...These few words describe the core of the new movie I AM LOVE ( Italian Io sono l'amore) by movie director Luca Guadagnino.
I went to see the movie the other night in CPH at my favorite art house cinema, Grand Teatret. I have been waiting impatiently for this movie for quite some time now. It came to my notice in the early spring time when a friend of mine had gone to London and watched it at the film festival there. Before leaving New York in June I read that the movie was finally in the US and would open in the city just two days later. Bummer. So therefore it was with anticipation and excitement I went to see the movie the other night with my friend. I must say I was not disappointed.
The movie is lavish in all ways. We follow a preparation for a traditional dinner party at a big bourgeois mansion in Milano, Italy. The house is the home for a wealthy textile family, The Recchi's, and the party is for the ageing patriarch and head of the family, Edoardo Sr. He will later that evening give his son, Trancredi, and oldest grandson Edoardo Jr. the entire power over the family company as he is retiring.
What is interesting about this beginning is that you follow all the preparations for the party without being properly introduced to the characters. You feel a little confused to keep watching was is going on and during the dinner party. It is here you notice the hierarchy of the family structure and slowly getting introduced to the characters.
During the movie the lives of each family member is undergoing some big changes.In the following I am trying to map out a few of them.
Tilda Swinton plays the wife Emma Recchi, who is originally from Russia and can't remember her real name anymore. She leads a boring upper class life in their big Recchi-mansion in Milano. The kids are no longer living at home and you never really see her husband. He is hard working in the family company and travels a lot.
Emma becomes restless and without much substance in her life than her kids. The oldest son, Edo is in love with Eva, a middle class girl from a neighbourhood in Milano, which the Italian grandmother doesn't seem to approve much of until she gets to know her better. The middle son, Gianluca, is not much in focus, and you never get to "know" much about him except he also works in the family company. Then there is the youngest -the daughter, Elisabetta, who looks the most like her Russian descendants. Betta decided to study photography in London, where she is also finding true love in an older girl. In the movie it actually comes to Emmas attention that Betta is lesbian when she finds a CD cover with a postcard written to the oldest brother Edo about her falling in love with a girl, but Emma decides to keep that to herself.
One day the son Edo has arranged for the grandmother, Emma and Eva to go to his friend Antonio's restaurant to taste the brilliant food he loves and adore so much. (He is investing money in a restaurant with his friend in the mountains 2 hours outside Milano). While sitting at the table and tasting the delicious food Emma completely alienates herself from the two others. We see a spotlight right on her at the table while she in arousal eats the shrimps so fast leaving the dish sloppy - very unlike something she would normally do. However, while eating the shrimps she finds out that she is sexually attracted to Antonio and wants to pursue it. Days later she returns to the town in mountains and of course "run" into Antonio. From this point she struggles with her love and passion for Antonio and her life in the big mansion with her dull husband and absent kids.
For what is really at stake here? She doesn't have much with the kids nor her husband. They all seem very distanced to the rest of the family, and although Emma is a loving and caring mum, she finds that it isn't enough.
Without spoiling the end of the movie, Emma does pursue her love affair with Antonio at a very critical time in the family. She almost seems inspired by her daughters choice in life to be true to herself and her sexuality, which counts for a special connection, and recognition from the daughter at the end of the movie when Emma is leaving the family and her old wealthy life behind to live in the countryside with the passionate and much younger Antonio.
The visual style in I am Love is so rich, vibrant and flamboyant, which makes it a truly beautiful movie. At times the melodrama almost seems like an Italian chliché but due to the fact that it takes place is Italy and with all it's heavy gold furniture, frames and decadent lifestyle, it doesn't matter so much. And not least Tilda Swinton glows in this part as Russian Emma who fully captivated the luxury of the wealthy Italian lifestyle. She is truly a great actress for this part.
