The Great Beauty (2013)

Memorable, crazy movie

As Good As It Gets

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

This looks like to be the message of the movie or at least the opinion of its main character, Jep Gambardella, a journalist who has failed as a writer. He has nevertheless ambitions and opinions about life and the world in his beautiful house in Rome with a view to the Colosseum. But when he reaches 65 he realizes that he has wasted his life in mundane high society parties being much endeared by the women even at that age. He becomes then very disillusioned and seeks often refuge in memories and nostalgia of the past. All this develops itself in beautiful images and scenes of interiors and exteriors and beautiful film framings including of mundane parties and balls. There are also discussions sometimes superficial, sometimes deeper about human nature and the life and behaviour of this or that character. We must not forget that we are among high society members. No worker or proletarian is ever seen. We see a lot of characters sometimes very strange in terms of faces and behaviours. A good movie about life or at better its vacuity for those who think so.

This was such a serene experience for me. There were lots of flashy images, but core theme was stunningly soothing and peaceful. It oozed love, beauty and life !! I haven't seen any other Paolo Sorrentino's movies; but his style has definitely intrigued me to check out his other feature films. He seemed to have influenced from new wave in French Cinema. My eyes are immune or rather untrained to see any nuances or creative cinematography techniques. So only criteria which I can dissect is theme, story, characters where The Great Beauty excels and viewers are presented with such mesmerizing experience !

'La Grande Bellezza' is an extraordinary film. There are echoes of Michael Anontioni, Luis Bunel or even Peter Greenaway in it's styling; as well as a wonderfully shot paean to the beauty of Rome that somehow felt personal, at least to this sometime visitor of the Italian capital. An dilettante novelist and socialite playboy turns sixty-five, and continues living his life while looking back on the part that is over: in places the film feels like a stylised satire of the bourgeoisie, and the world of modern art. Yet in amongst these arid beginnings, it widens into a sympathetic portrait of a surprisingly subtle (but never unambiguously likable) man. The dialogue too, is funny and clever; and somehow although this should be exactly the sort of arty-pretentious movie that is too much for it's own good, it isn't. It was a left-field choice for an Oscar nomination; but a wholly deserved one.

Decent, but uneven, Italian drama. A journalist/writer, Jep, turns 65 and starts to reminisce, plus ponder his life. What happens next is essentially several days in his life: his friends, interests and regrets.A movie which touches on many aspects of life: art, and how pretentious it can be, personal regret, friendship, finding meaning beauty in life. (The pretentiousness of art topic is examined with great hilarity in the scenes with the viaduct-head-butting performance artist - for me, the best passage of the movie. Quite ironic then that the movie also veers into pretentiousness from time to time).However, for all its good intentions and deeper meanings, the movie is quite uneven. There are scenes and moments of great profundity, emotion and/or humour, followed by scenes that add nothing and just seem to drag the story out. The movie is a roller-coaster ride of dullness and entertainment.Ultimately, quite watchable, with a good ending. It does require some perseverance though...Despite being far from perfect, The Great Beauty won Best Foreign Language Film at the 2014 Oscars. This despite the superb Danish film, Jagten/The Hunt, being nominated. The Hunt is a far better film. I guess the judges were sucked in by the Felliniesque style- over-substance and ode-to-Rome traits of The Great Beauty and felt obliged to give it the award. Would be sacrilegious to not give the award to a Fellini-like film...