I am SO Love

Saw it again at the Castro Wednesday night. I am completely obsessed with I am Love, especially Tilda, the 'shape-shifter.' Upon my second helping, I was reminded of another gorgeous film that uses its musical score as a character. Jean-Luc Godard's Contempt.



It's not an obvious comparison but they do share certain undeniable qualities. First and foremost, neither of these films develop character exclusively with the actors. Music, place, costume play a role. Europe, different parts of Europe. A role. Even individual characters can be many people at once, take on a different persona.

Aside from featuring music as a pivotal player (Georges Delerue composed the music for Contempt and John Adams scored I am Love) both films are stylish, tragic, and about a transformation. Above all, both films share a key ingredient: a lead actress you can't take your eyes off of. Tilda and Brigitte. They are Emma and Camille, respectively. And they, at the same time, are neither.





I could dive deeper, but it's early on Friday morning and I've only had a few sips of coffee. This is, however, something I could talk about forever. I wrote my undergraduate English thesis on Contempt and I live for talking about movies. If you haven't seen I am Love, immediately add it to your Netflix queue. If you haven't seen Contempt, get on that. Pronto.