Watch Oscar award winning film THE GREAT BEAUTY for free. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
My Angel, will you be my Great Beauty?
Written by
Jude Bautista
“I don’t want to participate in parties. I want the power to make them a failure.” Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo) is a celebrated novelist who never followed up on his seminal work: The Human Apparatus. Instead he becomes an auteur to Rome’s highlife. He writes about art, theater and performers to a ‘cultured and educated readership’. For decades he has ruled as the ‘King of the whirlpool of Highlife’.
Filipinos are very fortunate to have the chance to watch this international award winning film THE GREAT BEAUTY during the MOVIEMOV festival, which will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangri La Plaza from July 23-27, 2014.
From left: THE GREAT BEAUTY Director / Screenwriter Paolo Sorrentino and Toni Servillo who played the debonair Jep Gambardella show their Best Foreign Language film Oscar. Photo from http://www.swide.com/art-culture/why-the-great-beauty-is-the-deserving-winner-of-the-oscar-2014-best-foreign-film/2014/03/03
THE GREAT BEAUTY has earned Best Foreign Film award at the Oscars, Golden Globes and the BAFTA (British Academy Film Awards). Nearly every technical award was earned in every award giving body in Europe: Silver Ribbon-Best Supporting actor-Paolo Verdone, Supporting Actress- Sabrina Ferilli, Best Cinematography, Best Cinematography-Luca Bigazzi, Best Sound-Emanuele Cecere, European Film Awards– Best Film and Best Director-Paolo Sorrentino, Best Actor-Toni Servillo, Best Editor-Cristiano Travaglioli and many more. Even our own 15th Cinemanila International Film Festival gave Paolo Sorrentino the Lino Brocka Award for Best Film.
top: Jep (Toni Servillo) enjoys himself with Trumeau (Iaia Forte) bottom a DJ jams with a string quartet in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Secret World
IF there is one film where you don’t have to worry about spoilers in reviews this is it. It’s a very visually rich and layered film that there is so much that viewers can discover and experience that even a whole article will not be able to reveal the encompassing life journey of Jep in Rome.
The Great Beauty is a truthful portrayal of the secret world of Rome’s elite. The park’s silence is broken by a canon’s boom in the middle of the capital filled with sculptures. A choir rehearses in an ancient hall; a man washes himself from the waters of a grand fountain. The mood is shattered by blaring music of a rave party, which all happens in one city.
A choir sings in an ancient hall above the Acqua Paolo fountain in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Jep has a posh flat overlooking the coliseum. He watches the sun set just behind the windows and ruins of the majestic wall. In his bedroom his mind wanders far, he dreams of the deep blue sea of his youth. The Great Beauty starts as something physical, a woman. Then it becomes something more, a search for meaning in this corrupt, material world. Jep searches for inspiration that has stalled his real writing for decades.
Jep (Toni Servillo) looks out on the spectacular view from his balcony in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
To pigeonhole the film as a comedy or drama would be a disservice. Closer to a fantasy using very real people and the backdrop of breathtaking allure that is Rome. Real in a sense that they have appetites, shortcomings just like every other person, except they live these excessive lifestyles in the most picturesque city in the world.
Roman sunset in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Alfio Bracco (Massimo Popolizio) is the high-end botox physician in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
This secret world of the rich in Rome has so many parallelisms with Manila’s elite. Even Jep himself falls in line for high-end botox treatments, not unlike the fans of Vicki Belo here today. Even within his close circle of friends both married and single, the gossip isn’t whom you’ve slept with but who haven’t you slept with.
top: a freaky couple invites Jep for some ‘fun’. Bottom a Japanese singer (Sara Wakayanagi) in one of the wild raves in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Calling their parties wild doesn’t begin to describe it. Since the time of the emperors, Caligula had his orgiastic parties. Modern day Romans through this film have honored their ancestors well. Sex, alcoholism and drugs are part of each celebration, although a lot of them also include various performance arts. Even in these parties, there’s a greater appreciation for the various forms of art not just visual.
Jep interviews a photographer who was photographed everyday by his father since birth. He continued the project since age 14 shooting himself everyday, and is now exhibited in the park in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Jep (Toni Servillo) kisses random girl at party in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Talia Concept (Anita Kravos) one of many performance artists in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Parade of fascinating people
This film is also the perfect example of a character driven story. There’s an endless parade of fascinating people almost to Alice in Wonderland proportions. That’s what Rome is, a land of several millennia of culture, history and art. Naturally the people who inhabit it are interesting to say the least. Jep is the perfect hero for this universe because he literally knows everybody from famous celebrities, to the powers that be that no one knows about.
