Parthenope (2024)
I keep coming back to Sorrentino because his films are just so freaking gorgeous to look at, to take in, to dwell in the excess and vulgarity of rich Italians. As usual with a story about the old envying the young, and the young not knowing what they have. This time with goddess-like Parthenope who so far is the most interesting character in a Sorrentino film so far for me. Her beauty is played to extremes with everyone around her literally falling over themselves, and while she is able to enjoy the attention and take advantage of it to an extent, there are also parts of her that can’t really handle it. Her academic career seems like an escape of sorts, and I wish we could have seen more of her intellect displayed, but we will have to get that by proxy through her mentor played by Silvio Orlando.
2025 is becoming the Italian year for me, and between spaghetti westerns and giallo films, there is something luring and drawing with Sorrentino’s lavish style that I find a strange comfort in. They are still missing that unexplainable thing that elevates them to the next level, but maybe I just need to watch La grande bellezza again.
Rating: 3.5