I am love (Io sono l’amore, 2009)
Best film of the year so far! I know it’s production date its 2009, but it’s eligible for next years’ Oscar and the movie has no date to open in Brazil yet (don’t worry. I didn’t do anything illegal…much), so I guess I’m entitled to call it that. The thing is my latest “movie phase” revolved around anything Tilda Swinton related, which means I basically went through her filmography and (re)discovered some amazing films: from her experiments alongside Derek Jarman to playing The White Witch on the Chronicles of Narnia (I’m not a fan of the franchise but Tilda steals the scene and her performances are always worth watching). Definitely on of the best actresses of her time, and I wouldn’t be mad if she scored another statute for this one (I haven’t seen Natalie Portman in Black Swan yet, so by now I’m going for Tilda, followed closely by Annette Benning in The Kids Are All Right – but that is another post for another time).
I am love – ★★★★★
Let me get to the point and write a little bit about the movie in question. First of all the film is Italian, with an ensemble of Italian actors, speaking Italian. This means you get to see Swinton showing what a chameleon she really is by playing the matriarch of a rich traditional Italian family. Her character, Emma Recci, is actually Russian (explains the accent) who married an Italian and moved to his country where they’ve raised three children, now all grown up.
Emma’s life gets turned upside down when she meets her son’s business partner and friend Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini) and immediately feels attracted to him. She certainly didn’t seem unhappy before, but at the same time she didn’t seem much alive either, just going day-by-day playing the role she bestowed upon herself. Her fear and desire to risk it all are inflamed and some how encouraged by her children: the daughter who admits to falling in love with another woman and moving forward with the relationship, and the son who goes against his father in favor of his beliefs regarding the family business and his own, a restaurant with Antonio.
I won’t go into more details because I would’ve hated if anyone spoiled this movie for me. Just do yourself a favor and open your mind to this wonderful, beautiful film about a woman’s desire for passion and life. Seems tacky when I put it this way (he!), but here’s the trailer so you can judge it by yourself.
“I am love” trailer
