Review of I Am Love (2010) by Nick O — 08 Apr 2011

4: It's about as anti-Dostoevsky as one can get, or at least as anti-utopian/romanticist Dostoevsky as one could hope for. The picture is ridiculously beautiful and out of place. It seems to have come from another world; one in which Visconti, Antonioni, Fellini, and Rossellini have somehow become fused with a very modern and contemporary technique and sensibility.

Even the cinematography seems to have come from another era; I honestly can't think of another film like it. It evokes memories of An Affair to Remember, Love Story, The Leopard, The Red Shoes, Doctor Zhivago, The Godfather, Vertigo, etc.

I love seeing films like this without ever viewing a trailer, reading a review, or having even an inkling of the critical reception apart from a few quotes on the Blu-Ray case. As I now glance at Manohla Dargis's review, she mostly confirms my interpretation of the film and compares it to may of the same pictures, including The Leopard, but this is of course obvious given use of the name Tancredi.

When it was first mentioned in I am Love, I wondered if it was just a standard Italian name, but over the course of the picture I began to think better of my naivetà (C). The story takes a long time to get going, which is a revelation and a relief after the rush and obviousness of most contemporary pictures, but when it finally does one can't help but be struck by the main protagonist, Tilda Swinton's character.

It seems incredible that a poor Russian immigrant could lead such an idyllic life, from a western material perspective at least, and yet feel enslaved and entirely unhappy. The story is essentially one in which she breaks the bonds of matrimony and reliance and embarks upon a life of her own choosing.

In this sense it is antithetical to the vision espoused by characters like Arkady Ivanovich in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, which I couldn't help but think of over the course of the film.

A hallmark of great art is that it makes one think of other great works of art, no matter the medium or genre, and that was definitely the case here. I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface of the film.

Much of it is so breathtakingly beautiful and wonderfully framed and executed that one finds it difficult to analyze and dissect the story while at the same time attempting to revel in the beauty. It seems incredible that families and worlds like this exist right alongside the mere mortals, but there is no doubt they do.

I feel as if explorations of this nature are less apt to be made today, as most directors/writers/producers seem to be too focused on the politically correct or bringing the underprivileged and downtrodden to the screen.

It seems rare that one gets a story about a rich and seemingly happy European existence, where the only issue is whether to cash out of the family business to the Indians for millions. This is, of course, not the only issue, but it seems to be at times.

It is a brilliant and rare picture that I'm sure will be intensely rewarding time and time again.