The synopsis of ‘It’s All About Love’ reads very much like that of any other science fiction film. In the year 2021 the world is on the brink of meltdown; all over the planet people are dropping down dead in the street due to an unspecified heart complaint, in Uganda civilians are rising from ... Read review
Spectacularly ambitious... astonishingly imaginative Time Out Thomas Vinterberg's It's ... more
All About Love takes place in the near future and tells the story of two lovers fighting for their love and ultimately for their lives in a world out of balance. I...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Thomas Vinterberg's It's All About Love takes place in the near future and tells the story ... more
of two lovers fighting for their love and ultimately for their lives in a world out of balance. It is a classic love story with elements of Hitchcockian suspense.John (Joaquin Phoenix) and the world famous ice skater Elena (Claire Danes) have a cosmopolitan marriage and have lived apart for a number of years. John in Poland, Elena mostly in New York. Time has made the distance between them grow, and eventually John goes to see Elena in New York to get a divorce. But as John arrives in New York he realises that unexpected and inexplicable things are going on around Elena. The people he knew as friends, might not be friends after all. The love that he thought had died, bursts into flame again. And it becomes up to John to save Elena from her destiny. If he can.
From the first lyric notes struck by Carla Cook on this album, it's clear that the word ... more
"versatile" barely begins to describe her talents as a vocalist. Cook has a smoky voice that relishes the lower ranges, where flurries of lyrics get spooled together only to come rolling out in a variety of quick and slow paces, brief and elongated durations, and more. Her educational training is apt for her talents: she studied speech communication and makes exactness of phrase sound downright artful, frequently dropping in tiny scat elements that keep the music skipping and full of bounce. Cook's band expands around the sublime piano work of Cyrus Chestnut (or the more rambunctious piano of Andy Milne) to include violinist Regina Carter, who has a prodigious fullness of tone. Cook tackles tunes by Milton Nascimento, Marvin Gaye, and even Neil Young. And it all works flawlessly. A 1999 Grammy Award nominee, Cook is destined to make high marks. --Andrew Bartlett
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
The Seventh Day Elena The Man In The Plane Uganda Spectre The Sixth Day My Heart ... more
Future Bar It's Time First Night Together The Fifth Day Obsession Ira Dei Rainy Night Fourth Day Fields Of Death Ira Del Chaos Mundi The Two Last Days It's All About Love Like A Dream
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Drama - Director: Kevin Smith - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, George Carlin, Jennifer Lopez, Jason Biggs, Matt Damon
Advantages: A beautiful work of art Disadvantages: A slow and confusing film
The synopsis of ‘It’s All About Love’ reads very much like that of any other science fiction film. In the year 2021 the world is on the brink of meltdown; all over the planet people are dropping down dead in the street due to an unspecified heart complaint, in Uganda civilians are rising from the ground and flying, and in New York it’s snowing in July. Against this backdrop of cosmic disturbance a young couple are meeting to sign their divorce papers. ... ...(Clare Danes) a world famous ice skater now based in New York, have let distance and circumstance tear them apart. What is meant to be a two hour stopover to sign some papers turns into a week of intrigue and peril as John realises there are sinister forces at work in Elena’s life and in trying to save her simultaneously realises that regardless of distance and circumstance, it’s all about love.
At its most simplistic, without revealing ... more
The synopsis of ‘It’s All About Love’ reads very much like that of any other science fiction film. In the year 2021 the world is on the brink of meltdown; all over the planet people are dropping down dead in the street due to an unspecified heart complaint, in Uganda civilians are rising from the ground and flying, and in New York it’s snowing in July. Against this backdrop of cosmic disturbance a young couple are meeting to sign their divorce papers. John (Joaquin Phoenix) a literature professor in Poland and Elena (Clare Danes) a world famous ice skater now based in New York, have let distance and circumstance tear them apart. What is meant to be a two hour stopover to sign some papers turns into a week of intrigue and peril as John realises there are sinister forces at work in Elena’s life and in trying to save her simultaneously realises that regardless of distance and circumstance, it’s all about love.
