Written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino, Parthenope takes its audience on a journey through the life of a beautiful young lady, admired by many for her beauty, and follows her life experiences as she pursues a life of academia in Italy. The whole affair is primarily gorgeous, sometimes disturbing, and bizarre, but the big takeaway is so muddled and messy that it is unclear what the filmmaker tries to convey. The story may be beautifully riveting at times, but it is also bewildering and seemingly unsure of itself.
In the city of Naples, young Parthenope (Celeste Dalla Porta) has been admired since birth. As she grows into a beautiful young woman, every man is captivated by her, but the intelligent lady wants to experience much more. Though she enjoys the joys of la dolce vita, she finds more satisfaction in pursuing her education as an anthropology student. Parthenope faces tragedy and the dark sides of the men who desire her, but is willing to experience it all.
I am not going to lie. I, too, was captivated by the physical beauty of the Parthenope character but was ultimately left confused by some of her life experiences and the choices she makes. The movie gets rather messy when it goes into surreal and bizarre territories without explanation. Again, I have no idea what this journey means or what Sorrentino is trying to express.
The main character seeks deeper meaning from life experiences and human nature. There are shades of genuine life moments, but the result reveals an uncertainty about what Sorrentino was trying to do with his film. Though this film is messy with its story and character development, it is a visually gorgeous experience. The cinematography by Daria D’Antonio beautifully captures the scenic locales in Italy, and Celeste Dalla Porta is a drop-dead gorgeous lead actor.
Porta gives a confident performance but also appears somewhat unsure of her character’s motivations. The film features a mostly Italian cast but also features British actor Gary Oldman as author John Cheever, a person Parthenope encounters in her adventures and someone who inspires her to keep doing what she is doing.
There is another subplot involving her older brother, but that character’s development is also lacking, as the audience has no idea what drives him, or why his journey leads him to he ends up. Though initially intrigued and fascinated with Parthenope, I cannot give it a high rating or a strong recommendation. The entire movie looks beautiful, but the writing lacks depth and a sense of purpose.