User Reviews

Love Is All You Need is a wedding, romance, and family movie from Denmark mostly taking place in Italy. It is about solving the riddles within yourself, not necessarily succeeding, but at least acknowledging them.

The good. Superb Italian panoramas. Fascinating and touching story with a lot of depth. Very realistic. Solidly built scenario with interesting twists and turns. Excellent background. Perfect ending. Nicely romantic with a few laughs. Well grounded. No clichés.

The actors. Trine Dyrholm is absolutely fantastic, beautiful and compelling. Pierce Brosnan, while not playing too far from his usual roles, is just great. And I have to mention the work of Paprika Steen as the annoying, mean, and self-centered aunt/sister-in-law.

The bad. I can't thing of anything. That's how much I appreciated the flick.

The ugly. Nothing.

The result. Something much different from Hollywood's romantic films. A true breath of fresh air. A must for everyone, to the exception of those not interested in romance or family conflicts.

I saw this film as part of the Ghent filmfestival 2012. Usually I've little interest in feelgood movies, and particularly not when wedding festivities are an integral element. But the synopsis in the filmfestival brochure had that little something that made me book tickets, and I'm not disappointed. That does not mean that important questions of life and death are discussed, but rather that it proves solid entertainment for the whole duration (nearly 2 hours), no more no less. You will forget about the movie later on, to remember only that it was pleasant and amusing throughout.

The story line develops steadily, and all important characters get time to be introduced to the audience. In other words, we really get the chance to know them. These introductions are spread evenly, and luckily not condensed in the first quarter.

Center of the proceedings is hairdresser Ida, who just returned from hospital after a cancer treatment. She is wearing a wig as a result, hence the original title "The bald hairdresser" (possibly for commercial reasons translated to "Love is all you need"). Still not certain about the ultimate success of the cancer treatment, she returns home. There she finds her husband Leif with the much younger Tilde (from "accounting") doing it on the couch. Ida does not take it lightly, and a divorce seems imminent.

As her daughter Astrid will be getting married in Italy within a few days, she travels alone to the airport. In her nerves to park the car in order to catch her flight, she collides with the car of a business man in vegetables (Philip). He happens to be the father of the groom (Patrick), and on his way to the same marriage. This coincidence seems a bit of a stretch as well as statistically impossible. Luckily it is the only thing in this film that I consider far fetched. Combining that encounter with the fact (we learn that later on) that he is a widower, allows us to predict the main story line from that moment on. However... It does not happen that way, at least not exactly.

Apart from the developments around the relationship between Ida and Philip, there are ample opportunities for sub-plots and new characters to be introduced along the line. All this gets gradually interwoven in the story, without giving us a feeling that the film makers are overdoing it. The time that the film takes, much more than the average 90 minutes, offers sufficient room for parallel story lines to develop and come to a (sometimes happy, sometimes not so happy) conclusion. The script mixes all these many ingredients in an ingenious way, and stays believable from start to finish (aforementioned car accident being the only exception).

I don't think it makes any sense to delve deeper in the scenario. Which is next to impossible anyway without revealing how the story develops, and without introducing spoilers in the text. That would take away much of the surprise, a definite no-no, since surprises are the main ingredients out of which this film is made.

Apart from superb casting and acting that we are allowed to witness, the story line (better: story lines) suffice to keep the viewer interested all the time in what will happen next. I could not spot any dull moments, in other words fully qualified entertainment for the whole family. Expecting no more than what the label says, I scored it deservedly with a maximum (5) for the audience award when leaving the theater.

Diane and I saw this, to me interesting but to Diane delightful, movie this afternoon at Paradiso in Perth. I found the initial first-half of the movie fairly unnerving because I am a total coward at movies in all their aspects including domestic difficulties and this movie had them in spades; having said that I found the entire movie engaging and very watchable with no "dead" spots anywhere in the film.

The movie is composed of viewer looks into the lives of all the principal characters but centering around the mother of the groom and the father of the bride. The larger family all have their pieces to add to this bubbling pot of individuals who all seem to have significant parts to play as the principals go through the steps of their routine. Not to be overly trite about the metaphor but speaking of dance it plays a larger than expected role in the movie or at least to me.

This is a lovely movie and one that should be watched by any person whose mind is stable enough to appreciate good story telling without the need for guns, killing and the mindlessness of the normal Hollywood dross.

