Title: Love
Rating: Not Rated
Director: Gaspar Noé
Starring: Karl Glusman, Aomi Muyock, Klara Kristin, Gaspar Noé
Runtime: 2 hrs 21 mins

What is it: A man in an unsatisfying marriage recalls the details of an intense past relationship with an ex-girlfriend when he gets word that she may be missing. 

What we think:  Dark, dramatic, and enticing. Released in 2015 this French film is anything but subtle. Gaspar Noé attempts to answer the one question which many have asked but few if any at all can answer: “What is love?” Several have felt it, however, this topic seems to be easier seen and felt than explained verbally. Visually and emotionally it captures the polarity of what love can look like including the extreme highs and lows displayed throughout the story. There are many aspects in relation to the film’s production that truly helped to support the story. Since the aspect of love is such an integral part of the overall story, the choices regarding lighting and location worked really well in conjunction with each other. Throughout the film, there has been consistent use of light and dark between each scene and adding this element only helped to highlight what should be the main focus which is the theme. The cinematography was also another successful part of this wonderful film. When considering the Director’s intention behind particular scenes added, every shot and camera angle had a specific reason for existing. None of the shots used were placed carelessly within the film. Even with as explicit as the sex scenes are, the director’s choice in camera angles and lighting only demonstrated that sex scenes can be added while also conveying the overall message. The only thing unpleasing to me was the choice of music involved in certain scenes which made this film a little cliché at times. Overall, I was impressed with Gaspar Noe’s ability to show the maddening one extreme or the other polarity that this very dynamic can create in an already quite chaotic world. 

Our grade: A, This is a film which would captivate many from its sheer honesty into a very deep and complex subject. This movie is a perfect blend of drama, love, and overall amazing production value. This film may upset certain individuals who strictly buy into the fantasy of what society is told to believe what love “should” look like but real lasting change has never been achieved through peace and harmony. Sometimes you can’t always keep the peace.