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Love Is All You Need
| Released |
19 April 2013 |
| Director |
Susanne Bier |
Starring
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Pierce Brosnan, Trine Dyrholm, Kim Bodnia, Paprika Steen, Molly Blixt Engelind, Sebastian Jessen |
| Writer(s) |
Anders Thomas Jensen |
Producer(s)
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Sisse Graum Jorgensen, Vibeke Windelov |
Origin
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Denmark, Sweden, Italy, France, Germany |
| Running Time |
116 minutes |
| Genre |
Comedy, romance |
| Rating |
15A |
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Oddly lovable.
Love Is All You Need is a sharply observed romantic comedy from Danish director Susanne Bier, her follow-up to In a Better World which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2011. And while Love Is All You Need is unlikely to win any big awards, it succeeds as a heart-warming story of love and reconciliation.
The plot of Love Is All You Need threads a fine line between typical romance clichés and offbeat humour. When Danish hairdresser Ida (Trine Dyrholm), discovers that her husband has been cheating on her while she underwent treatment for cancer, she ditches him to attend the wedding of their daughter alone. Here she meets Philip (Pierce Brosnan) the cantankerous father of the groom, still reeling emotionally from the loss of his wife. To say that the two lost souls eventually come together despite initially clashing will probably come as a surprise to absolutely no one.
But it is the way that Bier handles a familiar story with such grace and clever deviation from expected patterns that sets Love Is All You Need apart. Its plot may have bizarre echoes of the film Mamma Mia, but Love Is All You Need is a far cry from the typical Hollywood rom-com formula. The two middle aged leads convey a genuine range of emotions, with Brosnan in particular delivering a satisfyingly extensive character arc. Thankfully his character is English, so he isn’t forced to attempt to speak Danish.
Something that may throw audiences is the fact that the English language title is a bit bland, given that the original Danish title Den Skaldede Frisør, literally translates as 'The Bald Hairdresser'. But despite what its title suggests Love Is All You Need is far more than standard romantic comedy fare, and instead manages to blend deep and often difficult emotions with an uplifting love story. The dark humour keeps things from becoming too conventional or predictable (or worse, boring) while the sharp cinematography and convincing performances keep things rolling along nicely.
Love Is All You Need may not be a big award winning or life changing piece of filmmaking, but it’s an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.
- Bernard O’Rourke |