At its most simplistic, without revealing any major plot twists or revelations that is what this film is about, a love story on threshold of the next ice age; but ‘It’s All About Love’ is about as far from ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ as you could possibly get. Writer/director Thomas Vinterberg (co-writer of the ‘Dogme’ film manifesto) has called the film ‘a report on the state of the world’. The report though is not one of environmental scare mongering, but rather about the state of human relationships and a deliberately cryptic one at that. The film almost totally sacrifices a linear narrative in favour of allegory (the unspecified heart complaint is the absence of love) and attempts at profundity. Hence though there are occasions where the dialogue can be beautiful it’s near complete reluctance to advance the plot (or our understanding of what’s going on) can often be frustrating.
Frustrating too is the other major plot strand. The ‘thriller’ element to the film relies on you accepting that being an ice skater in the ‘not too distant future’ is very much like being Madonna and that an entire company (or ‘family’) would be dependant on such a super star. So if such a commodity wanted to retire attempts to dissuade or replace them would be suitably dastardly and drastic. Without totally giving the game away these attempts have a sci-fi flavour too which, on occasion, can be genuinely spooky. The difficultly isn’t suspending your disbelief, it’s understanding what’s going on as Elena’s plight is never really fully explained logically and symbolically is harder to fathom than lack of love weakening one’s heart. Just what is Vinterberg trying to say? Should we merely put it down to an excuse to use some striking visual effects and as a catalyst for some Hitchcockian flights across an Art Deco New York?
Perhaps this is the best way to look at it, Vinterberg claims that the plot of the film is unimportant to him and as for genre, he categorises it as a dream. Dream like it is and visually ‘It’s All About Love’ is a masterpiece. It’s one of those films that you could pause at any point and the resultant frame would always be stunning thanks to DoP Anthony Dod Mantle (also responsible for ‘Dogville’). As is the fashion more recently (even in mainstream sci-fi like ‘Paycheck’) the future of our planet takes inspiration from the past. Costumes and sets are very reminiscent of the forties and fifties. Production Designer Ben van Os (Oscar nominated for his work on ‘Orlando’) creates the ostentatiously false the world of ‘It’s All About Love’ and builds it on a scale reminiscent of the old school of film making. If there is one notable visual comparison to be made it is with Hitchcock’s 1950s and 60s Technicolor thrillers (‘Vertigo’, ‘The Birds’ and ‘Marnie’ in particular). In addition to being just generally stunning the film offers some set pieces guaranteed to delight and astound including an amazingly shot, climactic ice dance which would put any performance of ‘Swan Lake’ to shame.
Those of you familiar with Vinterberg and Lars Von Trier’s Dogme Manifesto will be thinking that all this spectacle couldn’t be further from the rules of filmmaking the pair laid down in 1995. In fact ‘It’s All About Love’ is so far from those rigid constraints that Co-writer Mogens Rukov calls the film ‘Anti-Dogme’; sets, studios, no hand held cameras, Phoenix claimed he spent more time in front of a green screen for this film than he did making ‘Gladiator’.
Just as breathtaking as its striking visuals is the film’s score by Zbigniew Preisner. Best known for his work on Kieslowski’s Three Colours Trilogy, Preisner is as responsible for setting the film’s tone of unreality as any of its vivid visuals or bizarre turns of events. It is a tapestry of delights encompassing a huge array of styles from melancholy piano and strings, to eerie nursery rhyme like refrains and from haunting and heartbreaking choirs to gentle forties jazz. One of the film’s great successes is its music and thanks to Preisner’s imaginative and emotive work it is worth watching for its score alone.
In this dreamlike state of filmmaking performances are harder to judge. Phoenix is unshakably brilliant and carries off his Polish accent with aplomb. John is very much the staple of Phoenix’s back catalogue a restrained, brooding and highly attractive man – perhaps this is just what Phoenix brings with him to a part. Having a little more trouble with her accent is Clare Danes, accents aside the part of Elena gives Danes far more opportunity to stretch her range and the multifaceted performance she delivers has a good deal more personality than purely a damsel in distress. Even when portraying the most featured, subdued version of Elena you can’t help but feel Danes’ slight woodenness is a deliberate tribute to Tippi Hedren in her roles as Hitch’s ice cold blonde.
