Review of The Great Beauty (2013) by Adam Y — 10 Sep 2015

Probably the best film I've seen in the last five years.

There have been plenty of 'coming of age' stories, but much fewer 'coming to wisdom' films. This is one of the better ones, as elder socialite Jep (Toni Servillo ) pulls himself out of the hedonistic and corrupting influence of the Rome social scene.

This is, in my opinion, a remake of Trainspotting (1996). But while Trainspotting was a film about lower class British heroin junkies, this film is about upper middle class Italian yuppies. Both protagonists in both films have to try hard to break out of their chains in order to be free.

For Jep, his freedom requires him to abandon the fashionable nihilism of his youth. Once a promising young novelist, Jep fell into a deep slumber of sorts, wasting away decades of his life in an endless parade of meaningless sex, meaningless parties, meaningless art and meaningless friends. Now, on the precipice of old age, Jep starts to piece together the tragedies he tried to bury in his life: his failed love life, his failed career and his failing spirituality.

This is a kind of redemption story and a piercing critique of the state of Western culture in the 21st century. Smart film lovers will appreciate the lavish imagery, the thought-provoking dialogue and the devilishly witty humor.