> I Am Love
4 stars (out of 5)
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Gabriele Ferzetti, Marisa Berenson, Pippo Delbono, Flavio Parenti
Rating: (M)
Set at the turn of the millennium in Milan, I Am Love focuses on the super-wealthy Recchi family, part of the textile manufacturing industry.
The time has come for the patriarch of the family to hand over the reins to his son Tancredi (Pippo Delbono) and grandson Edoardo (Flavio Parenti). The men see the family business from distinctly different perspectives, but the inevitable tension is merely a sideshow in terms of the film.
Emma Recchi (Tilda Swinton) is the wife of Tancredi and mother of Edoardo.
Emma is a Russian courted by Tancredi many years ago when he sourced artwork in Russia.
For anyone familiar with Swinton's phenomenal talent, it will come as no surprise to learn she is astounding.
Not only did the English actress learn Italian for the role, she did so with a Russian accent sadly lost on anyone reading the subtitles.
Co-produced by Swinton and director Luca Guadagnino over an 11-year period, I Am Love is a daring undertaking, especially for Swinton, who portrays a woman in the grip of attraction to her son's best friend.
The sumptuous tale of cuisine, culture and romance contains fascinating vignettes of Italian high society.
Images unfurl through one wonderfully choreographed tracking shot after another, as beautifully composed frames of Mediterranean detail and exquisitely cut close-ups magically elevate each scene.
I Am Love is one of those all-too-rare pieces of contemporary cinema, where the film-makers are bold and confident enough in their style to reward their audience without blatant exposition.
Best thing: Tilda Swinton's consummate performance
Worst thing: Not seeing the film on film, as it was intended.
See it with: Patience. Not only will you be rewarded for accepting the film's languid pace, it's important to stay seated after the first credits roll.
- Mark Orton
