At his birthday, old man Recchi (Gabriele Ferzetti), a rich industrialist, hands over control of the family business in equal parts to his son Tancredi (Pippo Delbono) and his grandson Edoardo (Flavio Parenti), as he figures it takes more than one man to replace him. And good thing he did that while still alive as a few months later he's gone - and Tancredi and Edoardo seem to constantly clash about the directio the company's supposed to take: While Tancredi wants to modernize, even if that means laying off some staff, Edoardo wants to honour the ideals of his grandfather, even if financial success suffers from it. And to balance his life in high finance, Edoardo has decided to help his friend Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini), a brilliant chef, to fulfill his biggest dream and open up a restaurant somewhere up the hills with a perfect view of the countryside. Meanwhile, Emma (Tilda Swinton), Tancredi's wife and Edoarso's mother, feels all alone in their vast mansion, especially since her daughter Betta (Alba Rohrwacher) has gone to study abroad as well. And making excursions to the countryside on her own, she eventually runs into Antonio, who very innocently offers her to show her his restaurant-to-be. Things don't stay innocent for long, as the two soon embark on a steamy affair. But once the steam is gone they realize they have honest feelings for one another - and that has them both in a fix for obvious reasons. Things get complicated when Emma is tasked to set up a company dinner for her husband and son's company, with Antonio as their chef of choice. But things really come to a head at the dinner itself ...

Now I have to admit, narratively this film meanders a bit and has a definite soap opera feel to it. But everything's also captured in atmospheric pictures, teeming with lush colours, and the locations in themselves are simply beautiful. And add to that a first class cast and a truly operatic finale, and you come up with ... well, not a masterpiece, but still an immensely watchable movie that's sure to capture you at a visual and emotional level.

I Am Love will be released on digital in the UK by Vertigo Releasing on April 17th, 2025.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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