Cinematography and filming location won my heart and kept my interest. Felt like spending a relaxing summer vacation there. One liners such as "All of Europe is a graveyard", "I fall in love with every pretty thing" Fiennes drowning scene quote " We're all disgusting, but we love each other anyway" stuck with me for some reason. Lackluster ending. I rated this higher as the film stuck with me and I found it different from many other stamped out films.

**Update** I have just updated my rating and dropped this horrible film from 5 stars to 1 star. I was forced to re-watch this wretched cringe-worthy movie as I was visiting a friend who desperately wanted to see it because he's a Tilda Swinton fan. I didn't have the heart to tell him how I felt about this film, and good thing, as he actually liked it. Go figure. It was absolutely dreadful the second time.**I really disliked this film. It's pretentious in every way. The characters, every single one of them, are highly unlikable. If you met them at a party you'd say, "What assholes these people are!" And with all the beautiful locations in Italy they chose this barren ugly piece of land on the island of Pantelleria, which I hope has more beautiful stretches than this. The reason they filmed here is likely because the filmmakers received some financial incentive. I don't think I've cringed this much in a film in a very long time. The only reason I'm giving it five stars is because I'd like to support independent filmmaking. What a quandary.

I loved it. I gave it an 8. Beautifully filmed, sensual laid back acting performances with an authentic feel for the laissez fair atmosphere on a holiday island in the Mediterranean. It reminded me at times of the 1969 movie La Piscine with Alain Delon and Romy Schneider. And of course the Lolita theme is in there. The young girl coming of age lying about her age, controlling the men around her with her sexuality. Like Tilda's Swinton character used to control Harry. Harry who is living on his past achievements and now merely is tolerated by the people he loved before. The young girl who is not a weak vulnerable girl but a girl who wants to be in control and who observes the adults around her. An Oedipus complex, Paul killing his 'brother' Harry, there is the Greek tragedy for you. Growing older, literally using a different voice as life prolongs. The end of a rock'n roll lifestyle (the record Emotional Rescue literally dies with Harry in the pool and his death literally becomes an emotional rescue for Harry, Marianne and Paul. The young Penelope on the other hand is just starting her emotional rock'n'roll years and flies to the rest of her life crying in her airplane seat).Harry worshiping Marianne, Harry loving his newly discovered daughter Penelope in an oedipal complex kind of relationship, the policeman who is a worshiping fan of Marianne, Paul loving Marianne in a true and honest way while he is lusting after 17 year old Penelope. The rich and famous and self-absorbed westerners enjoying a low brow holiday in between ordinary people. Getting privileges ordinary people would not get (a table in a full restaurant, a karaoke machine and a party in an empty cafe) And when necessary they won't think twice about blaming the strange foreign other, the African immigrants. Just as easily they will lie to save their own.It's a beautiful, well made sensual slow paced movie.

Nearly past it rock chick faces past lover, present lover and the most unrock chick floppy clothes on boring holiday with wet ending.Cliché piled upon cliché. Annoying self- awareness in every shot. Ralph Fiennes and Tilda Swinton are unbearably earnest in keeping the integrity of their characters, and you just know Swinton suggested she play with a voice problem. Probably to "uphold the connection to Marianne's singing career, the heart of loss..." Of course.Thank the Viking gods for Matthias Schoenaerts,as Paul the disconnected lover, whose beautiful face and body know how to act without effort.Casting adds even more pain - ethnic maid, bumbling Italian carabinieri, pitiful refugees. Even the crumbling town and high-perched house seem cast by numbers.My wish-list kept calling for what this film could have been - a truly moody and sexy film. Acting that's not acting. Sex scenes that are more than awkward knee-tremblers as bony Ralph Fiennes shucks his pants. Controlled and deep emotional power from the screen. Please? Anyone? No...? Sigh.