Love (2015)

Anyone seen this yet? I can't find a thread anywhere. Just watched it tonight, so I'll drop a quick review later.

This just hit our local theaters this month.

So, basically: Gaspar Noé doing his usual provocative thing with a story about empty lives: Love (2015)

Honestly? It wasn't great for me. Though, it definitely left an impression... Regardless of how much you could debate the length of certain scenes or the way they use hardcore pornography—you know, those unsimulated sex scenes without any censorship at all.

Maybe it just drags on too long? To me, some scenes feel totally random or just stay on screen way longer than they should. It’s not like watching Steve McQueen, Jim Jarmusch, or Lars von Trier where there's always something happening with the actors... instead, it's just these empty shots where nothing concrete actually occurs—you just don't feel any life in them.

And what can you even say about the acting? It feels like a lack of experience from the cast (do they even want to be there?) which makes it so hard for them to convey real emotion... and that's a huge missing piece if you want the movie to feel complete. Plus, the dialogue is just unconvincing, built on these super basic, cliché patterns.

That said, the concept is pretty interesting! You've got this non-linear plot jumping around through flashbacks, mostly moving from the end toward the beginning... plus the visuals are cool and the camera work adds a lot to that dark, depressing atmosphere.

You can also kind of read the director's own personal story through the characters... maybe he's the main guy or it's a story about his parents—who knows? To sum it up: I missed the emotion and the sentimentality from the characters. Because of all that heavy sexual exposure, the movie ends up showing nothing else but an empty story about empty lives...

I honestly found myself completely unmoved by this film. In my opinion, it’s easily his weakest work to date. The characters felt tedious and draining, making their entire narrative arc feel just as uninspired and dull. On top of that, even from a technical standpoint, the 3D execution was quite poorly handled.

I was literally ducking for cover during that one scene just so I wouldn't get hit by the splash 😬

Man, imagine if they took 3D porn 😁 and upgraded it to 4D... some of those ladies in the audience might actually pass out from the shock 😬

Is it tough? Like, seriously intense? Well, it’s Gaspar Noé, so you already know it’s going to be a total trip. 😁

Ethan Palmer61 said:Is it tough? Like, seriously intense? Well, it’s Gaspar Noé, so you already know it’s going to be a total trip. 😁

I mean, it definitely hits those notes, but it doesn't feel like your classic, mind-bending Gaspar Noé flick. It’s more like... a moderate drama? It lacks those heavy, totally disorienting sequences you get in movies like Enter the Void or Irreversible. His characters are suffering here, sure, but the acting just didn't hit me hard enough to actually feel for them...

Is there a way to download this? If anyone has a link, shoot me a PM 😁

Angela Alvarez10 said:Is there a way to download this? If anyone has a link, shoot me a PM 😁

It just hit theaters here in the States. You'll be waiting a long time if you want to see it at home... 🙂

rustywalker42 said:Anyone seen this yet? I can't find a thread anywhere. Just watched it tonight, so I'll drop a quick review later.

Maybe I should've just written the review for myself. Good call on that one. 😁

Amanda Robinson4 said:This just hit our local theaters this month.

So, basically: Gaspar Noé doing his usual provocative thing with a story about empty lives: Love (2015)

Honestly? It wasn't great for me. Though, it definitely left an impression... Regardless of how much you could debate the length of certain scenes or the way they use hardcore pornography—you know, those unsimulated sex scenes without any censorship at all.

Maybe it just drags on too long? To me, some scenes feel totally random or just stay on screen way longer than they should. It’s not like watching Steve McQueen, Jim Jarmusch, or Lars von Trier where there's always something happening with the actors... instead, it's just these empty shots where nothing concrete actually occurs—you just don't feel any life in them.

And what can you even say about the acting? It feels like a lack of experience from the cast (do they even want to be there?) which makes it so hard for them to convey real emotion... and that's a huge missing piece if you want the movie to feel complete. Plus, the dialogue is just unconvincing, built on these super basic, cliché patterns.

That said, the concept is pretty interesting! You've got this non-linear plot jumping around through flashbacks, mostly moving from the end toward the beginning... plus the visuals are cool and the camera work adds a lot to that dark, depressing atmosphere.

You can also kind of read the director's own personal story through the characters... maybe he's the main guy or it's a story about his parents—who knows? To sum it up: I missed the emotion and the sentimentality from the characters. Because of all that heavy sexual exposure, the movie ends up showing nothing else but an empty story about empty lives...

Same here. Honestly, the nudity didn't even bother me. It never felt like gratuitous porn just for the sake of being explicit. It actually served a purpose.

