“Well, that’s two hours of my life I’ll never get back.” It’s not a very original complaint (sorry!) but that’s what I was thinking, long before Love, the latest film from Gaspar Noé, was over. I wasn’t able to appreciate it. And it’s actually two hours and 14 minutes long, strictly speaking.
The film is called Love, but “Clueless Jerk,” might be a more apt title.
The main male character is an American in Paris named Murphy (Karl Glusman). His girlfriend, dark-haired Electra (Aomi Muyock), left him because he got another woman pregnant.
The film opens with Murphy and Electra having sex. Is that Murphy’s dream in the present day, or is that Noé telling us that they used to be a couple? Could be either, I guess. His phone rings and Murphy wakes up. He is in the same room (though it has different decor now) and the woman in the bed beside him is blonde. It’s New Year’s Day and the call is from Electra’s mother. She has not heard from her daughter for two or three months and she’s worried. Does Murphy know where she is?
There’s lots of voice over as we hear Murphy’s thoughts, which are not very interesting and (when it comes to the blonde, the mother of his child), quite rude and crude.
As the story unfolds we see that Murphy behaved very badly on many, many occasions. He wishes he could turn back time, though there’s no indication he would have behaved differently. In his mind, he declares his love for Electra, over and over. I was not convinced. Is he even serious about that, or is it just a story he’s telling himself, now that something bad might have happened to Electra, and she might be permantently out of his reach?
There are so many sex scenes in Love. I hear that you can see that kind of thing on the Internet, at home, for free. No need to go to the cinema! There isnt much laughter between this couple, though. What kind of relationship is that?
Love is in 3D, which added nothing to the experience for me, except for a scene where Murphy blows smoke rings, which was cool for a few seconds.
If you are already a Gaspar Noe fan, Love might be for you, especially since he will be in town to present the film.
LOVE, 134 Min, VOSTF
Written and directed by Gaspar Noé
Cast: Aomi Muyock, Karl Glusman, Klara Kristin, Juan Saavedra
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015 at 8 p.m.
Concordia University, Alumni Auditorium (H-110), Hall Building, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Montréal, QC
Friday, Oct. 9, 2015, 1:30 p.m.
Cinéma du Parc 2, 3575 Ave. du Parc
Read more about Love on the FNC web site. www.nouveaucinema.ca/en/films/love
The Festival du nouveau cinema runs from Oct. 7 until Oct. 18, 2015
Mostlymovies.ca 
That was very well written. I had to miss this movie during TIFF, and never regretted about it. I know many people simply loved it. But based on your review, I think I would have agreed with you. I don’t think I will spend my two hours watching something that has nothing special to offer.
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Thank you! I saw Love at a press screening. A friend told me that the regular screening was packed and that people seemed to love the film. To each their own, I guess! (Since that time, I talked to another person (male) who also liked it a lot. I did not have the chance to say “But, but. . . you didn’t think Murphy was a real jerk?” I mean, characters don’t have to be perfect (that would be boring, anyway) but I could not feel any sympathy for that guy!
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Well, this is what the viewer want to see nowadays… :))
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