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April 10, 2010

I Am Love in Dallas

Toby and I left LA two days ago and drove 22 hours, straight to the Dallas International Film Festival (which for better or worse everyone is still calling AFI Dallas), where I'm serving on the jury. There are a number of great films playing, but I'm excited to single one out, if for no other reason than to post a link to its absolutely exquisite trailer:

The trailer is a direct impression of the picture as a whole, a summation of its gorgeous formalism and bold swathes of melodrama (not to mention that swelling score by John Adams). I saw it at Sundance, knowing not a thing about it other than Tilda Swinton was in it (in itself, a reason to see just about any movie), and was overwhelmed both by its gilded exterior and by its forceful, declarative style, which altogether elevate this familial saga so far above the realm of Sirkian pastiche that it felt almost revelatory.

It's also a surprisingly apt pick for a film festival in Dallas, which (amongst its many other schizophrenic identities) fancies itself a Southwestern variant on Milan. This is a city whose famed Northpark Mall contains not only the most upscale fashion shops but a currency exchange: I Am Love is going to feel right at home on the big screen here.

Posted by David Lowery at April 10, 2010 3:57 PM