Maybe it drags on too long. Honestly? Some scenes feel totally pointless or just stretch out way past their welcome. It’s not like watching Steve McQueen, Jim Jarmusch, or Lars von Trier where there's actually something happening with the actors. Instead, you just get these empty shots where nothing concrete is going on. You don't even feel any sense of life in them. Why bother?

Not me. I mean, I actually dig that whole audiovisual experience vibe—where the frame doesn't even need a specific plot point happening to be good.

What are we even supposed to do about this amateur acting? Do these people actually want to act? It’s impossible to feel any real emotion from them, and that lack of soul makes the whole movie fall flat. Not to mention the dialogue—just a bunch of unconvincing, cliché-ridden lines that anyone could have written. Total waste of time.

Honestly? I feel the exact opposite. I actually loved how everyone handled it.

The concept is what actually makes this movie worth watching. It uses this non-linear structure—lots of jumping around through flashbacks or just working backward from the end to the beginning. Throw in those visuals and all that camera work, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for a dark, depressing atmosphere. Makes you wonder if they did it just to mess with us?

I'm with them on this one. Every single word.

Bottom line? I’m missing any shred of actual emotion or sentimentality from these characters. There's just too much sex and not enough substance. It ends up being nothing more than a hollow story about hollow lives. What's the point?

Interesting take. I’d have to rewatch it since I didn't write my review right after seeing it, BUT empty stories and empty lives—that's exactly how most people live. That's the real world we're surrounded by.

Angela Davis4 said:I honestly found myself completely unmoved by this film. In my opinion, it’s easily his weakest work to date. The characters felt tedious and draining, making their entire narrative arc feel just as uninspired and dull. On top of that, even from a technical standpoint, the 3D execution was quite poorly handled.

I'd put it in the same tier as his other films, but what specifically do you mean about the technical side being bad?

Ethan Palmer61 said:Is it tough? Like, seriously intense? Well, it’s Gaspar Noé, so you already know it’s going to be a total trip. 😁

To me, it’s heavy, painful, typical Gaspar Noé. But hey, that’s just me. I think most people won't "get" it on first watch. It's one of those movies where you need time to let it sink in. A friend of mine watched it at the same time I did; he wasn't feeling it at first either, but he grew to like it once he actually sat with it and thought about it.

A lot of people will probably reject it—consciously or not—because of the pornography aspect, maybe even rejecting him as a director because of it. Personally, I didn't view the film through that lens, which I think might be the sticking point for most people.

Well, I guess it really just comes down to the viewer, right? The thing is, these aren't exactly A-list Hollywood stars, and we’re looking at an experimental style here. Honestly, the nudity doesn't bother me either—I actually find the concept pretty interesting when it's woven into art films. I mean, it's not like we don't do this stuff in our own lives all the time, and there isn't a single part of the human body being shown that we haven't seen before. In these kinds of movies, the sex isn't meant to assault the audience; you can achieve that much more gracefully with subtle eroticism that doesn't even have to show everything. I agree that nothing should be treated as taboo, so that alone doesn't trigger any weird reaction for me.

But, I don't know, there were moments where it felt like a bit much for me... It seems to be this trendy thing certain directors do now, and hey, life moves slow sometimes, so okay... but I really wonder what an actor is supposed to be "doing" when absolutely nothing is happening. Like, if he's just lying in bed, unable to get up, and we're just staring at a static shot of him blinking for thirty seconds... something *is* happening internally: will he get up? Is he brooding? Is he wasted? But if the actor lacks experience or hasn't quite grasped the assignment, they end up trying way too hard to project something that just isn't there. And you can tell. Plus, when they're actually hooking up, they act like total maniacs! They're so tense and awkward that instead of channeling energy into actual emotion, they just throw out these performative movements that are supposed to be emotional but totally miss the mark. It's unsettling, but you just can't empathize with it. You get the plot, sure, but you don't *feel* it through empathy.

To give you a comparison with similar films: think *The Age of Adaline* or Lars von Trier's *Nymphomaniac*. Especially with von Trier—he has plenty of scenes without a single word spoken, but nothing feels missing with him. That's because he works with much better, higher-quality actors, and he structures the drama so perfectly that everything lands. The sex scenes feel like a natural extension of the story. First, he hits you with the heavy drama or a gritty, realistic conflict, and then the sex scene follows as a logical consequence of the situation. Plus, his actors don't actually go all the way; they use body doubles and just CGI the lead actor's face onto the body. When actors engage in actual unsimulated sex on screen, you can't fake that, and it turns into this kind of exhibitionism that can actually mess up their careers. Other directors have experimented with this too, and after those movies, it's rare to see those actors working again. The exception might be Chloë Sevigny and Vincent Gallo, who were actually together during filming—where he was basically smoking a joint right in front of everyone. Anyway, that movie flopped with both audiences and critics regardless...

