Movie Review: La Grande Bellezza (2013)
Written by Anthony Sargon
Paolo Sorrentino’s “La Grande Bellezza” is an exquisite, albeit slightly indulgent, cinematic experience. The Italian film, which has been nominated for best Foreign Language film at the 86th Academy Awards, is a brilliant and unfettered effort by Sorrentino, one that tackles big questions and ideas with a lot of style and bravado. The flashy direction and cinematography may leave some feeling a bit empty, but I found the film to be extremely memorable and entrancing, if slightly overlong.
Jep Gamberdella (Tony Servillo), an aging socialite, has just turned 65. A once extremely promising novelist, Jep spends his most of his nights with the Italian jet-set, drinking and partying like he was still in his early 20′s. When Jep learns of an old love that’s passed, he begins to look back at his life with a sense of unfulfillment. He wonders if he’s led an empty life, with thoughts about what could have been.
Tony Servillo gives a masterful performance as cynical writer Jep Gamberdella. It takes a certain caliber of actor to convince audiences that a rich, successful socialite who brushes shoulders with Rome’s elite class is questioning his entire life’s meaning, and Servillo certainly fits the bill. His work is so nuanced and layered that you relate to Jep’s struggles, even if he lives in what many of us consider to be a fantasy world.
Sorrentino’s work behind the camera is extremely confident, and although the film does run a bit too long and can be a tad self-indulgent, it doesn’t hurt the overall experience. If anything, the indulgence says something about most the film’s characters so in that sense, it’s fitting. But the film wouldn’t be what it is without Luca Bigazzi’s gorgeous cinematography, which perfectly captures the excess of Jep’s decadent lifestyle, as well as the haunting beauty of Rome. It’s all very dream-like and slightly surreal, but very effective.
The Verdict:
It’s not perfect, but “La Grande Bellezza” is still a beautiful, thought-proviking, and richly satisfying cinematic endeavor.
Numerical Score: 9/10
Read the Original post on A Geek's Blog