I am very surprised to see how many people thought this is a feel-good , crowd-pleaser movie. To me it is the exact opposite: a very well done hard movie that explores all the kinds of relationships in today's world. So you see the cheater with a wife with cancer (a few names of political figures in USA come to mind), the gay who tries to fight his gayness, the mother who does not love the daughter, the man who still mourns his loss and does not pay attention to what he has, the son who wants to please the distant father, and so on. In a way a very sad, gut-wrenching movie. Now in this human-heart exploration the director, I think, threw in also the visual difference between a gray Copenhagen and a very colorful, beautiful Sorrento: this might be the way to suggest the difference between reality and want we WANT to believe. The only predictable part of the movie is the ending ... and may be even this it's Mrs Bier's way to tell us that in spite of all the terrible things we saw, there is always hope for all of us! I enjoyed very much this great movie. The only thing I did not like is the Englis translated title. The original title (The Bald Hairdresser) is much better in my opinion.

It doesn't matter how much you have, materialistic speaking. The one and only thing that makes sense in life and never fades away is the love we all feel inside, regardless of how many times it seems to let us down. Love is like an endless spring, always digging other ways to keep on flowing, if you'll let it.

"Love Is All You Need" doesn't need to say much. It's just a look into dysfunctional families and the many secrets we all hold, trying to avoid confrontation because it's much easier to pretend everything is okay. It's a very romantic and, yet, sad journey that takes you through the pain and determination of a character fighting to stay alive in every sense of the way. Sometimes love may seem to have abandoned you until it kisses you from behind, restoring the hope you thought was lost. Simply lovely.

As an American, sometimes it tough to watch a movie that doesn't feature at least one or two well known Hollywood actors. Granted, Pierce Brosnan is what lured me in - but it was Trine Dyrholm that stole my heart. There were several wonderful performances, and the locations and camera work were the icing on the cake.

This movie weaves a beautiful tapestry of the struggles and triumphs of a family. It exposes the most vulnerable emotions we all feel in our own families.

This was a well written movie. If you love beautiful Italian scenery, good dialog and the occasional dysfunctional family antic - then this is the movie for you. Relaxing, beautiful and a wonderful message.

Surprisingly this movie expelled all my expectations. It was a simply good movie with nice characters and places, not an awesome-awesome one though. So diverse romance-drama told in the perspective of the elder people's beginning of a new relationship. It is a predictable plot so there's no surprise twists at all. From the director of 'In a Better World' this movie narrates the story of a widower and a hairdresser whose husband is cheating on her.

A widower businessman in his 50s probably is preparing to attend his son's wedding in abroad. In other side of the story a woman who successfully completed her cancer treatment as well getting ready to attend her daughter's wedding in Italy. In an accident these two meet at the airport. With a little discomfortable at beginning they start to like each other. For the sake of children these two must sacrifice what they have found within them. So the lives goes on as it forced them to move along with it.

Extraordinary performances by Pierce Brosnan and a woman on his counterpart character called Ida was awesome. I can't finish this review without mentioning the bride, she looked so pretty. Sadly it was not her story. The seaside locations in Italy were beautiful, played a crucial role in the movie's pleasant presentation. They shot it at the right season I guess because it was alluring. Everyone might not enjoy the movie because it deals about older people's romance and I am not old but I liked it.

I think the Italian review above is very harsh - what do we go to see films for? To be entertained and moved emotionally in at least one way. I laughed, cried, smiled and thought this was a great way to spend two hours. It is not pretentious or highbrow but that is good in my opinion - the locations are good on the eye, music enjoyable and a few interesting characters. Whilst it may not be Brosnan's most challenging role he is a likable guy and character and does portray a man with baggage, emotional issues and regret over his relationship with his son. many people will recognise some of the issues in this film, so lighten up in Italy and just regard some films as light entertainment - nothing wrong with that.

Susanne Bier (In a Better World, Things We Lost in the Fire, After the Wedding, Brothers) has come up with another touching and very real exploration of human feelings with LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED co-written with Anders Thomas Jensen. In a story that could have become Hallmarky, Bier is able to score with just the right amount of human need, sentiment and reality testing that makes this little film win.

In Denmark, a hairdresser – very significant occupation we'll find – named Ida (Trine Dyrholm) has just finished post mastectomy carcinoma treatments yet when she goes home to share the news with her husband Leif (Kim Bodnia) en flagrante with a young chick form work and leaves her loutish husband to his life choices. Also living in Denmark is wealthy Englishman Phillip, a middle aged, estranged man still angry at the world for the loss of his wife, leaving him to raise his Patrick (Sebastian Jessen)? Patrick plans to marry Astrid (Molly Blixt Egelind) who happens to be the daughter of Ida. The fates of these two souls are about to intertwine as they embark for a trip to Italy to attend the wedding of Patrick and Astrid, to be staged in Philip's villa with the aid of his sister-in-law Benedikte (Paprike Steen) who has always had eyes for Philip, a thwarted romantic delusion. All eyes are on the wedding Patrick has meticulously planned but eventually takes a turn when Patrick finally admits his same sex feelings, and his thawing father falls in love with the emotionally fragile but captivating Ida. It's a story about seeking love and having the courage to change your life - even when you think it's too late.

