Its All About Love

While its become cliché to say, "That is two hours of my life I can never get back!", and I hate to be cliché; this is EXACTLY what came to mind at the conclusion of t... more >

While its become cliché to say, "That is two hours of my life I can never get back!", and I hate to be cliché; this is EXACTLY what came to mind at the conclusion of the truly idiotic 'Its All About Love'. A movie that seems bent on being odd just for the sake of it, this silly 20003 Sci Fi (sort of) from Director Vinterberg's boasts some impressive Star Power.

Set in 2021, Joaquin Phoenix plays a man who comes to New York City to sign his wife's and his divorce papers (apparently human kind has lost the knowledge of fax machine technology in the intervening years!); and winds up getting drawn into a twisted and convoluted plot to replicate and eventually murder his Polish ice-skating star spouse.

Said skating spouse is played by the talented Claire Danes; who, like Phoenix, is wasted in this confusing and nonsensical story. But an even greater waste of resources (and studio money!) is the presence in the film of Sean Penn; playing Phoenix’s loving brother who, once afraid to fly and treated with “an injection”, now can do nothing with his life EXCEPT fly around the globe, writing meaningless articles about the state of the world (for who?) at 30,000 feet. An “interesting” story device this, one that prevents Penn from ever appearing in a scene opposite his co-stars; he literally phones in his performance. In every scene he appears in, his only function is to leave messages on brother-Phoenix’s voice mail. Ah, what a fine place the world will be when we can at last use our cell phones while flying high above the Pacific Ocean!

I soon wondered why Penn was in this film at all, as his character was completely worthless to the advancement of the plot. Still later, I realized the film really had no plot to advance; and that all of this talent was pretty much worthless and wasted here.

This story seemed crafted with the fine eye of a Middle School creative writing student; though I doubt he or she would have received a passing grade if they turned in this script!

I give the pointless and silly ‘Its All About Love’ a solid “F”. Its not the worst movie I have ever seen (that honor belongs to 2000’s awful Japanese offering, “Versus”), it’s in the Top 10. I watched at first bewildered, then stunned, and finally laughing. It was so bad it was actually funny. < less

Set in the near future, It’s All About Love is an ambitious and elaborate apocalyptic fairy tale that uses bizarre ecological malfunctions to express the disconnection... more >

Set in the near future, It’s All About Love is an ambitious and elaborate apocalyptic fairy tale that uses bizarre ecological malfunctions to express the disconnection between individuals and to portray a world that is literally freezing through a lack of love. This unashamedly romantic rhetoric is clearly illustrated in the main characters – an ice dancer and her husband on the brink of finalising their divorce who discover too late they cannot live apart and "The Man On The Plane", condemned to constantly fly above the earth disconnected from everyone he loves philosophising on the fate of the planet on his mobile phone. The polar opposite of his Dogma debut Festen, it is encouraging to see Vinterberg's eagerness to push the boundaries of his talent and the medium to deliver this intriguing oddity. < less

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DVD Extras

• Commentary by Thomas Vinterberg.

Film Details

Cast

Joaquin Phoenix, Claire Danes

Technical Details