18/32
Partenope is a woman named after her city. Is she a mermaid or a myth? In Greek myth, Partenope is a mermaid who committed suicide after failing to charm Odysseus. Her body was washed up by the tide on the site where Castel dell’Ovo is now built, and for this reason she gave her name to the city that would later become Neapolis, Naples. In the film, Partenope is the embodiment of the city of Naples. Heat Written by Peter Gregson Performed by Peter Gregson, Warren Zielinski, Magdalena Filipczak, Laurie Anderson, Ashok Klouda. A little disappointed with his last film È STATA LA MANO DI GIO, with PARTHENOPE, I was reminded of what moved me so much with Sorrentino’s films. Everything is beautiful, from the city of Naples and its pristine waters to the still unknown goddess Celeste da Porta. Add to that Fellini’s shots and Lele Marchitelli’s beautiful jazz soundtrack: you get perfection. The beauty of life in its insignificance… One might think he’s making another GRANDE BELLEZZA, but that’s simply not the case. Sorrentino manages to surprise us once again with a new way of dealing with what is – ultimately – the same subject. The film asks questions without answering them, as if it wants to stop looking for answers and start observing the beauty of the world for what it is. As a result, the viewer leaves the cinema not with answers, but with an interesting perspective on life, and ultimately death… Oh, and I almost forgot, the film’s star Gary Oldman. Although his screen time is limited, he manages to deliver a beautiful performance. Then he retreats, as if inviting us to enjoy the film that convinced us (by his presence in the cast) to go see it, so I know it won’t appeal to everyone – I have to admit that some scenes are quite strange – but as far as I’m concerned, this film gave me everything I (and didn’t) expect when I entered the cinema. I sincerely hope/think Grazie Paolo will win the Palme d’Or 😉
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