But look, I'm saying that even those films (like von Trier's) aren't for everyone. I totally get why someone would find them boring! But personally, I love watching movies like that because they have a real plot, sharp dialogue, they actually make me think, and the acting is top-tier.

With Gaspar Noé, my issue is just that it feels like he's trying too hard. I get what he's going for, I really do. I understand the vision, but until I actually *feel* what's happening on screen, I'm left feeling like something is missing. Look, I agree with the point that this reflects how many people actually live—living these empty, hollow lives—but unless I truly feel the ache of that emptiness in these characters, the movie feels unfinished to me. And that comes down to the acting. Everything else was great: the atmosphere, the camera work, the shots, the pacing, the editing... all of it.

It's a good film, but *Enter the Void* and *Irreversible* are better for me.

rustywalker42 said:Maybe I should've just written the review for myself. Good call on that one. 😁

Same here. Honestly, the nudity didn't even bother me. It never felt like gratuitous porn just for the sake of being explicit. It actually served a purpose.

Maybe it drags on too long. Honestly? Some scenes feel totally pointless or just stretch out way past their welcome. It’s not like watching Steve McQueen, Jim Jarmusch, or Lars von Trier where there's actually something happening with the actors. Instead, you just get these empty shots where nothing concrete is going on. You don't even feel any sense of life in them. Why bother?

Not me. I mean, I actually dig that whole audiovisual experience vibe—where the frame doesn't even need a specific plot point happening to be good.

What are we even supposed to do about this amateur acting? Do these people actually want to act? It’s impossible to feel any real emotion from them, and that lack of soul makes the whole movie fall flat. Not to mention the dialogue—just a bunch of unconvincing, cliché-ridden lines that anyone could have written. Total waste of time.

Honestly? I feel the exact opposite. I actually loved how everyone handled it.

The concept is what actually makes this movie worth watching. It uses this non-linear structure—lots of jumping around through flashbacks or just working backward from the end to the beginning. Throw in those visuals and all that camera work, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for a dark, depressing atmosphere. Makes you wonder if they did it just to mess with us?

I'm with them on this one. Every single word.

Bottom line? I’m missing any shred of actual emotion or sentimentality from these characters. There's just too much sex and not enough substance. It ends up being nothing more than a hollow story about hollow lives. What's the point?

Interesting take. I’d have to rewatch it since I didn't write my review right after seeing it, BUT empty stories and empty lives—that's exactly how most people live. That's the real world we're surrounded by.

I'd put it in the same tier as his other films, but what specifically do you mean about the technical side being bad?

To me, it’s heavy, painful, typical Gaspar Noé. But hey, that’s just me. I think most people won't "get" it on first watch. It's one of those movies where you need time to let it sink in. A friend of mine watched it at the same time I did; he wasn't feeling it at first either, but he grew to like it once he actually sat with it and thought about it.

A lot of people will probably reject it—consciously or not—because of the pornography aspect, maybe even rejecting him as a director because of it. Personally, I didn't view the film through that lens, which I think might be the sticking point for most people.

The camerawork really missed the mark for me, especially considering it was shot for 3D (if I recall correctly). There was this constant sense of distraction throughout the viewing experience—strange depth of field, odd framing, things like that... I am certainly no cinematographer, so I cannot pinpoint the exact technical failures, but something felt fundamentally off. Honestly, I don't think the 3D was necessary at all; I think I would have had a much more immersive experience without it. I have seen much better executed 3D sequences in adult films than what was presented here. It felt as though he was striving for these "artsy" shots, but those stylistic choices just didn't seem to mesh with the 3D technique, at least not for me. What bothered me most was knowing that, given his body of work, he usually pays such meticulous attention to technical detail, so this messy 3D look felt like a disappointing outlier. Then again, perhaps I am misjudging the film entirely? It is possible the issue lay with the projector or the quality of the theater where I caught it. As an aside, the projector actually malfunctioned a few times during the screening.

It honestly drives me a little crazy how everything is being pushed into 3D lately. Like, why do I have to strap on extra 3D glasses on top of my regular ones? 😁 Still, it’s a pretty wild experience since it’s basically the first 3D adult film out there.

And man, these technical glitches aren't just happening here in the States either. Over by my place, they totally messed up the subtitles halfway through the movie—the text was racing ahead of the scene for like, half the runtime! Even so, I thought the cinematography itself wasn't bad at all. I especially loved that shot where he's standing in the doorway and you can really feel the depth of the room behind him. Especially with some of those other shots too...

