I am perplexed at the remarkable reviews and nominations given to this excruciatingly long movie. Some call it a “masterpiece”. Well, if you expect me to survive 142 minutes, you better have a great storyline for me to follow. A friend of mine would laugh at that, because I’m not linear when telling my own stories but, hey, I do have a storyline you can trace. This was not the case: visuals and music carried the story far more successfully than the script. And God knows I need a clever script!
Struggles and all, the movie delivers a strong message. The exquisite cinematography succeeds at portraying the purposelessness existing in the lives of those without excuses for not being satisfied when they actually have it all, proving that blessings can become curses!
“When you are in Rome, do as Romans do” says a famous quote. Decadence at its best, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, is personified by a sensible novelist who just turned 65 and realizes he no longer can afford to keep doing things he doesn’t want to do. He feels empty, both professional and personally, but is incapable of moving a finger to change his gloomy situation and, unless there is an exorcism, he will have to die reassuring himself he lived without regrets. How many people like that do you know?