19/28
Is she a siren or a myth?
Story
Partenope is a woman named after her city. In Greek myth, Partenope is the siren who committed suicide after failing to enchant Odysseus. Her body was carried by the tide to the place where Castel dell’Ovo is now built, and thus gave its name to the city that would later become Neapolis, Naples.
In the film, Partenope is the embodiment of the city of Naples
WarmthWritten by Peter GregsonPlayed by Peter Gregson, Warren Zielinski, Magdalena Filipczak, Laurie Anderson, Ashok Klouda. A little disappointed by his last film È STATA LA MANO DI DIO, with PARTHENOPE I was reminded of how much I had been moved by Sorrentino’s films. Everything is beautiful, from the city of Naples and its pristine water to the still unknown goddess Celeste da Porta.
The beauty of life in its insignificance
Add to all this the Fellini-esque shots and the wonderful jazz score by Lele Marchitelli and you have perfection. One might think he’s making another GRANDE BELLEZZA, but he’s not. Sorrentino manages to surprise us once again, with a new way of dealing with what is ultimately the same subject.
Oh, and I almost forgot, the film stars Gary Oldman
The film poses questions without ever answering them, as if to say that one should stop looking for answers and start observing the beauty of the world as it is. As a result, the viewer leaves the cinema not with answers, but with an interesting view of life and ultimately death… Although his screen time is limited, he manages to give a wonderful performance.
I sincerely hope/believe that it wins the Palme d’Or
Then he leaves, as if he’s urging us to enjoy the film he convinced us (with his presence in the cast) to go see. So I know that not everyone will like it (some scenes are quite weird, I have to admit), but as far as I’m concerned, this movie gave me everything I expected (and didn’t expect) when I entered the cinema. Grazie Paolo 😉