The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) (2013)

Paolo Sorrentino's Oscar-winner is beautiful as always. He knows how to take breathtaking shots. The typical criticism of his films is that though they are gorgeous, they are empty, void of meaning. This film does not have that problem. There is definitely something there, though that something is, ironically enough, emptiness. It is not always immediately clear to me though. This film supposedly captured the contemporary zeitgeist of Berlusconi's glamorous Rome. In that sense it is almost pseudo-anthropological in that it captures the essence a people in a specific period, but it is made up. That being said, I appreciate that it is a beautiful, well-made film. Did I enjoy watching it though? It was 2.5 hours! To be honest, it was an overload to the senses, if you ask me. 

Youth (2015)

I didn't really get this comedy-drama from director Paolo Sorrentino. Maybe I am not old enough to appreciate youth or Youth. There are lots of metaphors and I just couldn't follow all of them. I'm not sure what to make of the ending when Fred conducts his "Simple Song #3." The music and lyrics are both quite simple, but it is a delightfully beautiful song. Soprano Sumi Jo gives a dazzling performance. All of the main actors give strong performances. They get to speak their minds in monologues that allow them to shine. Jane Fonda gets just one scene towards the end but she plays up her inner diva.

The film has some dazzling images. Filmed on location at Waldhaus Films hotel in Switzerland, the scenery is breathtaking. The garden has a circular turntable that hosts nightly performances. The movie opens with a song (reminiscent of Florence and the Machine) filmed while rotating. One of the more memorable images is of a performer creating a large bubble. And there's a great scene in which Caine imagines conducting a herd of cows as he sits on a rock atop a hill.