One area of my Italian-mastering efforts in which I could improve is watching movies or streaming RAI on my computer. I don’t have a TV that I can just flick on to hear the language, but I do love going to the movies. There’s one film playing here with which I’m so obsessed, I had to see it twice: La Grande Bellezza. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was one of the contenders for the top honor, but the Palme d’Or ultimately went to La Vie d’Adele, which I also happened to see–with both Italian & English subtitles–because a local movie theater screened it for one day only. Sorry, I’m digressing.
The film’s English title is “The Great Beauty” and it will hopefully be released stateside. You must see it. This is not the first collaboration between director Paolo Sorrentino and the leading man, Toni Servillo, and I look forward to watching more of their work, particularly the film Il Divo (a friend gave me the DVD). I know it’s still very early on so we have yet to scope out the competition, but if Servillo isn’t nominated for a Best Actor Oscar–or at least a serious contender for one of the slots–there is something seriously wrong with Hollywood. And while we’re on this topic, I wouldn’t be surprised if Adèle Exarchopoulos wins the Best Actress Oscar for her role in the aforementioned Palme d’Or winner. I’m digressing again.
La Grande Bellezza is a gorgeous, powerful and incredibly moving work of genius, and Rome is featured so prominently that the city might as well be a character itself. I strongly encourage you to see it, if anything for those first spectacularly shot ten minutes.
You can find the trailer (with English subtitles) as well as The Guardian’s review here.
Cover photo: Photo by Christopher Czermak on Unsplash
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