If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be a wealthy Italian living in a glorious villa in Milan surrounded by the most beautiful things imaginable, “I Am Love” will give you a glimpse. What’s really special about this sumptuous, sensual, ravishingly photographed Italian film is the way the plot escalates. The characters progress from cool sophistication to passionate intensity, leading to a train wreck of a conclusion that left me stupefied. And Tilda Swinton has never been better.
Archive for June, 2010
I Am Love
Faithful Place
If you’re a mystery fan and haven’t read Tana French, it’s about time you discovered what you’re missing. Her award-winning debut, “Into the Woods”, was a brilliant murder mystery set in Dublin. She then made one of the characters the lead in her equally absorbing second book, “The Likeness.” This device has become a habit, as a character from “The Likeness” is the focal point of her third book, “Faithful Place.” Her prose moves at the speed of sound, her plotting is never predictable and her characters are always compelling. Great beach books.
Art for the Dining Room Table
Among the firms featured at the Maison France show in Manhattan recently was Lapparra, a silversmith of unsurpassed elegance. Yes, these pieces all belong on a dining table, but it’s hard to imagine actually getting them soiled with food. Where they truly belong is in a display case, to look at and admire the design and craftsmanship that went into their creation. I had a long talk with the owner, a former architect who bought the firm recently because he shares the passion of the Lapparra artisans for work of the highest quality.
