A brilliant piece of filmmaking that totally took my breath away. This feels a lot personal because it is. Sorrentino created this film with an enormous love and you just feel it. His use of camara is outstanding, applying a lot of different techniques to give us some really beautiful shots and scenes, all of them unforgettable.
The first hour is magic. I laughed more than in most comedies I've seen. I was totally in awe with all those fascinating and lively characters. Everything feel so alive, so real. The sense of community is palpable.
The second hour is emotionally brutal. Sorrentino doesn't want to stay for a long time on overdramatic scenes. Just the necessary to tell his story. But he does it through powerful images and with a lot to say.
Even if this film is personal to the director, I believe this will feel familiar to a lot of us and that is the beauty of the cinema: a personal individual story can touch many people. Great homage to Napoli and cinema in a fantastic coming of age film.