Have you ever thought somebody would show the audacity to merge Lynch with Fellini in a decadent ‘dreamy’ Dolce Vita roman satire?
Don’t look any further: Sorrentino mastered his art with la 'Grande bellezza'. The unauthorized declaration of a mundane world where the 'blazés' meet the eternal dissatisfaction of a 'jet-set society' destined to aging and condemned to look for eternal youth and success.
Seen through the eyes of our protagonist, a dandy Roman writer, we are taken through a fabulous, explorative and touching journey of an 'elite', remainder of a generation attached to aesthetics, money, self-awareness and success. A journey though, that takes us to a final destination based on true values: love, family, friendship. A journey that begins on the surface to end deep down on the inside: a true beauty.
Rome is filmed with incredible long takes, the city is shown at its best: a golden, yellow palette where the contrast is given by women, strong impersonators of a 'Mediterranean beauty'. Dark hair and flaming lipsticks capture our attention all film long. Satire, irony, beauty are the key ingredients of this movie where real values come to the rescue right when needed. We can't help but feeling compassion and admiration for 'Jep', an individual, that like most of us hides behind appearances, just to protect himself from vulnerability and suffering.
