Rent The Great Beauty (2013)

Seems to be a love it or hate it move - The Great Beauty review by Plastic Teaspoon

First there are a lot of 1 and 2 star reviews here that say the film has no plot, is long, slow, arty, pretentious etc. They are not wrong and if long, slow, arty and a bit pretentious is not your thing then this film isn't going to float your boat at all.

However if that sort of thing doesn't bother you then I recommend this wholeheartedly. The film follows the life of a rich art set in Rome. It shows them leading their pointless self-indulgent lives and being generally arty and pretentious; it makes a pretty scathing indictment of their hollow lives. The twist is that it does this with such adoring and sumptuous cinematography that I was left wondering of this really is a biting satire or a homage to the life. Perhaps it is a bit of both. In some ways the film itself is living the arty and pretentious life whilst mercilessly satirising itself at the same time. The leading character lives this way too.

I certainly didn't find the film boring, in fact I was engrossed the whole way through. I also found it funny, the absurd situations and some of the characters' biting comments had me laughing out loud in places. Definitely recommended.

Overlong, self-indulgent, pretty but pointless Italian/French film - The Great Beauty review by PV

2.5 stars for this.

This movie is way overlong and also self-indulgent - that makes it really boring in places. It takes ages to get going - the plot point being in the 35th minute. Why? Because we have stupid dancing scenes for ages before that.

To be fair, there is no plot really. It just washes over you - but no amount of arty cinematography can eliminate the boredom felt by many a viewer at the self-indulgent waffle here (and it's co-produced by a French company, so know what to expect - long gazes, confusing flashback editing).

I also feel the director's back catalogue and reputation has created a case of the Emperor's New Clothes amongst some adoring reviewers.

Some great characters though, esp the dwarf. Plus some genuinely laugh-out-loud lines. But a film has to be more than that. If I or you had written this script and sent it to the BBC or other production companies, it wouldn't have got a full read - 5 pages in, it would be on the REJECT pile.

For me, the final act - the last 25 minutes or so - was the best. Though the 104 year old nun character seems dropped in as a means to finish an amorphous and nebulous mess of a movie.

A Great Beauty. - The Great Beauty review by Steve

Sumptuous art film, dense with wit and visual imagination. I'm not a big Fellini enthusiast, who this film repeatedly references, but that was no impediment to liking this film, one of my favourite of the century. An Italian state-of-the-nation film whose bitter world view works for anywhere in the west. Be sure to watch the beautiful, poignant closing credits.

Alternately boring and riveting - The Great Beauty review by Alphaville

The spirit of Fellini lives on. An ageing one-book author contemplates his life. There’s no drama and precious little narrative. Long scenes of talking heads are ponderous and pretentious, all voiced in monotone (was this film post-dubbed in a booth?). It’s the sort of wordy borefest that gives ‘arthouse’ cinema a bad name.

Yet the boring scenes are interspersed with ravishing camerawork by director Paolo Sorrentino. Some of the tracking shots are mesmerising, especially the pre-title sequence, where a magnificent rooftop shindig seems to go on forever as the camera prowls around it. If only. Once the talking heads start you’ll be fast-forwarding to the next bit of cinematic bravado. The trailer gives some idea of both the beauty and the boredom and for once gives no plot points away… because there are none to give away. Not as great a film as arthouse critics would have it, but well worth dipping into.

I lasted 15 minutes - The Great Beauty review by AJ

Congratulations to the viewers who lasted longer than that. But it doesn't look like there was much worth waiting for.

Sooo boring and pointless - The Great Beauty review by CP Customer

At first I thought the script had been lost because this is just overlong scenes of dancing and parties. I just could not find a plot or point to the film. Like other reviewers I found it boring

One to savour - The Great Beauty review by Promessi

A classy and stylish piece. Intelligent and visually sumptuous. If one judges this by the very highest criteria then you have to note that it is Fellini pastiche with none of the challenges that the great man makes of his audience. The single message seems to be that the lives of the Milan super rich are superficial and ultimately sterile. Well maybe. But the delivery of this idea is managed with such exquisite filming and such brilliant visual tableaux that I can't get mad at it for long. Just go with it and enjoy each moment , but don't expect any life-changing insight into the soul of mankind.