Adore (2013)

I wanted to see what would happen even afterwords,

I wanted it to continue. I was stunned to my seat with lot of thoughts and emotions. Tanned surfing teenage boys with model-beautiful mothers in bikinis, The beautiful filming that is so well themed and constructed, this relaxed and ecstatic feel that transcends from the screen

making the audience feel the exact erotic atmosphere in which the characters dwell and that pull of desire that comes across in the silence and in the sound of the ocean; and Robin Wright's extremely deep character building and original portrayal of female strength, pull the film together to a true work of art. The location, beach houses, cinematography are beautiful and makes you want to move to Australia. Just for that the movie is worth watching.

Fmovies: The audience is polarized in response to this astonishingly refreshing and brilliant little film: some are completely disgusted with the theme of 'aberrant love' while other are awash in the courageous work by director Anne Fontaine, Fontaine and Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Doris Lessing's short story 'The Grandmothers', and the acting by two of our finest actresses on the screen. Knowing that it is both loved and hated depending on the degree of appreciation for experimental film should be the driving force as to whether or not to take advantage witnessing this brave new film.

In New South Wales, Roz (Robin Wright), her husband Harold (Ben Mendelsohn) and their son Tom (James Frecheville) live near the beach. Lil, (Naomi Watts) who is a widow, lives nearby with her son Ian (Xavier Samuel). Roz and Lil are best friends, and so are Tom and Ian. Harold applies for and is offered a job in Sydney without telling Roz. He expects Roz to move to Sydney with him, however, she hesitates. After a night of drinking quite unexpectedly on the surface Ian and Roz start a sexual relationship. Tom discovers this and takes revenge by initiating a sexual relationship with Lil. Now Roz has even more reason to stay, and later Roz and Harold divorce. Two years of these two mothers/best friend's sons affairs pass but not without the inference that Roz and Lil are lesbians - a way for Lil to avoid the approach of a suitor Saul (Gary Sweet). Harold returns from Sydney and his new highly enviable job in the theater department and discovers the affairs and summarily absents himself from the situation and from Roz. There are hesitations, but these do not last long and the secret relationships continue. Eventually Tom goes to Sydney for a promising job interview in the theater. His visit to Sydney changes everything for four of them - the nasty truth has its way to come out and alter everybody's happy lives. The rest of the film is a rapidly moving progression of changing affinities and eventual strange resolutions.

The nuanced performances by Robin Wright and Naomi Watts are brilliant and very equally balanced with the sensuous and realistic portrayals By Xavier Samuel and James Frecheville. The chemistry is extraordinary and credible and makes what could have been a strained story work meticulously well. The cinematography by Christophe Beaucarne and the musical score by Christopher Gordon enhance the liquid flow of this stunning film. The story and the film itself require an emotionally mature audience able to accept variations on the themes of love and lust, but given there are mores to overcome, this is a brilliant art piece.

Grady Harp

{8.5 stars}

ADORE could have turned out really cheesy, but the very real characters, along with a nice blend of funny and sad moods, fitting soundtrack, and pretty Australian beach scenery keep it from becoming so. Fine performances by all the major players. Though more character and conflict development may seem needed at first, we get to know everyone and everything gradually, and the fact that they are all just fairly "normal" (whatever that is) people is pivotal. Not the greatest script, but it's nothing if not realistic.

Regarding the plot: The way the improbable quadrangle develops is pretty convincing. Even if what's happening in the premise is nothing illegal, it's obviously weird if not downright perverse. Yet, I was surprised to find myself rooting for both couples as ADORE proceeded, wanting them all to be happy together. The way the two women bear a superficial resemblance to each other, causing us to occasionally forget who's whose mum and who's whose lover, is another interesting effect. Finally, the isolated cove with its stationary sun-raft is an apropos symbol.

Though it's obviously not a "family film" or one for younger children, there is no gore, serious nudity (just a couple of brief booty-shots of Robin Wright and Xavier Samuel), or other flinchable elements (unless you count the multiple unexplicit sex scenes).

ADORE is one of the strongest, most satisfying films to come out in recent years, and I enjoyed it immensely.

Adore fmovies. this film is a masterpiece. not only because the casting/the performance and the directing are stunning. it's more than eye can see/words can say. and definitely, it's not for judges. and not for everybody. just a 'niche'. it is touching and comprehensible and human and not "generaly". doing "what's good/normal/suitable" versus "the feeling, the pure one/the moment in a short human life/ the truth". it's about age? that age that touch, maybe, the body but not the spirit. it's about the capacity of giving/loving without hope, without counting...it's about the pain.

somehow, loving without a future is like living well knowing that death waits at the corner. painful enough. as life itself.

I saw gentleness, delicacy, loyalty, generosity and suffering, friendship and generosity again and human fail. and pain. who's fault it is?

don't know the answer. know only that friendship, love, loyalty and pain, they do exists. tough destiny, after all.

Not enough words to considerate the performance of Robin Wright, Naomi Watts, Xavier Samuel and James Frecheville. Oscars were won for less.

As for the director, such a softness of the regard...perfect screenplay, perfect director cut. much deeper then the words of Doris Lessing, far away of "current diagnostics".

Well, I have to recommend this movie to anyone who wants to be stunned by a cozy and atmospheric setting, a convenient cast, surprisingly calm and well thought dialogs and a plot which sometimes triggers a variety of mixed feelings like disgust & attraction, shame & dignity. Overall i felt very calm and relaxed, sometimes i smiled, sometimes i wondered.

The film is so beautifully shot from beginning to end that every picture has its right to exist. Although the subject could be seen as a controversy to people who don't like to think outside the box it never felt like one. This made me think about what i would have thought if the gender of the characters would be the opposite. Despite that this would be a real challenge creating a movie which feels exact the same way i came to the conclusion that there is no equality in love and life and therefore this movie works for me like a charm.

The title of another (accurate) user review here can be misleading though and almost led me to skip this movie. This is definitely not a chick flick for grannies ;)

I almost didn't watch this film due to its average rating and some of the reviews here. I suspect the negative reviews have more to do with people rigid world views and moral inclinations than actual capacity to distinguish any kind of subtlety in the way the story unfolds.

Interestingly it doesn't actually unfold as one would expect and as some commentators have claimed.

Naomi Watts acting is excellent and the emotions she conveys make the story believable.

As for the 2 young surfer dudes, one of them actually looks a bit like Julian Wilson (Top pro surfer) which should be a pleasant surprise for the ladies out there.

The location, beach houses, cinematography are beautiful and makes you want to move to Australia. Just for that the movie is worth watching.