So many threads to this story but Susanne Bier has tied them together nicely – not providing a Hollywood ending but leaving us with thoughts about how circumstances can alter the way we have been unsuccessfully viewing life.

Grady Harp

The brief preview I read of this film described it as an antidote to "shrill, soulless Hollywood romantic comedies" with the power to "restore your faith in the entire genre". I was unsure whether it would live up to such high praise, but decided to give it a go.

The film follows the story of Ida, a lovely lady recovering from chemotherapy and the antics of her unappreciative husband Leif. Separately we follow her daughter Astrid as she prepares to wed her fiancé Patrick in a beautiful secluded grove in Sorrento. But marriage is not portrayed in this film as a straightforward or predictable process, and hints of challenges soon begin to emerge, both for the engaged couple and for Ida herself.

My attention was gripped more than anything by the characters themselves. All confused to some degree, I found them likable to a person - even Leif, whose "activities" were less than admirable. Their hidden depths are revealed through their struggles. I'd like to give a special nod here to Pierce Brosnan's Philip. Emotionally constricted from the start, his defensiveness and wariness gradually ease to reveal a man of real depth and warmth.

The photography in this film is gorgeous, but there again, it's only important as the backdrop to the characters' personal development. It's also a very humorous film in places, and I found the two hours flew by. 10/10.

I originally watched this movie because I have a film (writer)coming out with English subtitles and I wanted to experience watching a film with subtitles. What I experienced was a heart-warming and totally enjoyable experience. It has a wonderful blend of romance, drama, comedy and that acting was fantastic. There are lots of unexpected twists and fantastic subplots. The characters are well developed and the pacing is perfect. Never a dull moment. I would highly recommend to anyone with a heartbeat! I would watch again. Sorry I didn't dvr this gem but I'll be sure to dvr an upcoming showing. Watch this with someone you love and double the experience. Highly recommend.

I normally dont like romantic comedy, but this was beautiful and touching.

Oscar-winning director Suzanne Bier has crafted several emotionally resonant films that have had a strong impact on the viewer. Unfortunately, Love Is All You Need is not one of them. Hitting all the right buttons, the film makes a concerted effort to appeal to the requisite demographics but forgets to aim at constituents with intelligence and sensitivity. Filmed mostly in Italy on the Bay of Naples, its gorgeous natural surroundings and talented cast cannot redeem it from a nonsensical plot and characters who are irresponsible jerks. Billed as a romantic comedy, its originality is immediately suspect when we hear the song, That's Amore, open the film a la Moonstruck.

Ida (Trine Dyrholm), an attractive middle-aged hairdresser, is a cancer survivor with a guarded prognosis. Coming home from the hospital, she is shocked when she sees her husband Leif (Kim Bodnia) on the living room couch in heated embrace with Thilde from Accounting (Christiane Schaumburg-Muller). Telling his wife that he was so stressed by her illness, he had no choice but to cheat on her, he asks for forgiveness. Obviously, if he had thought, like most adults, about moving to a more private setting or had given one second of thought to the timing of his tryst, it would have ruined the plot. The incident aside, Ida, traveling alone, is on her way to Italy to attend her daughter Astrid's (Molly Blixt Egelind) wedding. Flustered, she backs her car up in the airport parking garage and runs right into - wouldn't you know it? That's right, Pierce Brosnan of all people.

Not only is Philip (Brosnan), the head of a fresh-produce company and one of the myriad of uber-wealthy people in the film, going to Italy as well but is, wonder of wonders, the father of the groom. Now how's that for a coincidence? Of course, they are both angry and fighting mad, a prerequisite for living happily ever after. Philip is particularly bitter since he lost his wife several years ago in a car accident and has been taking it out on the rest of humanity ever since. Things are only heating up, however. When we get to the wedding, held at Philip's luxury villa in Sorrento, we meet Benedikte (Paprika Steen), Philip's rowdy and obnoxious sister-in-law who tells him that she's always been madly in love with him. This prompts one of the nastiest speeches in movie history where lovely Benedikte finds out just how awful she really is. Tender is the night.

To make the gathering even more cringe-worthy, Leif shows up at the wedding with his floozy girlfriend who's all smiles. Much to Ida's horror, her soldier-son Kenneth (Micky Skeel Hansen), floors his father with a right cross from his only one good arm. There is much more melodrama, however, including a laughable twist involving Patrick (Sebastian Jessen), the husband-to-be, but I had better stop now. If all of this was played as a farce, it would be moderately amusing even with all its stale sub-plots, predictability, and banal dialogue. Unfortunately, the film has an aura of profound seriousness that makes it insufferable in any genre. Despite some moments of genuine warmth, Love Is All You Need wastes some fine talent on a romantic comedy that has neither romance nor comedy. If this film is any example, love isn't all you need. Some maturity and responsibility would also help.

