Parthenope: A Facile, Bikini-Clad Self-Parody
Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film, Parthenope, is a visually stunning but ultimately shallow exercise in style. The film’s languid pace and gorgeous Neapolitan scenery can’t compensate for its lack of depth and emotional resonance.
Naples, the picturesque backdrop for Parthenope
Celeste Dalla Porta shines as Parthenope, a beautiful and enigmatic young woman haunted by a tragic incident in her past. Her character’s journey is ostensibly the focus of the film, but Sorrentino’s script is more interested in showcasing his own cleverness and visual flair.
Celeste Dalla Porta as Parthenope
The film’s supporting cast is equally impressive, with standout performances from Silvio Orlando as Parthenope’s professor and Isabella Ferrari as the eccentric acting coach, Flora Malva. However, even their talents can’t elevate the film’s shallow, self-indulgent script.
Isabella Ferrari as Flora Malva
One of the film’s most cringe-worthy moments comes when Parthenope encounters her favorite writer, John Cheever, played by a bemused Gary Oldman. The scene is meant to be a poignant encounter between two kindred spirits, but it falls flat due to Sorrentino’s heavy-handed direction.
Gary Oldman as John Cheever
Ultimately, Parthenope is a film that promises more than it delivers. Sorrentino’s visual style is as striking as ever, but it’s not enough to compensate for the film’s lack of emotional depth and narrative coherence.
Naples, the city that could have been
A Self-Indulgent Exercise in Style
Parthenope is a film that announces its own beauty at every turn, but ultimately drifts into an unearned elegiac torpor. It’s a shame, because Sorrentino is capable of so much more.
“The camera movements are less hyperactive and angular than in his early work, but this does not necessarily signal a new maturity; the lessening of flourishes might simply expose something rather facile.” - This critic
Paolo Sorrentino, a director in search of depth
A Film That Floats Complacently Across the Screen
Parthenope is a film that promises much but delivers little. It’s a shallow, self-indulgent exercise in style that fails to engage on an emotional level. Even Sorrentino’s most ardent fans will find themselves checking their watches.
The film’s poster, a promise unfulfilled
