I Love You More (2023) User Reviews

Pretty realistic depiction of teenage psychology

[onefineday36 · 6/10 · 29 September 2023]

It seems almost any gay director make at least one coming-of-age drama. Problem is many of them are surprisingly unrelatable. Sometimes it's too tragedy ridden melodrama, sometimes it's too pink tinted image of what the director wished but never really had in reality.

'I love you more' is much calmer, gentler drama. Especially the psychology of the teenage character in his first love, with all his idealism, anxiety, moodiness and blind drive, is depicted fairly realistically. Now as a grown-up, I find him incredibly annoying, but I can't deny I definitely shared a lot of the characters when I was about his age.

It's not a perfect product. Ben's life and surrounding lacks the nitty gritty of real life, sceneries are all a bit too majestic every time, parents (especially mom) shows the patience of a saint... Overall everything is shimmering in a sort of golden light of late summer evening. I think it's the director looking back his childhood and his motherland with nostalgia... But at times I wished to see just a bit more rawness.

Nevertheless I still think 'I love you more' is a positive addition to the extensive list of gay coming of age films, if nothing else than for the relatable depiction of the teenage psychology.

A bit shallow look on the LGBTQ+ youth

[bohdanascheinostova · 5/10 · 25 March 2024]

I Love You More follows the contemporary trend in cinema with its depiction of misunderstood queer youth, but unfortunately doesn't contribute with anything new to this issue. The story is simple, which I would have appreciated, if it had depth - unfortunately it did not. I wish it dove deeper into the ambivalence of Ben and his stance on his future. The plot centers around Ben and missed the opportunity to focus more on his parents and their feelings and thoughts, which is something I would have loved to see in this pictture. On the other hand I must compliment the cinematography with its intimate approach and the filming locations that feel true to Kosovo. But in the end I just felt that I Love You More was missing something that would truly capture my attention.