Love is All You Need is a real crowd pleaser, feel good type of movie. It may not be very original and ground breaking but it is expertly put together and will make the viewer leave the cinema feeling good and uplifted.

Somehow, it is reminiscent of Mamma Mia!, specially with Pierce Brosnan's presence in both movies. Here, he plays a successful businessman whose son is marrying the daughter of a Swedish hairdresser with an unfaithful husband. The wedding is set in romantic Sorrento and unexpected events happen which keep the film continuously interesting. Brosnan is particularly good and this film has the potential to become a big hit.

Ida is a Danish woman near the end of her successful chemotherapy treatment. She gets home early and finds her husband Leif having sex with young Thilde. She is in shock when she crashes into Philip Saunders (Pierce Brosnan) at the airport parking. She is on her way to her daughter Astrid's wedding in Italy. Phillip turns out to be the father of Astrid's fiancée Patrick. He is bitter and closed off after the death of his wife. Ida tries to keep the situation secret from Astrid and then Leif shows up at the wedding with Thilde. The wedding includes gay worker Alessandro who has a crush on Patrick, Astrid's injured brother Kenneth returning from the military, Philip's rude flirtatious sister-in-law Benedikte and her bitter suffering daughter.

Ida is a compelling character and Trine Dyrholm does a nice job. I like her story. Pierce Brosnan is a bit of a Hollywood distraction but I understand his use. Eventually, I got used to him and their relationship is good romance. There are a lot of crazy relatives going off in that wedding and a couple of them could have less screen time. There's no reason to spend so much time with Benedikte and her daughter. They are one-dimensional comedic side characters. Ida's struggles make this a good romance despite a few too many dramatic developments at the wedding.

"Love Is All You Need" tells a story of a woman who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She comes home and find her husband frolicking with another woman, just days before she flies to Italy to attend her daughter's wedding. The plot sounds eventful already, and indeed the interpersonal relationships in this film is portrayed beautifully, in an engaging and meaningful manner. Almost every relationship portrayed has some sort of defects, because nothing in this world is perfect. As the film quotes, "You can never give or receive enough love".

"Love Is All You Need" is a film to feel with your heart, and empathise with the characters' joy and pain. Maybe it's a film that you have to be in a certain mood to like, and I was certainly in that mood to be touched by it.

There is a reason to be happy about Pierce Brosnen humbly accepting to play the role of Phillip .

In America there are few models for doing grief work and few models for manhood.

Phillip is a knight without armor in the way he sees Ida a cancer survivor as well as his gay son.

His eyes see up to the skies and down to the seas. Mourning and melancholia is complicated and Pierce in real life has experienced this.

I am reminded of the 12 step program: life is unmanageable, I cannot control things, I am not God and have to rely on a power greater than myself.

Phillip could play God in this film. After all he is paying for his son's wedding and Ida asks him to read the letter regarding her final prognosis.

Instead, Phillip reacts peacefully and humbly by making observations rather than emotionally reacting.

Isn't that what adults do?

I am still taking notes on how to respond to betrayals that have occurred for me over 15 years ago!

Yes in the end, love is all we need and we either fall into His everlasting arms or not.

I left the film feeling more love, joy and hope for the future!

I liked Susanne Bier's earlier films, but her later work has become more conventional, and not in a good way. There are standard elements to many mainstream romantic comedies, and sadly, her film 'Love Is All You Need' uses several off-the shelf-elements: the Darcy-esque male (played by Pierce Brosnan, looking startlingly like Ronald Regan), superficially arrogant and possessed of enough money to allow a fantasy setting; the heroic characters' unworthy rivals for love, the ghastly relative painted utterly without sympathy. It says a lot that the key moment in this film is of the Darcy character, who has everything, telling his dreadful sister in law how awful she is; the film seems less interested in what makes people "bad" than in the nuisance they cause for everybody else. Although there are some original components to the story, principally its trilingual Italian-Danish-English structure, this mainly feels like a device to add a little bit of glamour, rather than any depth.

Just the song "That's amore" is enough love for any and everyone. Apart from one of the best love songs ever to be written and performed, the movie also has drama to offer. And a lot of comedy. Relationships are easy to spot, but what is really amazing, is how easy the movie delivers in the acting department and how convincing everyone is. You actually believe the relationships those people have with each other are "true" and not just fiction.

Great acting and writing do contribute to that fact of course. The setting does help. And while some twists are very well seeded into the story and therefor should not be a big surprise, the movie itself feels very good. One last point, that did surprise, the rating in Germany. It's rated "0", which means it's for everybody, including children. There is a small scene that involves intercourse. Nothing major and no frontal nudity. Just a heads up for people who might feel a bit offended by that