Love Is All You Need
Starring Pierce Brosnan, Trine Dyrholm
Directed by Susanne Bier
In a cinematic world where romantic comedies are drowned in a sea of paper thin characters and endless clich茅s, its refreshing to see a film that skillfully balances adult relationships in a funny and sometimes dramatically frank manner.
Director Susanne Bier, better known for movies steeped in drama (Things We Lost in the Fire, In a Better World), strikes a decidedly different tone in Love Is All You Need and the results are often genuinely humourous and sometimes rather poignant.
Danish hairdresser Ida (Trine Dyrholm) is not only dealing with cancer treatment but a husbands affair with the girl from accounting. She travels to Italy for her daughters wedding and meets widower Philip (Pierce Brosnan) who just happens to be the father of the groom.He also has his own set of issues, closing himself off from social interaction and still harbouring anger at the world for the death of his wife.
Set against the gorgeous Naples coastline, all manner of family dramatics and absurd situations ensue, sometimes to a fault as the story veers into many tangents that dont always pan out.
However, Dyrholms compelling and heartfelt performance coupled with Brosnans icy exterior, which slowly begins to melt, keep the film engaging. The writing, thanks in part to Bier, offers a beautiful blend of passion and verve that doesnt insult the intelligence of an adult audience.
Love Is All You Need fizzles a bit towards the conclusion but offers up a pleasing tale its romance with a beating heart.
