The Great Beauty

Starring: Toni Servillo, Carlo Vedone, Sabrina Ferilli, Carlo Buccirosso, Iaia Forte, Pamela Villoresi, Galatea Ranzi
Directed by: Paolo Sorrentino
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A famous author (Toni Servillo) who hasn't written a novel in decades reflects on his life amidst parties and dinners and high society.

Review:

Tim: I think I'm still processing Paolo Sorrentino's The Great Beauty. This 2 hour, 21 minute film is many things. It's not always the easiest to watch, but it offers up great depth that viewers can mine. My thoughts about this film were all over the place. At times, it felt purposely plodding. I felt the aimlessness of the main character and I wasn't having a great deal of fun. At other points, I was transfixed by perfectly executed scenes that grabbed my attention and time passed imperceptibly. I'm not surprised this film won the Academy Award for Best International Feature (still called Best Foreign Language Film when it won). It's mesmerizing, thought provoking, and challenging. In short, an especially good film.

As I reflect on this film, what stands out most to me is the performance of Toni Servillo. His performance is masterful. It gets under your skin- the way he carries himself, how he speaks, everything big and small he does to bring this character of Jep Gambardella to life. It's a stunning performance, as he completely carries this exceptionally long film and brings this complicated character to life. Servillo feels so authentic in this role, so original in his portrayal of this fascinating character. Servillo makes this movie work. I think it's an outrage that he wasn't nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. You're seriously telling me that Christian Bale gave a better performance in American Hustle? There's absolutely no way. Servillo deserved that spot. I loved Servillo's performance and I couldn't pull my eyes away from him.

The supporting cast is good, but this is undoubtedly Servillo's film. I thought Sabrina Ferilli had a few nice moments that showcased what she could do. Galatea Ranzi is part of the best scene in the film and although clearly in a smaller supporting role, she works well. The cast doesn't have standouts besides Servillo, but it didn't really need them, either.

I'm still not entirely sure what to make of the story of The Great Beauty. There were moments I absolutely adored in the film, and many scenes that bothered me. This is certainly an art drama, with all the pros and cons that come with it. The film gives us an in-depth look at this educated socialite, who hasn't done serious work in decades. He keeps busy, moving in society's circles, influencing, leveraging relationships. But, his life seems adrift. It's interesting to consider what we'd focus our time on if we didn't have to work. I wouldn't say Jep's life feels all that fulfilling, although I bet the years slide away in a blur. We meet many of his bourgeois friends and while none of them are especially likeable, they're interesting in their own right. There's alcohol, sex, gossip, all the things you'd expect from that level of society. The movie examines relationships, existential meaning, maybe a bit of faith. It's intriguing, in its own way.

The film delivers quite a few different scenes of varying quality. Some of them feel redundant and meandering. However, there's incredible moments, too. The highlight of the film for me was the brutal takedown Jep perpetuates against his "friend" Stefania. This scene is difficult to watch, but masterfully filmed. Up to this point in the film, Jep seems to be a generally congenial guy. Sure, he has some existential issues, but don't we all? He knows how to operate in all the best circles of society and leaves people feeling good because of his interactions. That surface is stripped away when he lays out all the flaws and scandals of Stefania's life, in an utterly barbaric, devastating speech. It's shocking, powerful, and it shows us a completely different side to Jep. The scene is absolutely fantastic. The rest of the film gives us more hit-and-miss scenes, although it delivers more hits than misses. I wasn't quite sold on the whole subplot with the soon-to-be saint missionary nun. That aspect of the film didn't quite work for me. I think I get the point, but it felt less effective.

The Great Beauty is an uneven movie, but the highs are so high that they more than make up for the lows. I can't say I would be especially enthusiastic about revisiting this film, outside of I'd love to see Servillo in this role again. Sorrentino directs a thought-provoking film that gives us at least one larger-than-life character that we won't soon forget. I enjoyed this movie and I see why it won the Academy Award.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Life is Beautiful