Movies

'I Am Love' is the most over-reviewed movie since 'There Must Be Blood', which is really saying something. It's one of those movies in which the motives of the main characters are just sort of - assumed. Tilda Swinton is the wife of a rich industrialist, so it stands to reason that she is bored and unhappy. Thus the director/scriptwriter spares himself the inconvenience of any exposition that shows her actually BEING bored and unhappy. Indeed, the ONLY reminiscence she supplies about her husband is rather warm and fuzzy.There actually isn't any motivation for anyone, which is a little disappointing, since the pace of the movie is about as fast as glacial movement. The photography is lush and opulent, and the score by John Adams is very interesting (not always appropriate to the setting). The movie, in short, is a fiasco.

I am not a fan of deer in the headlights style acting and Tilda Swinton gives up a great deal of it in this movie. Look at me as I stare blank faced and wide eyed as things, life things are happening around me. If anything redeems this movie somewhat, it's the splendid locations; the gorgeous mansion, the city, etc. The story fails because it does not give us anything to strive for or push against except the malaise, boredom and passivity of the main character who is not very sympathetic. It is hard to root for her, in fact you kind of hope she absentmindedly walks into a door at some point, or miscalculates and shoves an olive up her nose instead of her mouth in the repeated fork journey from plate to face.