Parthenope (2024) - Film Review

      Parthenope, 2024.

      Written and Directed by Paolo Sorrentino.

      Featuring Celeste Dalla Porta, Stefania Sandrelli, Gary Oldman, Silvio Orlando, Luisa Ranieri, Peppe Lanzetta, Isabella Ferrari, Silvia Degrandi, Lorenzo Gleijeses, Daniele Rienzo, Dario Aita, Marlon Joubert, Alfonso Santagata, Biagio Izzo, Nello Mascia, Francesca Romana Bergamo, Brando Improta, Riccardo Lai, Alessandro Paniccià, Cristiano Scotto di Galletta, Luigi Bruno, and Francesco Russo.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Born from the sea near Naples in 1950, Parthenope is beautiful, mysterious, and intelligent, shamelessly pursued by many admirers. Yet, great beauty comes with a price. The film depicts Parthenope's journey of discovering life, intertwining her identity with both the city and a sea siren from Greek mythology. Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope features the captivating Celeste Dalla Porta in her impressive debut, but the narrative often gets overshadowed by the stunning Italian landscapes, captured by cinematographer Daria D’Antonio, and an episodic format that varies in engagement. The film’s intrigue sometimes leans too heavily into mystery.

      Sorrentino is known for prioritizing style over substance, and here, his fixation on youthful beauty as a disruptor—an ambiguous trait that can either be exploited or deemed secondary to a woman’s intellect—feels superficial. This is the same director who made Youth and The Great Beauty (the latter winning an Oscar), so branding this latest work as unoriginal feels appropriate. About ten minutes in, one might lament, "he's revisiting these themes, now with a female focus," which is disappointing but not as frustrating as witnessing promising elements that fizzle out due to an abstract approach and an unwillingness to delve deeply into core themes via characterization.

      Sorrentino and his crew continue to showcase Italy's magnificence, perhaps like no other modern filmmakers, but this visual brilliance alone is no longer sufficient for a recommendation and is increasingly resembling a crutch. The film ambitiously spans an entire life, starting with Parthenope’s sea-born arrival in 1950, quickly leaping 18 years to her as a sought-after young adult, beset by desires from older wealthy family acquaintances, peers, and her own brother (as is customary in a Paolo Sorrentino film, uncomfortably incestuous undertones persist).

      Amid pursuing her university thesis and seeking to grasp the essence of anthropology, Parthenope embarks on a series of transformative adventures, from an impactful summer vacation to meetings with admired authors of somber literature (including a brief appearance by Gary Oldman, who hints at the disruptive potential of her beauty), and encounters with disillusioned actresses (including a phase where she contemplates entering that field), generally exploring the influence her appearance grants her (although her motivations often remain vague).

      Sorrentino appears to convey that beauty and youth are closely linked, but true love and appreciation for people, the world, and beauty can only be achieved through accumulating a significant amount of life experience. Throughout her life, Parthenope endures a significant loss (an event she persistently wishes to understand through anthropology), faces difficult life choices, cultivates a meaningful relationship with her professor, and gradually gains deeper insights into existence. In the third act, there are overt and fantastical contrasts of beauty that inadvertently highlight how blunt and unengaging Sorrentino’s messages can be. The narrative’s messaging also feels inconsistent.

      While Parthenope isn’t necessarily dull, it does drag during some of its less compelling segments. Besides the undeniably beautiful craftsmanship and the engaging lead performance, various deeper plot elements show potential to enrich Parthenope’s character and worldview, a goal clearly set by the film. Unfortunately, it often returns to feeling tedious.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder is part of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He also serves as the Reviews Editor for Flickering Myth. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd.