I AM LOVE

I Am Love (2009) is one of those films that I have found myself pondering for weeks since I first viewed it. It made my list of “must-see 2023 movies” based on the lauded reviews of Tilda Swinton’s performance, and because it was directed by the brilliant Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name). Swinton and Guadagnino collaborated on this film for 11 years, both serving as co-producers. Their passion for the project is more than evident in the final product. I Am Love is a rich and magnificent story of a middle-aged woman named Emma (Swinton) who's discovering her identity and passions after years of simply living life in the footsteps of traditions and norms pre-established for her.

The film is set in Italy and revolves around a family of immense wealth (earned on the exploitation of Jewish immigrants). The story begins when the patriarch of the family decides to finally pass his textile business down to his son (Emma’s husband, Tancredi) and Eduardo Jr (Emma and Tancredi’s son). Eduardo Jr., however, is more interested in opening a restaurant with his new friend Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini). After getting to know Antonio, Emma soon begins having an affair with him. This affair opens her eyes to possibilities and to a deeper understanding of how stifled her life has been.

There are so many things about this film that are inspiring. The cinematography is stunning, the acting is superb, and the chemistry between Swinton and Gabbriellini is beautiful. Early in the film, Emma discovers that her college-aged daughter is gay. Emma’s acceptance is nowhere as important as her palpable curiosity and visible intrigue of her daughter’s boldness in forging her own unique path in life. It’s a beautiful moment for both characters. Another brilliant scene is when Emma (along with her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law) has lunch in Antonio’s restaurant together. This is the first time Emma will experience Antonio’s creations as a chef. As the scene begins, the lighting fully illuminates all three women at the table equally. But once Antonio’s succulent prawn dish is placed in front of Emma, the camera pans out and now Emma is the only person lit. Her two family members are completely enveloped in shadow. This moment is now completely about Emma as she begins to experience the morsel in front of her. The sound of the conversation fades to a low muffle and all we hear is the subjective noise of Emma’s utensils cutting her food. The camera then presents extreme close-ups of Swinton’s mouth and face as she finds herself lost in the immersion of every aspect of the glorious tastes she is now experiencing. The sensuality she is experiencing is exquisite. Kudos must also be given to Swinton for learning to speak both Italian and Russian for this film to properly portray the character of Emma.

A unique aspect of this film is that director Guadagnino, upon hearing a CD of music by American contemporary composer John Adams, knew he wanted to use these preexisting compositions from the CD for his movie. He rewrote various scenes so that when they were filmed, they would align with the tempo and timeframe of these songs, rather than the standard practice of having music created to match what has been filmed. The results are exhilarating.

As he did in Call Me by Your Name, Guadagnino once again confirms that desire is a necessary and healthy emotion for an authentic and fulfilling human existence. Tilda Swinton is unbridled in demonstrating that quest for desire, and she is worthy of every accolade that I Am Love provides for her thespian contributions.