This film was weird. Very weird. But that shouldn't have been a problem. I love weird. However, Parthenope made the arrogant mistake of having the audience believe it had some point to make. Let me shatter the suggestion of every good review up here: it did not. It mistakes beauty for substance. Because i admit, the film looks good, the scenery is gorgeous and the female lead is stunningly beautiful.
That said, the film did not make me feel anything at all. Beautiful weirdness does not garantuee a good movie and this film is proof of that. It meanders with a fake sense of melancholia and nostalgia. But it simply goes all out to conceal the fact that it is shamelessly boring and depressing.
To compare: David Lynch (i'm still depressed over his passing) made some utterly weird stuff, but no matter how weird it got, it was never boring. It commanded your attention and it had you feel all kinds of emotions. Within that framework, weird does not matter anymore. It makes you feel and experience. Lynch was a master in that sense. With Parthenope director Sorrentino tries, but completely misses that mark.
Don't get me wrong, La Grande Belezza was beautiful, i admire Sorrentino for that one. But he never got to that level of emotion and melancholia after that film. And Parthenope really jumps the shark .
Apart from the beauty of the film, multiple scenes are nothing but vulgar and no fun to watch. But worse, they don't add anyting to the film. I am not a sensitive soul, bring on the messed up stuff. But do-have-a-point! Don't irritate me for the sake of it.
And one final note: ripping off part of the score of Schindler's List is unforgivable. Took me a few minutes to recognize, but wow! A case of plagiarism that could not have been more obvious.
3 stars, for the eye-candy. And i'm being generous.
