Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: I Am Love (Io Sono Amore)

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Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 07-19-2010, 08:03 PM:

At the Kew Gardens Theatre, Screen #6, Monday, July 19, 2010
Audience: 2 Seniors and 2 Adults.

This 130 minute film in Italian with readable English titles exhibits the favorite features of its culture: love of art, of family, and of food. Atmospheric landscapes and architectural details of Milan, San Remo and London, together with close-ups of nature (flowers and insects) and of food and the emotional
expression of its consumption, form a rich background.

The story concerns the life style of a rich Milanese family whose patriarch wants the family business, a textile factory, to remain intact. Greed and globalization threaten.

The ancestral mansion functions symbolically, sometimes overflowing with large formal family dinners, and in dramatic moments, almost empty. I loved the frequent scenes of banquets impeccably served by a full staff, and the crystal, wines and gourmet foods prepared by Antonio, an important character and talented master chef of humble origins. (Can you imagine a woman seduced by a shrimp entree?)

Love in its many forms, including lesbian, fraternal, maternal, familial and sexual are features of this film, and the love-making scenes are passionate, sensitive if perhaps a bit overlong.

I found this film beautiful with some drama and a shocking ending.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 07-25-2010, 11:27 PM:

Folks:

I saw this film about 4 weeks ago. Slow storytelling, but still a very good film. Gerard is right..the edning is a big surprise.

Mike

Posted by Stu Jamieson (Member # 4626) on 08-07-2010, 08:18 PM:

I Am Love has been seriously polarising audiences. Comments from exiting patrons range from "hated it" to "loved it" and nothing inbetween but one thing is certain, the film has generated an uncommon level of discussion amongst those that have seen it. Audiences remain seated well after the final credit has closed to discuss the meaning and implications of what they have just witnessed, as if the passions unfurled on the screen have similarly uncovered passions within the audience - for better or for worse.

The film is a story about the social constraints of the "perfect" patriarchal family, secrets and passions alike being subdued for the sake of familial harmony and social maintenance. But amid the pressures of modern life - greed, globalisation and the yearning for personal satisfaction - the strictures of the traditional patriarchal Recchi family will be torn asunder as the they are dragged (albeit silently as befits a family of their stature) kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

Director, Luca Guadagnino, is clearly a visual virtuoso. His cinematography casting a beauteous eye over his much-loved Italian landscapes and architecture extending also to his delectably amorous photography of food. There is nothing boring about his compositions, each shot making the most of every frame and utilising the full depth of field ensuring there is always something interesting to look at. There is an understanding of visual language at work here which transcends that of the current state of cinema; the emotional engagement of the viewer is primal. The soundtrack is used to exquisite effect also and the performance of Tilda Swinton (also a producer) is great in any language.

It seems the final level of enjoyment gleaned from this film, however, is probably based on whether an audience comprehends the closing scene and, if they do, whether they perceive it to be of any universal significance. The latter point is determined by how much one can empathise with the family depicted and in my case, not a whole lot. This is probably because the bourgeois Recchi's existence is leagues away from my own. But regardless the point is made and the journey to this point is a thoroughly engaging one.

Ultimately I guess I've contradicted my opening statement regarding the polarising effect of this film, as I neither love nor hate it. For me, I Am Love is a film that has outstanding cinematic qualities but, on an emotional level, it failed to wholly engage my heart.

7.5 out of 10.

Posted by Ian Parfrey (Member # 5122) on 08-08-2010, 02:23 AM:

....and for the technical credit watchers out there, it is not often the detail down to the film stock numbers and camera(s) are noted. This is a very welcome advance on the usual less than fulfilling credits used on most pictures. Clearly, here is a director who is very proud of his visual achievement, and so he should be. As mentioned in Stu's review, it is a beautiful film to watch...and letting the audience know that the picture was photographed on 35mm stock- in Techniscope as well - goes to show that even with a frame height 2 perfs high, celluloid can and does blow digital origination to the weeds.

See it at least for the look and style.

Posted by Jason Metcalfe (Member # 5739) on 08-11-2010, 05:09 PM:

We ran this about three months ago for a film festival and I remember really enjoying it. Very naturalistic camerawork and also an expert performance from Tilda Swinton, who shows a lot of bush, which is great.

IMDB lists the aspect ratio as 1:85 but I seem to remember it being 1:33 (or possibly 1:66) when I watched it. Maybe they resized it for the domestic release?

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 08-13-2010, 07:22 PM:

More like it was simply run in the wrong ratio.