Customer Reviews

It's All About Love

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

It's All About Love has been criminally underrated. It's been called confused, convoluted, and pretentious. Well let's try another adjective: different. This is not the same kind of thing we've seen a million times before. In fact it seems to defy genre pigeon-holing.

Thomas Vinterberg, co-founder of the Dogma 95 moment towards "purity" in cinema made the excellent "Festen" and then took his craft to the other extreme with this futuristic fable. Set in a near future where the earth is on the brink of a new ice age the film tells the story of a Polish professor, John and his wife Elena plan to divorce. The couple have grown apart due to Elena's demanding schedule (she's a champion figure-skater) but when John arrives in New York to sign the final divorce papers, Elena begs him not to leave, confessing that she's in a danger that she doesn't completely understand.

The plot that follows is twisting and at times intentionally absurd: People drop dead in the streets due to a mysterious heart ailment, in mid-july it starts to snow all over the world, a man once afraid of flying overdoses on his medication and is now afriad to land, and as everything people think they understand is turned upside-down it's impossible to know who to trust.

But to view this film you have to put aside conventional notions of narrative structure or how a plot should unfold. Viewing this film is very much like participating in a dream. You have to go where it takes you- even if that's somewhere unusual.

Each shot in this movie is beautifully photographed channeling Hitchcock visually. Every thought in Joaquin Phoenix's head seems to appear on his face, while Claire Danes deftly channels a Hitchcock blonde. Alun Armstong and Sean Penn excel in smaller roles.

When I first saw this I wasn't sure if I liked it. But I found myself thinking about it a lot in the days following. On second viewing I think I understood it better. But it's not a film that's meant to be understood so much as experienced. I've "understood" it differently each time I've watched. I would recommend this film to anyone who is open to the experience.

And I can't quit watching it. I recorded it on DVR from cable in the US. I thought that Joaquin was terrible the first time I saw it, after being such a fan of his from Quills and Gladiator and other movies I've seen of his (and both of those have heavy accents, so what give with him?). But in subsequent watchings, as I often do, I think I finally get it. It is not too meaty of a part and he is trying to play kind of an ordinary guy to his skating star wife. Reminds me of Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut, the nerdy doctor. Claire Danes, on the other hand, is outstanding. She reminds me a lot of Franka Potente (Blow, All I Want, Run Lola Run). I watched her TV series long ago and liked her but she has grown into an amazing actress. They both had a little accent problem. They were supposed to be Polish and I kept telling myself that Joaquin was brought to the US as a baby (I'm *really* trying to like him). Claire has her moments when she reverts to American, but does a much better job. Sean Penn's accent is over the top, completely (but he makes a good Greek Chorus). I am surprised at him as he is usually so prepared. I have to blame the director for this, for there is a thread of the actors not caring, just going through the motions (except Claire). It is set 20 years in the future and very plausible (except I hope the concept of cell phones changes!) and where the gravity holes in Africa show up is anyone's guess. But the basic plot is pretty cool. I am a figure skater and they got it right, mostly. I could tell the skating doubles were not world class skters, but most people wouldn't and the choreography was very nice. I really like the premise that if people are lonely or lovelorn, something goes to their hearts and they die, and I think a lot of people would relate to that. I have watched it about 5 times now but I think it would have a specialized audience which is why I give it a '3'. Don't buy this for your kids for the skating as it is very violent in the rink.

What can I say? Joaquin Phoenix is a great actor. His ability to take any script (no matter, how bad) and create a memorable performance exceeds the abilities of most actors in his age range and beyond. I imagine some of the negative criticism of this film is based on the fact that the viewer has got to be engaged while watching this film. It's All About Love, is not a movie that you can watch while cleaning the house or building a model airplane. You have to 'watch' the movie or you will be lost.

Not the best film ever made, but i reckon it deserves five stars for its originality. It's visually beautiful, suspenseful and touching, and I've certainly seen worse films by Phoenix and Danes but if your'e after your average run of the mill predictable hollywood popcorn movie, I wouldn't recommend this one. Also a word of advice to you other reviewers, don't pay too much attention to reviews, otherwise you'll be watching the same movies as everyone else! Think for yourselves...I'm glad I did.

this is a tough film - tough on the emotions, tough on the heart, and tough on the mind. it is illogical. non-linear, slightly confused - and yet not, it is oddly paced like a dance that is slightly off beat, and yet supremely well crafted, beautifully filmed - every frame a like a dictionary of meaning. it has a bit of the 'twin peaks' about it; dream like, slightly threatening. but the performances are superb; Danes is amazing and Phoenix, well i could not take my eyes of him.
for some reason i cried - several times. i have no idea why. i can't pretend to understand the film from beginning to end, but there are moments of clarity for sure. i felt this movie - every single minute of it.
the fact the film was panned in 2004 is unfortunate, and i hope many people see this movie and make up their own minds about it. perhaps it was a victim of malicious snobbery among the elite critics - I have no idea. but how it could be dismissed so flagrantly makes me wonder about the criteria some critics use as a basis of judgement.
see it for yourself and give it a couple of viewings.
anyone know where i can get a copy of the script and directors notes?

