class=”alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-10215″ title=”I am love original” src=”https://www.heyuguys.com/images/2010/01/I-am-love-original-e1270582643102-195×150.jpg” alt=”” width=”195″ height=”150″ />OK, so this review may be late, since the film was released in the UK in April, but with the Odeon’s Director’s Chair selection electing to show the film I wanted to spread the word on this beautiful film.
Written and directed by Luca Guadaginio, I Am Love follows Emma Recchi (Tilda Swinton) as she slowly develops a relationship with her son’s friend and the family chef, Antonio Biscaglia (Edoardo Gabbriellini), against the backdrop of deeper family troubles.
Using this simple premise shows how the Russian-born Recchi is struggling to find new excitement and adventure outside her strict, controlling and wealthy Italian family, all the while she is slowly falling in love with the young and less-wealthier Biscaglia.
Although this is a very good story and really shows the main character in a good light despite having this secret relationship away from her family, the story was too long during the second half and I found this disappointing as the screenplay Guadaginio wrote in the first half was really good and more engaging than I expected.
The big selling point that this film has is that Tilda Swinton manages to pull off the Italian language really well and as she has a lot of speaking parts, she really shows that she can really act in different roles; her overall performance in the film was brilliant and I would like to see her in more leading roles. Although I am not familiar with the other cast members that starred in the film, they all do really good work as well and were very engaging to watch all the way through.
Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux deserves to be mentioned in this review, because this is without doubt one of the best shot films that I have seen in a really long time. Saux’s cinematography really matches with the low and high key lighting used within the film, as well as the gorgeous locations and getting the most out of the entire cast’s performances. There was barely any problems with the way that it was framed or shot and for that alone, it really is truly one of the most beautiful films I have seen so far this year.
With original music from John Adams, used sparingly throughout the film but when it does come to the fore it truly is remarkable, with themes aligning themselves to each character.
Beautifully directed and with a very engaging protagonist played really well by Tilda Swinton, this is a really good film that only just falls from the top from the very slow-paced second half.