Honestly, the 3D felt pretty pointless to me—it didn't really add anything to the movie at all.

I actually thought the movie was pretty decent—it definitely pulled me in and kept things interesting! There were some seriously stunning audiovisual moments that totally made the experience for me, which is all I really ask for from a story like this. Gaspar Noé clearly has a sense of poetic flair, you can feel it in the filmmaking, but it feels like he’s starting to drift away from that style just to cater to some average kid—and then we get stuck with those endless, messy internal monologues. It felt miles away from something like *Seoul against all*, for instance. (Sure, the protagonist is basically an immature brat who doesn't know the first thing about real life, but if they had included more "slice of life" moments—like that one conversation about abortion—instead of all that heavy philosophy, it would have been great. That scene was actually quite solid!)
The story really hooked me—it was sensual, dark, and felt incredibly authentic (I've definitely seen my fair share of messy, destructive relationships in real life!)—though it did get a bit intense at times. I absolutely loved the soundtrack, the atmosphere, and that whole Paris vibe. Just caught some underground stuff lately—really deep cuts! It’s funny how much better the hidden gems are than the mainstream hits—reminds me of that one indie theater I used to frequent back in Chicago. Always worth the hunt!The actress playing Electra is just incredibly charming—honestly, she’s got such a magnetic screen presence!

I'm so glad I caught his film in the theater—though I really regret missing out on *Enter the Void*... I actually ended up nodding off halfway through that one!

The movie title just doesn't make any sense to me—honestly, I really hope they stop making films called Love. Thanks!

Ashley Grant66 said:Honestly, the 3D felt pretty pointless to me—it didn't really add anything to the movie at all.

I actually thought the movie was pretty decent—it definitely pulled me in and kept things interesting! There were some seriously stunning audiovisual moments that totally made the experience for me, which is all I really ask for from a story like this. Gaspar Noé clearly has a sense of poetic flair, you can feel it in the filmmaking, but it feels like he’s starting to drift away from that style just to cater to some average kid—and then we get stuck with those endless, messy internal monologues. It felt miles away from something like *Seoul against all*, for instance. (Sure, the protagonist is basically an immature brat who doesn't know the first thing about real life, but if they had included more "slice of life" moments—like that one conversation about abortion—instead of all that heavy philosophy, it would have been great. That scene was actually quite solid!)
The story really hooked me—it was sensual, dark, and felt incredibly authentic (I've definitely seen my fair share of messy, destructive relationships in real life!)—though it did get a bit intense at times. I absolutely loved the soundtrack, the atmosphere, and that whole Paris vibe. Just caught some underground stuff lately—really deep cuts! It’s funny how much better the hidden gems are than the mainstream hits—reminds me of that one indie theater I used to frequent back in Chicago. Always worth the hunt!The actress playing Electra is just incredibly charming—honestly, she’s got such a magnetic screen presence!

I'm so glad I caught his film in the theater—though I really regret missing out on *Enter the Void*... I actually ended up nodding off halfway through that one!

The movie title just doesn't make any sense to me—honestly, I really hope they stop making films called Love. Thanks!

Yeah, I’m with you there. Using a word that huge for a movie feels way too broad to actually get into anything meaningful about love...

But then again, Michael Haneke’s "Amour" works differently for me. The title fits there, as long as you aren't looking at an English translation... 😬

And yeah, totally agree on those pseudo-philosophical monologues and dialogues. It’s just way too much repetition! He's just that director who tries to film stuff in Paris and other big cities, followed by all that swearing where it's basically just "You piece of shit" over and over... 😁

That soundtrack though! Pure bliss.

Powerful movie

Amanda Robinson4 said:It just hit theaters here in the States. You'll be waiting a long time if you want to see it at home... 🙂

It's been available for download for a while now.

Emily Barrett4 said:It's been available for download for a while now.

True, but honestly, it’s been long enough since its theatrical run that it should be popping up on streaming pretty soon... I'm just not sure if they're dropping it in 2D or 3D yet 😛
...

It’s just pornography masquerading as high art. Cheap, dull, and frankly, a waste of time.

redbear2 said:It’s just pornography masquerading as high art. Cheap, dull, and frankly, a waste of time.

Look, as much as I can't stand Noah, you aren't hitting the mark here. A romantic connection without physical intimacy or sex isn't even a real depiction of a relationship. Movies started introducing this stuff ages ago, and people acted shocked—why? Sex is a massive part of any relationship, whether you call it "pornography" or whatever else. Noah and I don't work, but your argument is still wrong.