Parthenope Review
Parthenope is a film as beautiful as it is pretentious and forced. Paolo Sorrentino’s long-standing obsession with the age of time and the concept of beauty is nothing new, but unlike The Great Beauty, Parthenope doesn’t quite manage to deliver on its promise.
Born from the sea in Naples in 1950, Parthenope (Celeste Dalla Porta) spends her youth chasing moments of happiness, deeply enamoured with her hometown and the many eclectic characters she meets. Her introduction, rising from the sea, is a clear, if heavy-handed, homage to Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. The myth of Venus, and more broadly the fleeting nature of youth and beauty, looms heavily throughout her story. Many desire her, others envy her, and some resent her. But one thing becomes increasingly clear: Parthenope must harness her beauty while it lasts.
Visually, the film is stunning. As always, Sorrentino returns to his beloved Naples, capturing its timeless charm, vibrant culture, and layered traditions, alongside subtle criticisms of the same. Parthenope lives within this world as an anthropology student, portrayed as both intelligent and beautiful. However, her dialogue is often frustratingly shallow, composed mostly of clichéd lines and predictable answers. It is as though the film was conceived first and foremost as a visual masterpiece, with little concern for authentic conversation. At times, it collapses under the weight of its symbolism and metaphors, becoming too self-aware, too enamoured with its own aesthetics.
Parthenope left me conflicted. There were moments when I felt overwhelmed by its beauty and struck by its profundity. And then there were stretches where the film lost me completely, leaving me disconnected. I read a comment online that said the film “felt like a two-hour Dolce & Gabbana ad,” and honestly, that comparison lingered with me as I was watching it. There are entire sequences that resemble high-fashion editorials more than cinema, and I couldn’t shake that thought once it settled in.
Still, Celeste Dalla Porta offers an outstanding performance. She is mesmerizing and enigmatic, fully inhabiting the role. Yet Sorrentino’s gaze can feel intrusive: his camera often lingers on her in ways that make the audience feel complicit in something uncomfortable, occasionally even disturbing. The ing cast, Gary Oldman, Dario Aita, Daniele Rienzo, Luisa Ranieri, Stefania Sandrelli, all give commendable performances. Aita in particular deserves praise, stepping beyond his small-screen roots to deliver something genuinely exquisite.
Parthenope is one of those films you should watch at least once and then set aside. The memory will ferment in your mind, and that is how you will know whether it truly resonated. As with most of Sorrentino’s work, I’m glad I saw it on a big screen, but I don’t think I will return to it.
★★★
In UK cinemas May 2nd / Celeste Dalla Porta, Stefania Sandrelli, Gary Oldman, Silvio Orlando / Dir: Paolo Sorrentino / Picturehouse Entertainment / 15
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