Watch It's All About Love

It's All About Love is a science-fiction drama film that was released in 2003, directed by Thomas Vinterberg. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, who played John, a professional ice skater, and Claire Danes, who played Elena, his estranged wife. Sean Penn also played an important role in the movie as Marciello, a pilot. The film is set in the year 2021 and is centered around John and Elena's complicated love story. John has just returned to New York City from a five-year tour in Europe to reconcile with his wife. However, things get complicated when Elena, who is a successful lawyer, starts to experience unusual supernatural phenomena. As the story unravels, the audience discovers that there is more to the supernatural occurrences than meets the eye, and it soon becomes clear that there is something larger at play.

Elena's sister, played by a wonderful Claire Higgins, is deeply concerned about the situation with her sister and employs the services of Marciello, a private detective, to investigate what is happening to Elena. As Marciello investigates, he discovers a conspiracy that threatens to tear the world apart. The film takes its viewers on a journey as the audience tries to put the puzzle pieces together, unsure of what is coming next.

Although the film takes place in the future, the way it was shot was designed for a particular ambience, an atmosphere of past-future, with obvious details from both. The setting is mostly in cold parts of the world, specifically New York and Poland. The film uses an interesting mix of wide shots, close-ups, and point-of-view shots to keep the audience engaged.

One important aspect of the movie is the acting, all the actors deliver remarkably powerful performances. Danes and Phoenix's on-screen chemistry blend particularly well throughout the movie. Phoenix gave emotional depth to his character making John's complex personality more relatable to the audience. It is a joy watching Claire Danes portray the struggling Elena with elegance and vulnerability. Sean Penn gives a relatively brief performance in the film but his character's impact is crucial to the plot's progression.

The score matches the movie's tone beautifully. The music was composed by Zbigniew Preisner, whose collaboration with director Vinterberg makes for a fascinating and eerie auditory experience. A combination of classical instruments and synthesized soundscapes provides an eerie atmosphere and is truly captivating.

One of the most impressive elements of this movie is the visual effects, which are exceptional. The cinematography team handled the visual effects brilliantly, making the unreal situations and futuristic cities feel convincing. The use of VFX and other special effects were subtle, serving the story and characters rather than overpowering them. The quality of the effects has stood the test of time, even 18 years after its initial release.

It's All About Love is a film that keeps you guessing, and it never resolves into the obvious choice. The ending is one of those that leaves you wondering for days, a grand and compelling finale. While the story may come across as somewhat disjointed at first due to its many different elements, all the pieces ultimately fit together elegantly. The movie is a unique experience, neither wholly sci-fi nor romance, but a strange but beautiful mix of both.

In conclusion, It's All About Love is an emotionally complex but captivating movie set in a future that has yet to unfold. It is a visually stunning film with haunting music and great performances from the ensemble cast, who managed to take their characters' emotions to the next level. Despite the other flaws, the movie is still fascinating to watch and well worth your time if you enjoy sci-fi, romance, and drama all mixed into one.