Okay, let me say it up front. This is a stunning film! A cinema lover’s feast of riches. Directed by Luca Guadagnino, it’s a hybrid of
ANNA KARENINA and
MADAME BOVARY, echoing the operatic grandiosity of Visconti, the emotional complexities of Antonioni and the extravagant passionate heights of Sirk. Set in Italy, a wealthy Milanese family celebrates the birthday of the dying patriarch (Gabriele Ferzetti of
L'AVVENTURA) as he passes on the family’s fortune and business to his son (Pippo Delbono) and grandson (Flavio Parenti). But it’s the son’s Russian wife (Tilda Swinton) that is the focus of the film, a woman on the brink of self discovery and discontent and a forbidden love affair that results in grand tragedy. The sensational score is comprised of the concert works and operas of John Adams. Bold and rich music that proclaims the great scores of the Golden era (though as noted none of it written with cinema in mind), none of this subtle modernist stuff. Swinton, no surprise, anchors the film with another superb performance and does it all in Italian and Russian, too! With Marisa Berenson (
CABARET), looking elegant as ever as the family matriarch
. Highly recommended.
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