Give credit to director Alma Har’el for the ambitious, sprawling, immensely artistic LoveTrue. The film makes an artistic statement as a hybrid documentary, with some scenes being staged by professional actors. The film features a beautiful score by Flying Lotus, and is executive produced by Shia LaBoeuf.

LoveTrue (the title is a play on the term ‘true love’ is sure to find its share of fans and disciples. But in the eyes of this reviewer at least, the film is insufferable.

Focusing on three very challenging relationships in Alaska, Hawaii and New York City, the film merges together the trio of real life stories in a montage of text on screen, and dreamlike images and intermingling of younger versions of the lead characters. Each story, that of Blake and Joel in Alaska, Coconut Willie (sigh) in Hawaii and Victory in New York City feature a surprising reveal, which is prefigured at by Har’el through a series of clues, such as t-shirts.

But by the time we get there, the swirling images (and swirling camera) have us truly falling out of love with the filmic experience.

[star v=2]