I Am Love

AroView: Tilda Swinton stars as the Russian-born matriarch of a wealthy Milanese family in this fabulously opulent Italian drama, centred around her obsessive affair with her son’s best friend.

The adulterous affair may be the stuff of standard melodrama (or even soap opera), but it’s clear from the opening credits that dir. Guadagnino’s has a higher artistic vision, directly inspired by the grand old cinema of Visconti and Hitchcock (both of whom are directly referenced), and he also establishes a satisfying family backstory that registers as much truth as beauty. Bathed in seasonal hues and John Adams’ intoxicating score, it proves an uncommonly sensual experience, with arthouse diva Swinton centre stage at the height of her magnetic powers.

“Playful, flamboyant and visually magnificent – a subtly but richly flavoured tonic for the jaded cinephile palate.” ~Jonathan Romney, Independent on Sunday