“And who might you be?” —Francis Bacon
Today’s quick review: Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon. Francis Bacon (Derek Jacobi), a renowned British painter, lucks out when George Dyer (Daniel Craig), the burglar who broke into his apartment, agrees to his propositions. At first their relationship is passionate and spurs Francis to new artistic heights. But over time, Francis’s disdain and George’s depressive tendencies threaten to tear them apart.
Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon is a biographical romantic drama set in the 1960s. What starts as a chance fling between an older artist and a younger thief turns into a powerful yet troubled relationship. Love is the Devil takes an artistic and introspective approach to its subject. However, its slow-moving story and themes of depression, angst, and infidelity will make it something of a niche pick.
Love is the Devil takes great pains to show the world through Francis Bacon’s eyes. From his macabre narration about life to his bitingly sarcastic social circle to his fascination with George, the talents and shortcomings of Francis come through clearly. Love is the Devil takes these themes a step further with a moody atmosphere, distorted camerawork, and an experimental presentation style that captures the thoughts of its characters.
Unfortunately, Love is the Devil can only dramatize its subject matter, not increase its appeal. The story has only a loose structure to it, a series of social vignettes cataloguing the ebb and flow of Francis’s relationship with George. While the relationship eventually reaches a climax, the film’s indirect and passive style can be hard to get into. Likewise, Francis and George are hit-or-miss characters with sharp personality flaws.
How much you get out of Love is the Devil will come down to taste. Those who enjoy biographical, artistically-minded movies will enjoy the way Love is the Devil goes about painting the tempestuous relationship between Francis and George. But anyone who dislikes the characters or their problems will find that there isn’t much else to salvage the experience. Approach with caution.
For a somewhat more active tale of love and self-destruction, try Leaving Las Vegas. For another Daniel Craig movie about a relationship gone bad, try Love & Rage. For an introspective crime drama with a literary bent, try Croupier.
[6.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119577/). I give it a 6.0 for good artistry wrapped around a static plot.