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List Price: $7.99 | | Label: Velocity / Thinkfilm
Salesrank: 143916
Released: July 4, 2006 |
| Our Price: $7.99 |
| Used Price: $4.75 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Fame KillsMovie star Gray Evans (Giovanni Ribisi) is at the top of his game: a seemingly endless supply of money celebrity friends parties a beautiful wife...and his name and image known all around the world.But with fame and fortune comes sometimes unwanted attention. Convinced that the 'chance' encounters that the has been having with fans are not all coincidental he looks to his bodyguard and a video store clerk for help - despite the protests of those around him. Is he truly paranoid as they suggest? Or has he found himself in the crosshairs of an obsessed fan...or someone much closer to him?System Requirements:Running Time: 111 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: R UPC: 821575542975 Manufacturer No: TF-54297
I Love Your Work Reviews:
I Love Your Work - A Misunderstood Gem Of A Film For Actors And Students Of The Human Psyche 
2008-12-14 -
If you love cinema that pushes the envelope, then I Love Your Work may be what you are looking for. That is, if this is the kind of movie you are looking for and if you are ready. This is not an *accessible* movie, and the plot serves only as a backdrop for the real story: the inner-workings of an alienated, paranoid and crumbling mind. For those that appreciate the psychological in film, this movie is a treasure trove. I think anybody who truly appreciates, studies and aspires to great acting can also learn much from Mr. Ribisi's performance here.
Some people have focused on the plot of this picture and come away with the impression that this is a *woe is me* tale about the grips of celebrity. I see this movie more as a character study of a very needy and praise-dependant introvert who is losing his grip on reality. The fact that the main character is a famous actor is useful in providing a personality type which can be vulnerable to needing the approval and praise of others. Indeed, not all actors have this need, certainly not to the debilitating level of Ribisi's character here. But the need for admiration and approval is something that is probably bigger for actors, and definitely something the rest of the world can relate to.
Granted this film is not for the general public. This is not meant to be watched for surface level entertainment, nor is it meant to be structured like the traditional story many people often expect. To portray the stream of consciousness of somebody's fractured mind on film is a very difficult thing to do. It does not lend itself to traditional plot structure and scene sequences.
Much of what we see on screen is indeed happening inside of the central character's mind after all. Some of it is happening in his memory and some of it is a complete fabrication of his imagination. The complex interconnections between past and present, fantasy and reality require careful study and continued viewing. Those making snap assessments are likely to miss what is happening beneath the surface.
A central theme in this movie revolves around Ribisi's relationship with an aspiring film-maker and his girlfriend. At first he is flattered by the filmmaker, played well by Joshua Jackson. But he begins to identify with his girlfriend as the girl he left behind when he became famous. As he spirals deeper into his fantasy world, he begins to crave her desire and approval. Indeed, he longs for the simple life and real love that they share and he feels he has lost, despite his marriage to the actress that was the object of his affection before he hit the big time. He also acts in increasingly unhealthy ways as he loses his grip on reality. The results are disasterous.
I really loved the casting of this movie for the most part. The only minor critique I can offer is that the way the script was written didn't allow all of the supporting cast to flex their acting muscles. Still, they are used well even if not to their full potential.
I would not critique the disjointed plot nor the slow moving sequences because I believe that both of those aspects of the film are central to the psychological descent they were trying to portray. Those things do not make this movie easy to watch as entertainment, but they are important to understanding the character's state of mind.
If you are looking for a traditional story with an easy to digest plot, this is not for you. But if you are intrigued by the psychological aspects of acting and how various manias are played out on screen, give this movie some time. If you love great acting, there is a lot to learn here.
Enjoy.
I don't love this 
2006-07-23 - Oh joy. Another movie about how horrifying it is to be famous, rich and liked.
Actor/director Adam Goldberg's "I Love Your Work" attempts to tackle that subject, but the "poor little rich actor" storyline merely ends up feeling self-indulgent and whiny. Several of the actors are talented, but most of them -- except for star Giovanni Ribisi -- are misused.
Gray Evans (Giovanni Ribisi) is famous, rich and miserable. He married Mia (Franka Potente) after seeing her in a French film, but their marriage is crumbling because he thinks she's cheating with Elvis Costello, who is friendly with Mia. Distraught, Gray ends up in a video store, where he becomes fascinated with a young video store clerk (Joshua Jackson) and his loving girlfriend (Marisa Coughlan).
As his sanity begins to crumble, Gray stalks the couple, and starts to have visions of an ex-girlfriend (Christina Ricci) who reminds him of a happier time. He begins to reimagine his past, pre-fame life through the clerk and girlfriend, and soon the world of sanity is beginning to fade away.
Perhaps this movie would be more palatable if it hadn't been done by an actor. In the hands of someone like Wes Anderson, this movie would have been brilliant, dark and understatedly satirical. From Goldberg, it just seems self-indulgent, boo hoo poor little me. It has nothing new to say, and it doesn't add any sparkle to the old stuff.
And while Goldberg tries hard to make this a dark satire, he takes his Big Message too seriously. It starts off well, with Gray teetering on the edge of insanity, and imagining that everybody is watching, touching and pursuing him. For a short time, it has the elements of a lightweight Fellini movie.
But after the first half hour, Goldberg goes wild with the camera tricks and the plot. He's trying so hard to be arty and insightful, that he ends up almost making the film a parody of itself. And not a good parody either. It aspires to be a bizarre, surrealist experience like "Mulholland Drive." But it's too unfocused and self-conscious to even come close.
It doesn't help that Gray is not somebody we're going to care about. He's egotistical, self-absorbed, suspicious and whiny. And for all his complaints about his terrible life, it never seems to cross his mind to do the obvious thing. Quit acting. Retreat from the limelight. Maybe he secretly likes complaining.
Ribisi is definitely the center of the film, and his turn as a crazed movie star is wonderfully unsettling. Yes, it really is that weird, even though Gray is such an annoying character. Potente isn't required to do much more than sit there and look glamorous, but Ricci is brilliant in her small role as Gray's nebulous ex.
If you want to see self-indulgent navel-gazing, then "I Love Your Work" might be the ticket. But for anyone looking for clever, ingenious, entertaining filmmaking, look for someone else's work to love.
