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.

Fans of Hitchcock should rush to see Roman Polanski’s new thriller, The Ghost Writer. We saw it over the weekend and were bowled over by his brilliant direction. There are interesting parallels to Polanski’s current situation, as an ex-British Prime Minister clearly modeled on Tony Blair (played by Pierce Brosnan) finds himself exiled due to an indictment for war crimes. Of course Polanski has been exiled in one way or another his whole life. The film glides forward seamlessly as the plot elements kick in and the suspense mounts. The acting is uniformly great with numerous big name actors playing relatively minor parts. Just like a good Hitchcock, you feel that you’re in the hands of a master, guiding you confidently through the twists and turns of this intriguing, sophisticated thriller.

I found this 1999 film by trolling through Netflix and didn’t expect much. Turns out it’s an achingly bittersweet love triangle set in a Budapest restaurant in the 1930s, loaded with East European sophistication and world weary charm. Of course we know the Nazis are coming, and when they do the plot ratchets up, but the film remains true to its appealing ménage a trois. The movie ran for six months at an art house in Beverly Hills, and I can understand why. It’s a real sleeper, with a lovely denouement. The song “Gloomy Sunday” that plays a key part in the plot was composed by a Hungarian in the 30s and was rumored to have sparked hundreds of suicides throughout Europe and America.

Saw a delightful film last week that I think marks the arrival of a new star in Carey Mulligan. The film is a coming of age tale set in the early 60s in London about a bright, sheltered teenage girl (Ms. Mulligan) studying for an Oxford scholarship who meets a charming and somewhat mysterious older man. That’s all I’m going to say about this bittersweet comedy, except that if you like great writing and acting, and want to see the breakthrough film by a soon to be major star, then An Education is for you.

Saw this wonderful film recently with Audrey Tautou. All about Coco Chanel before she became Coco Chanel. I enjoyed the sophisticated treatment of her rise, from orphan to music hall singer to country squire’s mistress to proprietor of a small hat shop in Paris. Tautou is excellent as the independent, driven woman who would later revolutionize the fashion world. The photography is magnificent, the costumes are ravishing, and the lush interiors of French country chateaus gave me several ideas for clients. Not to be missed.