Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Disappointment for a huge fan!

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Most art movies fall over because of their pretentiousness. This one is bad because it is, well, bad. Incredibly badly made. It doesn't have enough plot to even aspire to being pretentious. Throw in some very weak performances and you have a craptacular movie.The initial idea wasn't that original to start off, and reminded me of 9 Songs (for a few reasons...). However, 9 Songs had a reasonable plot, OK performances and some fantastic music. Not a great movie, but it was OK.BrilliantLove, on the other hand, has nothing going for it. It just seems to drift throughout, with no point, unlikable characters and very lacklustre performances.Avoid.

About 3/4 the way through the movie, Manchester is at an art opening featuring his photos of Noon. Noon, who was unaware that photos of their perfect romance were going to be made public for everyone to gawk at, storms out after slapping Manchester. Manchester reacts by becoming sloppy drunk, calling everyone's attention, spouting out a bunch of drunk, insulting, nonsense, then suggesting that everyone participate in an on-the-spot orgy. He starts it off by pulling down his pants and playing with himself. His audience reacts by applauding his every word and action, as if he's a fount of high minded creativity with a deep understanding of the meaning of life.I feel as if Manchester represented this movie, and his audience represented its adoring critics. And I'm the lone person who found this movie to be not just a disappointment, but down right insulting.I think much of it could've worked if only I cared about the characters, but I just didn't.

My being is mystified about the tepid reception for this nice little film. In seeing a review that says it is just a contemporary view for today's explorers, I find a great fallacy. It is a struggle also of those left from the 'sixties' of freer loving, understanding some of the stresses of attraction, personal afflictions and distractions as well as rebelling against the mores of the time.The sexuality is both erotic and struggling between desire and freedom. The actors are both much of many persons and dreams, if fleeting or denied. It is extreme at times, but not too. It reveals moments of drunken exuberance and drunken pain, but both are in harmony with deep emotionality, sensuality, creativity and sexuality.With 'Dreamers' being also a favorite, another rare struggle of unfathomable desires played against situations of the moment, I am obviously partial to our sexual enticements, left over from a partially fulfilled life in the sixties. I knew these temptations, experiences, irrationalities and substance induced moments, when things were different. Beyond the erotics of the film, there are a lot of sensualities, both in the still pictures and in the well thought angles of some of the cinematography. This is far more than an excuse for porn, despite the pressured direction of the protagonist who took advantage of this beautifully erotic couple, and who tried to turn their simple erotic complexity into something less than personal.I would recommend this even to conservatives to see that the angst that goes on in life is real. This is a movie about one of the struggles of humanity. Sex is good and how we go about it is personal, and should be able to be portrayed as a personal trip, which this film does. Whether male or female, you should find some identity and eroticism, no matter your background, present or what you would admit.

I was fortunate to be one of the first to see this at the EIFF press screening. I haven't felt a film speak so honestly before. Here we have two characters Manchester and Noon, tangled in a sexually fuelled and intense relationship. They both live for the moment and everything outside their world threatens their together-ness. The film focuses heavily on racy, intimate scenes between the pair. The chemistry between the two is very believable, I especially enjoyed Noons character played by Nancy Trotter Landry. her angelic face catches every single moment of emotion and you are sometimes taken aback at how filthy she is during the film. I also commend Liam Browne who plays Manchester for being brave enough to show his genitals whether urinating or being frozen cold. I haven't seen a film like this where a relationship is so thoroughly sexually explored.The plot of the film is lacking slightly but I feel it is contrasts the mundane northern feel. Nevertheless very good acting and I was fixed to my sit throughout. This feels like the way British cinema should be going, bold, brash and modern.