I Am Love (Io sono l'amore - 2009)

This intense drama played two nights only at the university and the intense dramatist Tilda Swinton did that thing she does so well: internalize her emotions yet project them fully with her body language. We thought it was great, though it's hard to say it was enjoyable because it's so, well, intense. The cinematography, by Frenchman Yorick Le Saux, somehow seems black and white, though it's in color--it's just arty and interesting and way different from the luscious work Le Saux did on Swimming Pool (2003). I had not heard of Italian director/producer/co-writer Luca Guadagnino (here's a picture of him with Swinton, both looking happy, which is rare for Swinton, who usually looks like this). I last wrote about Swinton in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but didn't give as much weight as I might have to her work, especially in the one I saw first: The Deep End (2001), in which she plays a mother who will do anything to save her son. Apparently Swinton had to learn Italian for the role, but that's fine, because her character is Russian-born, so would not speak Italian all that well. The only other two actors I recognized were Marisa Berenson (well, barely recognized with her skinny appearance and lip job--she was in Cabaret (1972), Barry Lyndon (1975), the HBO movie Playing for Time (1980), and others), and the be-turbaned Waris Ahluwalia from Inside Man (2006) (he was the one yelling about having his turban taken by the cops), Darjeeling Limited (2007), and others. The supporting cast, pretty much all gorgeous, especially Flavio Parenti as the son, does a good job, too. I had read that there would be amazing food stylings in the movie. There is a chef with a pivotal role, and he styles some food, but I wouldn't put this on my list of food movies.

The soundtrack, by Pulitzer-prize-winner John Adams (the opera Nixon in China), perfectly complements the intensity on the screen. Here's a taste of the music, in the trailer. Watch for the release of this on DVD and be sure to darken your room and get as big a screen as you can for your viewing pleasure.