I Am Love

" I Am Love"
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Flavio Parenti, Edoardo Gabbrielinni, Alba Rohrwacher, Pippo Delbono
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
120 minutes

The nagging truth about "I Am Love," is that it would rather exist as a rapturous and elegiac postcard, rather than a film containing raw feelings and emotion. But see, the filmmaker Luca Guadagnino tries to have it both ways, and near the end of the film, "I Am Love," nearly suffocates under its own melodramatic intake.

This is not your average love story, there are moments where I was reminded of other films, but the beauty of  "I Am Love," is that it contains its own tragic and intense identity which propels it past the tired familiarity one might feel with a film of lesser surprise. The film, shot by Yorick Le Saux is exquisite, we're following a wealthy family and all its inhabitants, but the shots feel just as wealthy as the family.

The family is the Recchi's, the patriarch of the family is about to retire, and looks to name successors to the family's massive industrial company. We first meet these luxurious faces as they eat dinner, and await the announcement of the heir to the company. The Recchi's live in Milan, but the daughter in law of the head of the family is originally from Russia, this is Emma, played by the gorgeous Tilda Swinton. Emma and her husband Tancredi (Delbono) have two children. One is the handsome Edoardo (Parenti) and the other Elisabetta (Rohrwacher), now a student in Paris.  This is the kind of family always surrounded by glamor and global intrigue. They're the perfect little unit, but something is about to change all that.  Swinton's Emma is the showcase of the film, her character is perfectly comfortable with her role in the family and seems content to be involved in the lives of her kids. She seems distant from her husband, and is looking for an experience, if any, to sweep her away.

There are other significant characters as well. Edodardo has a friend named Antonio (Gabrielinni), who  concocts exotic and passionate dishes for parties and dinners that the Recchi's host. Antonio and Edodardo have intentions of opening their own restaurant. Early in the fillm, Antonio catches Emma's eye, we know from this moment that Emma's life has changed forever. Continually seduced by his looks and culinary love, Emma and Antonio embark on a romantic affair that could threaten to isolate from her family and her once comfortable life.

" I Am Love," moves along at a decent pace throughout, we are exposed to Emma's vulnerability and hopes for true, passionate love, Antonio offers this. The film contains dozens of gorgeous shots, kudos to Le Saux for taking beautiful advantage of the locales and sights. It's a film so gorgeous, that it could exist as a silent film and carry the same impact. One can't forget the overwhelming and sometimes draining score by John Adams, it's used to accompany Emma and Antonio's intimate affair, but as times it drowns out the beauty of Le Saux's photography.

Swinton's performance in general is what keeps us intrigued. Her effortless portrayal of basic emotions combined with her telling gestures and exotic look is how she has made her name. Swinton could easily grab an Oscar nomination for her work here. Aside from her character, there are few worth caring about in this picture. Swinton's Emma gets the full treatment in Guadagnino's screenplay, the rest are off to the side admirably representing their roles, but adding no additional insight or intrigue.

Late in the film, a plot twist occurs that may  have some viewers rolling their eyes in utter disbelief. It's a nearly preposterous event that sends the film in another direction. Loaded with melodrama in the last third, "I Am Love," fails to keep its identity intact, and by the end we're left wondering if we care at all about the fates of the main characters.

Grade: 3/5