When you are a young director whose last film received high acclaim all around the world and are haunted by a manifesto that declared a ‘vow of chastity’ in film making, the thought of making another film can be daunting. Since his great break through onto the international film scene back in 1998 with the film, Festen (the Celebration), Thomas Vinterberg had only done some work with made for television movies. The follow up to Festen was long anticipated and as the years went past, so too did the expectation of his audience. In a bold move to break his ‘vow’ and create a movie that is the complete antithesis of the Dogma Manifesto he wrote together with fellow Dane, Lars von Triers; his latest film, ‘It’s All About Love’ has the tendency to draw strong reactions from audiences. You will either love it or hate it. At least that’s the general reactions I’ve observed from audiences. As for myself, I loved it’

Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Claire Danes, Vinterberg tells a metaphoric tale filled with magic-realism about the coming eco-apocalypse. The story line is very plastic in a way which keeps it from becoming a sermon. It’s particularly interesting to view this film in comparison to Dogville (2002) by Lars von Triers. Both film attempt to take on similar themes, but where as von Treers turns his movie into three hours of lecturing his audience on their of their ways, Vinterberg has taken a more caring route to the hearts of his audiences in an attempt to inspire them with love.

Yes, I know that sounds incredibly corny, but there’s no getting around it. It’s all about love, is just that; it’s all about love and the way that the increasing lack of it in the world is what will destroy us all. Set in the not all too distant future, Joaquin Phoenix and Claire Danes play two lovers who for various reasons become estranged from each other despite their deep feelings. In a world where the climate is changing radically and people in certain parts of the world are loosing their sense of gravity, nothing is what it seems. Vinterberg has chocked this film full of symbolism and metaphor and for those who want it all explained for them, this is not the movie for you. It’s All About Love is a tender fairy tale that carries a moral.

When speaking to people who didn’t like this movie, I kind of felt they were resisting more than reacting. Perhaps it was their general cynicism, or unwillingness to open their hearts to what Vinterberg is trying to say. Or maybe they were just disappointed because they were expecting another film like Festen. This film stands on it’s own and represents the other end of the cinemographic spectrum in relation to his previous work. It’s All About Love does make demands of its audience, because it asks you to look at the love in your own heart and like with some characters in this film, that can be a sad and lonely place but it can also be beautiful one at the same time.