Too much of everything

That was an excellent one.

Pretty Good

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Visually stunning. Luca Bigazzi's cinematography is outstanding not to mention Toni Servillo's performance. Paolo Sorrentino made Italians proud again!

Sorrentino's La Grande Bellezza is often compared with Fellini's La Dolce Vita. This is easy enough to see, both films being set in the Eternal City and peopled with an assortment of odd and/or striking characters; yet, the comparison to Fellini applies to the first 30 minutes only, during the first of three parties. After, in the early morning light, the mood changes as we begin to learn about the previous night's Birthday Boy who has turned sixty-five. From this point, unhurriedly, the film diverges from Fellini. Why, because Sorrentino's subject is different. In a way, Le Grande Bellezza becomes a polemic that makes use of satire, irony, gut feelings, touches of magic realism, and one rather good inside joke (not a spoiler: the 'aging' 42-year old stripper – an object of parental concern - was played by someone ten years older; but, for the punchline, you must see the movie.) La Grande Bellezza is about memory, loss, self-assessment, regret, and renewal; the flashes of beauty too often missed; everything that is buried beneath quotidian existence and "the incessant blah, blah, blah" (end quote). Finally, some viewers say there is too much water under the bridge in the final five minutes – but it is a matter of sensibility and the balance between frenzy and tranquility

'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...