Repost: The Great Beuaty (opens in Cleveland February 21st exclusively at the Capitol Theatre)

[THE GREAT BEAUTY opens in Cleveland on Friday February 21st exclusively at the Capitol Theatre.]

Review by Milan Paurich

If Marcello Mastroianni’s paparazzi journalist from LA DOLCE VITA was still alive and kicking--and grew up to look like an Italian Joe Biden--he’d probably be Jep Gambardella (Biden doppelganger Toni Servillo), the semi-jaundiced protagonist of Paolo (2008 Cannes Grand Jury Prize winner IL DIVO) Sorrentino’s glorious THE GREAT BEAUTY. Along with Matteo Garrone (GOMORRAH), Sorrentino is one of the leading lights of the new Italian cinema. Best Foreign Film Oscar nominee BEAUTY could be his most accomplished work to date. It deserves to earn Sorrentino the U.S. arthouse following that eluded him with previous movies like 2012’s wonderful THIS MUST BE THE PLACE which fell victim to one of the Weinstein Company’s typical hit-and-run releases.

The Great Beauty (February 7th, 8th, and 9th at the Cleveland Cinematheque)

[THE GREAT BEAUTY screens Friday February 7th at 9:05 pm, Saturday February 8th at 6:45 pm, and Sunday February 9th at 1:15 pm at the Cleveland Cinematheque.]

Review by Milan Paurich

If Marcello Mastroianni’s paparazzi journalist from LA DOLCE VITA was still alive and kicking--and grew up to look like an Italian Joe Biden--he’d probably be Jep Gambardella (Biden doppelganger Toni Servillo), the semi-jaundiced protagonist of Paolo (2008 Cannes Grand Jury Prize winner IL DIVO) Sorrentino’s glorious THE GREAT BEAUTY. Along with Matteo Garrone (GOMORRAH), Sorrentino is one of the leading lights of the new Italian cinema. Best Foreign Film Oscar nominee BEAUTY could be his most accomplished work to date. It deserves to earn Sorrentino the U.S. arthouse following that eluded him with previous movies like 2012’s wonderful THIS MUST BE THE PLACE which fell victim to one of the Weinstein Company’s typical hit-and-run releases.