Review: I Am Love (Io sono l’amore)

Luca Guadagnino & Tilda Swinton developed “Io sono l’amore” over an 11-year period. In that time, Swinton learned how to speak Italian (with a Russian accent) in order to play Emma Recchi, the matriarch of a family who runs an textile manufacturing empire in Milan. The film is heavily influenced by the works of Douglas Sirk and Luchino Visconti and, it can easily be argued, has a story where a lot goes on, but nothing happens.

The first two reels move by slowly, establishing the formality and lavish nature of the Recchi’s lives. The movie eventually picks up steam, but remains deliberately paced and almost stubbornly pretentious.

There is one sex scene that could be outrageous if presented in any other film. It is a montage of extreme, almost out-of-context close-ups. Quickly edited shots combining the actors with the nature around them - a blur of nipples, sunshine, grasshoppers and shoulders. I did chuckle a bit during this sequence because it felt dated and daring at the same time.

Ultimately, the movie works best if you surrender yourself completely to it. People who complain about European films being artsy-fartsy will lose interest within the first 10 minutes. The movie is very committed to its own style, which some will argue it has in spades over actual substance. With the magnificent Tilda Swinton leading the way, “Io sono l’amore” proves to be captivating and an unexpected delight.

Screened at the Regal Arbor in 35mm on July 3rd, 2010. Released by Magnolia Pictures.