The supporting cast are limited in screen time but well put together and including two stalwarts of British television Alun Armstrong and Mark Strong. The altogether strangest part is that of John’s brother Marciello played (with less than perfect polish intonation) by Sean Penn. Perpetually in on a plane Penn narrates by recording letters to John, like Vinterberg he is writing a report on the state of the world and offers us some glimpse at what the director is trying to communicate to us. As ever though, it is just out of reach.
There is so much beauty in ‘It’s All About Love’ it’s worth appreciating simply as a wonderful work of art. As a film however, it’s confusing, frustrating and unbelievably slow paced. Take your pick.
To hear some of the film's stunning score visit the official website.
Advantages: good idea, good characters, funny, good stories, good value Disadvantages: your child may become obbessed with it!
's really good for children between the ages of 1-5. You will loveall the characters and it's quite humorous.
The DVD itself is about £7 and it's run time is 51 minutes and its rated U. I would recommend you buy this DVD if you have a child between the age range of 1-5 as it's a real good programme. ...
Advantages: 1 hour of fantasy anf magic Disadvantages: didnt find any
maybe it is because I loveall the movie of barbie, but I found this DVD fantastic! it is about 1 and 15 minutes of colors, magic and stars. for those who love faires and for all little girls, this animated movies will bring you to the wings of fantasy and to magic worlds. I like the plot because it is about friendship and how important is working togheter to reach our dream. the final part is very beautiful with music and colors. The little friend Bibble is adorable and all the faires have wings and clothes full of colors. I would suggest to buy this DVD , it is beautiful for children and adults and give you 1 hour where you can dream to be a fairy too. ...
Advantages: A great twist and an excellent film Disadvantages: Don't think it's got that special quality to make you want to watch it again and again
I was looking forward to this film for weeks before it arrived at my local cinema, and I was not dissappointed. The twist in this film was superb, I didn't have a clue that it was coming right up until it happened, although my husband claimed to have figured it out minutes into the film but magnanimously didn't tell me aboutit because he didn't want to spoil it for me (hm, not sure I believe him!)
I loved the film at the cinema and told all of my friends to go and see it, the only thing that concerns me about the film on DVD is that once you know what the twist is going to be the build up, and the revelation itself might be completely lost. I don't think that this is a film that you could watch again and again, and for me that is what it takes for me to splash out on a DVD (I'm too mean to buy something I won't get my money's worth ...
Two lovers attempt to save their relationship in a future world which is on the verge of collapse. As they are about to sign their divorce papers they realise that their love is worth fighting for...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
2 ENTERTAIN VIDEO; SONY DADC, 4DVD; SPIRIT ENTERTAINMENT; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES, CINEMA CLUB; SONY DADC; CINEMA CLUB
Release date
26/07/2004, 05/06/2006
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
VCD 0387, CCD 30493
Barcode
5014138039912, 5014138304935
Composer
Zbigniew Preisner
Director of Photography
Anthony Dod Mantle
Languages
Main Language
English
Subtitle Language
English
Hearing Impaired Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Commentary - 1. Thomas Vinterberg - Director, Interviews with Cast, Trailer, Cast Interviews , Director's Commentary,
Sound
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Dolby Surround Stereo
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo English
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Professional reviews
Review
"...A beautiful film... a near masterpiece..." (News of the World, )
A beautiful film set in the future, a tale of impending divorce for a young couple who manage to rediscover their love. Joaquin Phoenix (GLADIATOR) and Claire Danes (ROMEO+JULIET) play John and Elena who agree to meet up one last time to finalise their divorce. He must meet his world-famous figure-skating wife in a futuristic Manhattan, and accompanies her for a skating premiere, before signing the papers, and then she asks for his help. Sean Penn (MYSTIC RIVER) plays John's brother who's always trying to call him, and all the while the second Ice Age is drawing ever closer, in parts of the world gravity is beginning to fail and dead bodies of the unburied litter the streets. FESTEN director Thomas Vinterberg has created a beautiful, thought-provoking film.
Compare It's All About Love (DVD) to other similar Drama »
Similar products and search queries by other users »
Its DVD, Its All DVD, Its About DVD, Its Love DVD, Its All About DVD, Its All Love DVD, Its About Love DVD, Its All About Love DVD, It s DVD, It s All DVD, It s About DVD, It s Love DVD, It s All About DVD, It s All Love DVD, It s About Love DVD
Are you the manufacturer / provider of It's All About Love (DVD)? Click here