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Is it worth $10? No
There is great style in “I Am Love,” and a passionate love story to go along with it. But what the film lacks is balance: Too many motivations are left unexplained for the story to truly click, even if it is always absorbing.
Emma (Tilda Swinton) long ago married into a wealthy Italian family, and lives a relatively boring life of Milanese opulence. Her children, Edoardo (Flavio Parenti) and Elisabetta (Alba Rohrwacher), are wonderful free spirits, but we sense early on that she’s grown distant from husband Tancredi (Pippo Delbono). Such things can happen in lengthy marriages.
Because of this, we understand why she eagerly embraces the forbidden love of Edoardo’s friend Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini), a chef who cooks his way into her heart. What we don’t understand is why Antonio is interested in her. He’s an introvert, and she does nothing to bring him out of his shell. Additionally, he has everything to lose from the affair as Edoardo is planning to invest in a new restaurant for him.
Writer/director Luca Guadagnino’s movie is layered with many more characters and plotlines, some of which add perspective to Emma’s actions. This is good, especially when joined by Guadagnino’s masterful ability to set the mood with impressive lighting, set designs and cinematography. Also, note the lack of dialogue during select scenes – sometimes not saying anything says it all.
Unfortunately, the exceptional aesthetics and strong performances (particularly Swinton) do not compensate for a story with a gaping hole. And here’s the sad truth: An action movie can get away with story problems if it’s entertaining. A foreign indie with limited box office appeal cannot.
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