responses here.

[Duncan Hopper]

Sally Potter's (underrated?) Yes.

Yikes. Yes? Underrated? Not something I'd ever thought I'd hear except from the gushing pen of Sophie Mayer.

EDIT Just read your second post on this Zedz, you make some good points.

[Michael]

Some additional links and responses here.

Grazie mille, John. I searched for the title but I must have missed this thread. My goof. Seeing the film later today.

[Michael]

My mind is still wrapping around it. It's no question that the film is wildly beautiful to look at. The camera dances everywhere, showing us details like shoes under dining tables, paintings on walls, bees pollinating and so forth - all stylizing the film in such an overwhelmingly baroque manner. The plot can be spelled out in a sentence or two and has been done many times before - a woman repressed in an unhappy marriage to a wealthy man - but it's Tilda who really refreshes the old blood. She is always fascinating to look at.

The film is a nod to classic Italian family melodramas. From the gorgeous credits to the unbelievable family melodramas to the wrap-you-around music. It's a sprawling film opera. Like the Rocco and His Brothers sort. Plus a seasoning of Chick / Foodie lit flooding bookstores these days thrown in.

It's really hard to know whether I love the film or not. But I know I love the breathtaking camera-choreography - swooning over details and colors. Is that enough? I don't know.

Italian cinemas was dead for a long time so it's really nice to see new movies from Italy getting attention finally - Gomarra, Mid-August Lunch and now this.

[rohmerin]

Italian cinemas was dead for a long time

That's not true. The fact that its cinema is only avaliable for Italians (and me that "scarico" everything because I know the language) doesn't mean that there are not four or five excellent films each year that does not cross the Atlantic, or sadly, not even the Alps.

[Michael]

Italian cinemas was dead for a long time

That's not true. The fact that its cinema is only avaliable for Italians (and me that "scarico" everything because I know the language) doesn't mean that there are not four or five excellent films each year that does not cross the Atlantic, or sadly, not even the Alps.

Thanks to Neflix, I have rented a lot a lot of Italian movies made the past decade at least - all so crappy. Guess Italy keeps the best to herself.
The first Italian film that felt sooo fresh in a looong time was Gomorra.

Have you seen I Am Love? How was it received in Italy?

[knives]

The first Italian film that felt sooo fresh in a looong time was Gomorra.

Mustn't forget Il Divo, which I'd wager as the best of this new lot, though I haven't seen I Am Love yet.

[Michael]

Il Divo. That's another great one.

[rohmerin]

Tarantino spoke somewhere about Italian cinema and said (more or less) that it was boring and full with married people with troubles. May be he was right, but he was nearly of being named persona non grata in Italy for his words, and given that most of genres aren't my cups of tea, I prefer ordinary subjets with real people, non F/X, and marriage troubles, that fortunatelly Italian cinema is full of such as Anche libero va bene.

About their national History-Memory, I prefer Vincere or Sanguepazzo than a Hollywood fake product like, well, I don't know if they do films about Italy, but when they film in Spain (night and day), Jesus, they mix Sevilla with the Sanfermines of Pamplona. The ghost of Hemingway must be scared by the shock.

I don't know what reception Io sono l'amore receipt, I'm not an Italian.
I've not seen it yet because I'm waiting for the UK / Spanish Blu or DVD because of course in my town EVERYTHING is dubbed into Castillian, and the cinemas in Madrid are more expensive (6 or 7 euros plus the trip of 44 euros) than import the UK dvd.

[Michael]

Tarantino spoke somewhere about Italian cinema and said (more or less) that it was boring and full with married people with troubles. .

Tarantino may be right but I will not buy anything Tarantino says about Italian cinema. He's a big show off. But I will listen to Scorsese. He gets Italian cinema right. No offense to anyone, just my personal opinion. Scorsese brought a really wonderful Italian film here and it's called Golden Door (2006) which pretty much chronicles the history of my family immigrants. He also rooted for Gomarra - a film I dismissed the first time I saw it but after being pulled back to visit it a couple more times, I now see it as a masterpiece. It has a weird rhythym going on that is easy to miss the first viewing. Hands down, the greatest Mafia film ever made - uncompromisingly brutal and chilling - about time to have a Mafia film like that instead of selling us fantasies. No dons stroking cats, no plump mamas baking ziti, no golden sunsets, no grilling sausages in a cell.

I Am Love is not so much about married people with troubles as it appears to be. A woman liberating herself with the help of her daughter's coming out as a lesbian is the heart of the film. The symbol of the hair cutting links those two.

[rohmerin]

I liked Golden door, but not expect the best of Sicilia in the horrible, awful, bad Tornatore's last Baaria that Miramax should buy (and cut) if it arrives to your country.

Everybody compares Io sono l'amore with Visconti's Rocco. Why? A familiy in Milano, si, si, but in Rocco they were poor and here they are super rich like in Pasolini's Teorema. Is this film so Visconti? I'll have to wait to judge it.

The filmmaker is the same that made Melissa P !!!! Oh my god, how can it be? The novel was good (and pornographic) but the film was bad (and dubbed, 'cause the girl is a Spaniard). So, this Luca travelled from a fast bestselling novel abortion to the auteur international paradise. Amazing. Or is he another protegee by Cahiers -propaganda - du Cinema ?

[Michael]

Everybody compares Io sono l'amore with Visconti's Rocco. Why? A familiy in Milano, si, si, but in Rocco they were poor and here they are super rich like in Pasolini's Teorema. Is this film so Visconti? I'll have to wait to judge it.

Not only Visconti but also Fassbinder, PT Anderson and Desplechin - their film operas. The only Pasolini similarity is the choice of the actor for the chef. He looks so average, could be lifted from any street. I was actually inspired by that - the very average, plain looks of Tilda's romance interest. The film lingers on his ass exposed as he makes love to her - which is something we don't get to see that often in todays cinema.

[Matt]

According to a recent NYT interview, Swinton and Guadagnino want to remake Auntie Mame. I'm actually okay with that and eager to see it happen.

[colinr0380]

I liked Golden door, but not expect the best of Sicilia in the horrible, awful, bad Tornatore's last Baaria that Miramax should buy (and cut) if it arrives to your country.

I really like Nanni Moretti's films (especially the polar opposites Aprile and The Son's Room), and La Scorta was a really great crime and corruption film from the early 90s (both dealing with contemporary issues while at the same time harking back to films like How To Kill A Judge), but there did seem to be trouble in Italian cinema from the early 90s until its recent re-emergence.

There was an interesting article by Nick Hasted a couple of months ago in Sight & Sound's Italian cinema issue suggesting that part of the trouble might have been Berlusconi exerting a Rupert Murdoch-style monopolising influence over cinema and television in the country due to his ownership of Mediaset, leading to a stifling of the creative industry. And didn't Berlusconi praise Baaria?:

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi provoked a political stir by praising what he saw as an anticommunist message in "Baaria." Berlusconi, who owns the country's largest media empire, called the film a masterpiece and said no real Italian (read: patriot) should miss it. The whole thing appeared extremely curious: Not only did Berlusconi's sister company finance "Baaria," helmed by a known leftist, but the prime minister went on to lift it right to the skies. All this left us wondering what Berlusconi was up to.

[Matt]

Announced for US DVD/Blu-ray, October 12.