Art of Love (2021) User Reviews

I have no words

[nogodnomasters · 3/10 · 15 August 2022]

A teacher and struggling author (Esai Morales) in Puerto Rico is sent notes that appeal to his intellect. He is intrigued and must know who it is. He discovers his admirer at about 40 minutes into the film. However in spite of them getting together, she blocks him from entering the Great Wall. He is frustrated as to the secret why.

There is a lot of Spain envy in the film also. I didn't like either character, I thought them a bit abnormal. But then again they are artists. I didn't like "Love Story" or "A Man and a Woman" which had an annoying soundtrack.

Guide: F-word. Sex. Nudity (Kunjue Li)

These Characters Need Serious Help

[lavatch · 2/10 · 3 November 2022]

Both Li Chao and her writer friend needed psychological help. Li had an extremely tragic adolescence from which she has not recovered. As an adult, she is now living in a world of confusion and ambivalence. By contrast, the writer with whom she became obsessed was apparently so lonely that he would latch on to any "secret admirer" who would take an interest in him.

Early in the film, it was clear that the writer retained intimate connections with his ex-girlfriend. He also seemed like a perfect father to her little boy Javier. With such a dynamic woman and a beautiful child, it was not clear why he would not do everything in his power to make his relationship with her work. It was almost as if it he preferred the inevitably short-lived thrills of a dead-end romantic connection. And that is precisely what he experienced.

Throughout this film, the character interactions were simply not credible. The filmmakers were aspiring for a European-style art film. There were even pretentious animated interpolations in which the Li and her writer were portrayed in brief cartoons.

The actors in this film have genuine talent and worked mightily to rise above the lackluster material. It was also clear that that the life and work of the French writer, philosopher, and social activist Simon Weil were not studied with care. One of the most sensitive and humane thinkers of the twentieth century, Weil was not given her due in the film. Let's hope that the two main characters, Li and her writer get the help they deserve. And a good place to start would be in reading the works of Simone Weil.

a genre that never gets old

[A_Different_Drummer · 7/10 · 23 July 2022]

If you are old enough, you will realize that this style of film started in the Silent Film Era and continued onward, with a few skips here and there, to the present, almost unchanged. Boy meets girl. Obstacles are overcome. Sensual passion predominates, although never surpassing soft-core levels. Conflict arises. Boy loses girl. The end. Morales and Li are at least as passionate as Mickey Rourke was with Kim Basinger (or Carre Otis, or Diane Lane). And there is animation added to the love scenes, something never done before. Solid entry in the venerable genre of "bodice rippers."

A cautionary tale of modern romance

[minghchung · 10/10 · 7 March 2023]

Having no knowledge before hand of what time of movie this was I was pretty amazed by how much I enjoyed it. The main actor and actress do a great job conveying their emotions with believability. A shout out to Kunjue Li with her great performance as Li Chao as her acting really held much of the story together. While the story is something that has been seen multiple times before in various other films, the acting by Kunjue really made it by far a better film than a lot of other films with similar themes. I would honestly say to check this movie out without any expectations and I believe you will come out of it with it pretty amazed.

A good story but ok film.

[gillustrator-57894 · 6/10 · 22 October 2022]

Interesting and intriguing film. A little over dramatized but not to the point of quiting the film. Loved hearing the Coqui singing in the background.

I definitely would like to address the reviewer who said that this film has "Spain Envy." That statement couldn't be further from the truth. The scene portrayed how many Spanish speaking country view Puerto Rico as not being part of the spanish speaking culture due to the influence of tbe United States. There is no "Spanish Envy" whats so ever.

Back to the film. I do have to say that the music at times was distraction. At times it overpowered some of the dialog.

Overall it's an OK film.

Outstanding Casts to a mediocre storyline

[chvain · 6/10 · 13 March 2023]

My impression of the movie is that it is an average movie thats surrounded by an All-star casts in its leading actors Esai Morales as the male protagonist and Kunjue Li as the leading actress.

It is an erotic thriller where a professor, protrayed by Esai Morales, is seduced and ultimately fell into a trap with a chinese student Li Chao, portrayed by Kunjue Li. We followed the narrative of the professor throughout the movie that detailed his involvement and conflicts from his affair with Li Chao. The overall pace of the movie feels a bit dull where i feel like some parts of the storyline were just an over-stretched that could've been omitted altogether.

The actors are the true masterpieces of the movies especially with the uprising actress of Kunjue Li. Her protrayal of Li Chao as a seductive female with a mysterious past is the only thing that kept me absorbed into the movie. The displays of emotions shown from the beginning to the end had me on a rollercoaster ride throughout the movie. At times, I learned to sympathize with her conflicted relationship with the Professor and other time also had me scared when the darker side of her emerged within the story. This is the first time i have watched her movie and she had me intrigued by her outstanding acting that i will be keeping my eye out for her future roles in movies.

Li's performance is the Ace!

[zkqyxphbjd · 10/10 · 28 January 2023]

I love Li's performance from her first scene in the movie! She is so stunning and the way she handles the conflict makes me very emotional related! The way she looks at the professor does not only seduce him but also sizzle me. Don't understand why other reviews are so critical. Yes it is a old style romance movie. But sometimes when people are stressed out, people just want to watch this kind of old fashioned romance movie to relax and to be healed. The art of love has successfully achieved this goal, especially by Li's excellent performance. I will definitely recommend this move to my friends and watch it again on a Friday night!