I Love Your Work (2003)

Directed by: Adam Goldberg | 104 minutes | drama | Actors: Giovanni Ribisi, Franka Potente, Joshua Jackson, Christina Ricci, Marisa Coughlan, Jared Harris, Elvis Costello, Rick Hoffman, Kathleen Robertson, Jason Lee, Nicky Katt, Haylie Duff, Judy Greer, Shalom Harlow, Clark McCutchen, Beth Riesgraf, Vince Vaughn

Actor Adam Goldberg made his directorial debut with the drama ‘Scotch and Milk’ (1998). ‘I Love Your Work’ (2003) is the second feature he has directed with actor Giovanni Ribisi again. In the dark, psychological drama ‘I Love Your Work’ we follow Ribisi as the successful actor Gray Evans who slowly loses all contact with reality. The film revolves around the flip side of fame. Gray is an actor whose star is on the rise, as is his wife Mia. Their success and publicity make it impossible for Gray to lead a normal life. The result is delusions and madness.

Ribisi (from ‘Gone in Sixty Seconds’ (2000)) is best known to the general public as Frank Buffay Jr., the somewhat strange brother of Phoebe in the television series “Friends” (1994-2004) Who better than Giovanni Ribisi to give shape to this complex, frustrated, paranoid Gray? Ribisi is perfect for this role and with his red-rimmed eyes and posture he is very convincing. Franka Potente plays his famous wife Mia, but she doesn’t impress at all. The same can be said about Joshua Jackson’s role as John. Gray meets fan John and friend Jane and begins to meddle in their lives. Gray projects his previous normal life with ex-girlfriend Shana onto the lives of Jane and John. As Gray becomes more and more obsessed, the lines between reality and fantasy blur. Christina Ricci shines (as always) as Shana in the bits she passes by.

The film starts at a fast pace, images pass by. But after this quick start, the film collapses and we find ourselves in the reality-based spins and the spin-based reality. This film is certainly complex and the viewer’s patience is really tested. Separate plot twists have been chosen in the in itself good story. At the risk of watching ‘I Love Your Work’ leave a confused audience. Cameos by Vince Vaughn and Elvis Costello cannot compensate for this.