I could watch this movie on repeat. It’s fascinating. It’s exquisite. It’s beautiful. From the opening scene, you are entranced by the visual beauty, the complexity of information, the pure sensual overload of exceptional cinematography, paired with a perfect soundtrack.

The plot is centred on Jep Gambardelo, a writer whose first and only novel, The Human Apparatus, has made him a socialite addicted to the opulence of Italian high culture and an extremely luxuriously hedonistic lifestyle. He’s likeable, sophisticated, intelligent, stylish, cultured, and complicated. Jep’s 65^th birthday ignites an examination of his life, his accomplishments, his regrets and ultimately a realization of remorse and unfulfillment. The storyline intertwines a provocative mix of complex and eccentric characters, each one facing their own inadequacies and fears, often with comedy and a fast and witty dialogue. The scenes are complex and at times confusing, but always intriguing, compelling, and visually captivating.

The Great Beauty has incredible style. Set in Rome, the ancient city of gods and empires, of myths and legends, of ancient ruins, palatial homes, and sacral architecture, the Great Beauty takes us on a journey through time to a world that is magical and illusive. For lovers of art and design, the sets are magnificent, starting with Jep’s balcony that faces the Colosseum and a Catholic nunnery. Every scene is full of over whelming visual beauty that is captured masterfully through the lens of cinematographer Migliore Fotografia. It’s a glimpse into a world that most of us will never experience. It’s lavish and full, extravagant and strange, raw and powerful – but most of all it’s beautiful.

The Great Beauty won Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards in 2013.