39/10
Partenope is a woman who bears the name of her city. Is she a siren or a myth?. In the Greek myth, Parthenope is the siren who committed suicide after failing to enchant Odysseus. Her body was brought by the tide to the place where Castel dell'Ovo is now built, and for this she gave the name to the city that would have later become Neapolis, Naples. In the movie, Parthenope is the embodiment of the city of Naples.. WarmthWritten by Peter GregsonPerformed by Peter Gregson, Warren Zielinski, Magdalena Filipczak, Laurie Anderson, Ashok Klouda. Somewhat disappointed by his last film È STATA LA MANO DI DIO, with PARTHENOPE I was reminded of what had touched me so much with the films of Sorrentino. Everything is beautiful, from the city of Naples and its pristine water to the yet unknown goddess Celeste da Porta. Add to it the Fellini-like shots and the wonderful jazz soundtrack by Lele Marchitelli : you get perfection.The beauty of life in its insignificance… One might think he's making another GRANDE BELLEZZA, but it's just not the case. Sorrentino manages to surprise us once again, with a new way of dealing with what is – ultimately – the same topic.The movie asks questions without ever answering them, as if to say that one should just stop looking for answers and start observing the beauty of the world for what it is. As a result, the spectator leaves the theater not with answers, but with an interesting take on life, and ultimately death…Oh, and I almost forgot, the movie stars Gary Oldman. Though his onscreen time is limited, he manages to pull out a wonderful performance. He then withdraws, as if he were urging us to enjoy the movie he convinced us (by his presence in the cast) to go watch.So I know not everybody is going to like it – some scenes are pretty weird I have to admit – but as far is I'm concerned, this movie gave me everything I did (and didn't) expect when stepping into the theater. Sincerely hope/think it will win Palme d'Or.Grazie Paolo 😉
