First Hit: I didn’t see the humor or drama in this self-indulgent view of mindless obsessive behavior.
Art is a naked woman with a gauze headdress running into a rock wall. Yup, in some people’s eyes this might be avant-garde art, yet in the context of the Italian high society this film is sharing with the audience – it is just one poor choice after another.
Toni Servillo as Jep Gambardella whose goal it was to be the single most important partier in Italy is lame, meaningless and unimpressive. The faux sophistication is too easily seen through and “the shock” after his 65th birthday is simply life happening to him and he sees it for the first time through the haze of indulgence. None of the other actors or actresses left any impression worth mentioning. Umberto Contarello wrote this poorly conceived script from a worse story by eventual director Paolo Sorrentino.
Overall: I was not impressed with any aspect of this film although many critics have high regard for it.