Predominantly used by filmmakers as a location for romantic escapes or as a backdrop displaying great cultural achievement, Rome now takes centre stage in Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film as a city that is morally crumbling. Seen through the eyes of the aging but vibrant writer Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo), THE GREAT BEAUTY explores what it takes to be inspired artistically, and what it takes to sustain an artistic reputation in modern-day Italy.

… an initial glimpse is had into the more bunga bunga side of influential Romans’ lives.

Sorrentino’s corrupt, shameless Rome thunders into view in the opening moments of THE GREAT BEAUTY, and establishes a chokehold of gratuitous hedonism which it refuses to release for the film’s duration. During the exploration of Rome’s day-to-day existence in the opening minutes, several strata of society are encountered, multiple foreign languages are heard, a prominent and inexplicably threatening religious presence is felt and an initial glimpse is had into the more bunga bunga side of influential Romans’ lives. This is not a Rome with sugar-coating; this is not a Rome that has been glossed over. Sorrentino makes a brash, aesthetic, Luhrmann-esque assault on the senses in creating his city, providing a refreshingly honest, unapologetic view of urban life.

This sensual richness and bold stylization continues throughout THE GREAT BEAUTY, recalling the sharpness and eccentricity of Sorrentino’s earlier film, IL DIVO. The slick editing and complex precision behind the film’s presentation provide a thrilling relentlessness and underlying excitement, which establishes a useful backdrop against which to throw much darker, intense themes. This continual stream of superficial interest also provides a necessary undercurrent of energy to counteract the overall pace of the film, which occasionally lacks urgency.

Structurally, the film is intricate and highly intelligent, but it suffers from being too long and lacking variance in tempo. The use of isolated vignettes is particularly effective in telling this story, where a piecemeal view of the events of life in Rome highlights the inner connection but seeming loneliness felt by city-dwellers worldwide, and as such is a sensible choice. However, the constant drip-feed of these independent events and pervading sense of a resolution is not enough to sustain attention consistently for two-and-a-half hours, and hinders organic growth of interest.

THE GREAT BEAUTY is at once entirely beautiful and deeply frustrating.

This constant shifting also has significant effects on the development of the central characters. Jep, the film’s primary focus, is considered in depth, from a range of viewpoints and in all manner of situations. As such, it is very clear who he is, what he stands for, and what the general context to his life is. His observant and sensitive portrayal by Servillo makes him a sympathetic, charming presence – but his dominance supresses the believability of the supporting roles. Each minor character has a very specific function to play for the progression of the plot and the characterisation of Jep, and appears as such, without a deep, human integrity. As such, they become caricatures (the Bacchanalian cardinal, the frustrated writer, the hapless playwright), and therefore seem like an afterthought, rather than an integral part of the film.

THE GREAT BEAUTY is at once entirely beautiful and deeply frustrating. Sorrentino creates an inconceivably rich, provocative backdrop, which, when coupled with his characteristic flair for aesthetic finish and sharpness, produces an unbeatable visual feast. Matching his human story-telling against this is therefore an enormous challenge, and it feels like he doesn’t quite manage it. Servillo’s performance is very fine, but taking his character’s life as an overall subject for the film is somehow weak and ineffectual – THE GREAT BEAUTY needs a more niche focus in order to bring more pace and heart. Undeniably a real technical achievement, Sorrentino’s film is brimming with creative promise, but it needs to match its laudable artistic vision with a stronger emphasis on its human elements to be a truly great film overall.