This movie is visually beautiful and extremely well cast. I think my problem with it is that I tried to make it make sense in some way. I kept looking for hidden meaning and symbolism and could never find a connection. The two main characters are a married couple who have been seperated by the business of their lives. He is a quiet professor and she is a world famous champion figure skater. While they have been seperated, the world has begun to go crazy with strange weather, unusual deaths and people becoming untethered from the Earth's gravity. I thought, at first, that their reunion would be the catalyst for setting things right. The meaning that only together could they make sense of the world. But that doesn't happen. And there's a weird subplot about clones of Elena that just didn't fit with the rest of the story at all. I read Lostgirl's review and perhaps what you need to do is watch this without any expectation and without looking for meaning. Simply enjoy the beauty of the movie. For me, I don't think it's worth another viewing. I prefer movies that do have a plot that makes sense and that I can understand.

Of course this film wouldn't be appreciated in this day and time. It's about romantic love in the chaos of world change. We have none of that right now. Love is pre-nupts and celebrity merging. There is no poetry in today's romance and we're all the worse off because of it.

That said, don't even watch with this film if you disagree with above; but if you long for some semblance of romantic films like "Now Voyager" and "Dr. Zhivago" wrapped in the milieu of a world destroyed by big business then get your copy now!

An apocalyptic, fantastic dream of a love story wrapped up in a hallucinatory cocktail of poetry and karma, this movie is at once thought-provoking and way too much effort, so it is bound to be a "love it or hate it" kind of viewing experience. Especially the first time around. The telling quote used as the title of this review, by the way, is from the films' writer, producer and director, Thomas Vinterberg.

OK, so people are dying in the streets of NYC from lack of love, the world is freezing over, and Ugandans are floating away while the sinister Russian ice-princess cloning plot goes on. This movie is ridiculous and at the same time a commentary on so many things that are going on under our collective noses, right NOW (even if many of us can't/won't see it), and the choices we all have right in front of us.

In my opinion, "It's All Aboout Love" has way more pluses than minuses. It's well worth checking out, especially if you liked "Gattica" or "The Fountain". The cinematography is perfectly surreal, and the "good vs. evil" mentality you find in most movies today has been elevated to a "love vs. fear" kind of vibe. A strange, wonderful and terrifying film, made for a strange, wonderful and terrifying world.

Led by Joaquin Phoenix and Claire Danes,"It's All About Love" is narrated by Sean Penn. If you didn't like it/get it the first time around, I would suggest that you try it again. For me, the first viewing merely aroused my curiosity and compelled me to give it another look; the effort was well worth it.

I'll admit that I was so into this movie and near the end felt a little let down by it's inability to pull everything together as well as it should have. But for out the most part this is a beautiful movie. Well shot, well acted, and original. Claire Danes was amazing. This could have really launched her career if it was just a little better. But make no mistake about it, if you like movies that are different and step out of the hollywood schema, this is definitely worth checking out. If your favorite movies are big blockbusters, don't waste your time. I personally feel that this movie could have been really great, but falls short of other greats in the genre like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". "It's All About Love" is a movie that commands your complete attention, and if you surrender to the story, it is one of the most unique movies you will see all year.

Well, first thing i noticed in the first 5 minutes of the movie: we see NYC in the year 2021, and the director didnt try to get into the usual Sci-Fi thing, no futuristic cars.. nothing is too weird as clothes, etc. the same NYC we see now, same yellow cabs, although its 15 years from now. since the 1st minute, and with the line: 'the last 7 days of my life' I knew i was going to watch something different, not the usual story telling, the boring action predictable thing. and thats what iwas hoping to see. all the 'weird' 'symbols' in the film: clonning of ice skaters, flying people in africa, people dying in the street of some heart attack and people stepping over them like it was a normal every day thing.. all these are not things to understand, rather feel. its the world we are living in. the earth is dying..and we all will have to go soon. the global warming..the wars every where.. THE LACK OF LOVE. not in the shallow sense, Romance, but in wider deeper sense. its what we have become now..and imagine what we will be in 15 years from today. the news reporting people flying in Uganda.. today news reports of all the people dying in stupid wars here and there.. they are both absurd! got it?? the last image in the film, where people are tied to ropes trying to stay oin earth... isnt it a strong image? to summon all these ideas? people trying hard to stay on earth, survive..
I cant explain this movie to you, simply cause it's made for adults.. grown ups, and if you are over 18 and cant digest it yet, then nothing on earth will ever do that. maybe you will have to experience the world in 20 years or so from now, and then you might be able to get what that film was trying to say. but it will be too late by then.
the movie was beautifully shot.. every scene was beautiful. the blue color expressing coldness (of feelings and weather). the weird clonned ice skaters.. we didnt see any single emotion or expressing of feelings from anyone but the 2 main characters, and Penn.
everyone here who didnt like the film was wondering what made this great talented cast join this film. I think you d just said it. cause they are good and know what they do. maybe you see things better than Penn, danes and phoenix. maybe they should consult you before choosing thier scripts from now on, cause obviously you are much morer intellectual and brighter than them.