Secret Zeus sculpture that Ramona sees for the first time in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
In one party, Jep introduces Ramona (Sabrina Ferilli) to Stefano (Giorgio Pasotti) for example, who carries around a luggage full of keys in the trunk of his car. Neither Jep nor Stefano tell her where they are going. Stefano opens a door to a non-descript place; in it Ramona sees an enormous and exquisite Roman sculpture of Zeus that takes her breath away and that was just the beginning. They enter and see paintings from the Renaissance. Jep tells her that Stefano has all the keys to palaces in Rome where nobility live and priceless works of art are kept. They end up in a palatial home watching the sunrise over an ornate garden.
from left: Ramona (Sabrina Ferilli), Jep (Toni Servillo) and Stefano (Giorgio Pasotti) in the garden of a nobleman’s palace in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Ramona (Sabrina Ferilli) and Jep (Toni Servillo) both won awards for their performance in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Ramona herself is something to behold, tan, tall voluptuous, every man’s dream, a millennial Sophia Loren. She’s a stripper even at 42 years old; she has what it takes and more to have men drooling. She is not unlike our own Alice Dixson (44) who recently ranked 7th at FHM’s Sexiest beating out the likes of younger more famous bodies such as Anne Curtis, Ellen Adarna and Jinri Park. Alice has earned a hefty contract with the TV5 network as well.
Child artist’s (Anna Della Rosa) tantrum becomes entertainment in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Child artist Ragazza esangue (Anna Della Rossa), is a 12 year old who in the midst of a wild tantrum, throws and splashes paint on a wall to create a work of art. Her ‘process’ becomes entertainment to a crowd of partygoers. There’s also the nobility for hire Conte Colonna (Franco Graziosi) and Contessa Colonna (Sonia Gessner). They are an old couple of noble descent fallen on financial ruin. They end up being hired to bolster the prestige of guest lists in formal dinners.
Child artist’s (Anna Della Rosa) tantrum becomes entertainment in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
from left: Cardinal Belucci (Roberto Herlitzka) and Jep (Toni Servillo) in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Catholicism
As counterpoint to hedonism, Romans revere their religious figures just as much as we do here in the Philippines. Rome is after all the seat of the Catholic Church, which comprises 80% of our population. Religious leaders of all faiths from a rabbi to African tribal chiefs meet a Mother Theresa-like character. Sister Maria (Giusi Merli) becomes an unexpected influence on the ‘King of Whirlpool of Highlife’.
in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Filipinos should watch this breakthrough film not just because of the accolades abroad but rather it highlights what we have in common with the Italians. We too have that dichotomy between our appetites for food, music, sex, life and dearly hold on to our faith. We should be inspired just as Jep Gambardella was to search for meaning in our lives and find our own GREAT BEAUTY.
From left: PIA Director JP de la Vega, Italian Emb 1st Sec Deputy Head of Mission Alfonso Tagliaferri and PIA VP for Culture Silvana Diaz. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014. Photo by Jude Bautista.
Romano (Carlo Verdone) is the playwright/actor Jep helps out in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014
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Friends chat on Jep’s balcony in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Jep (Toni Servillo) is nothing if not honest in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
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center in left photo: Romano (Carlo Verdone) is not as lucky as Jep (Toni Servillo) far right with women in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
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Romano (Carlo Verdone) is the playwright/actor Jep helps out in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014
Silhouette of Ramona in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
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Rome is the most picturesque city in the world in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
In Rome a wild rave party deserves its own Mariachi from THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
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Rome is the most picturesque city in the world in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
left: young Jep (Flavio Mieli) and Elisa De Santis (Annaluisa Capasa) in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Jep (Toni Servillo) and Stefania (Galatea Ranzi) in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
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Lorena (Serena Grandi) comes out of a cake to greet Jep in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Exhibitionists at an exclusive Roman Party in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
The King of Whirlpool of Highlife (Toni Servillo) upside down shot to show chaos of party in THE GREAT BEAUTY. The Moviemov Italian Film festival will screen the best of Italian cinema for free at Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza Mall from July 23-27, 2014.
Text and Photos by Jude Bautista
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