The Great Beauty (La grande bellezza)

[UncleBuckWild]

The Great Beauty LA GRANDE BELLEZZA

Release Date: January 13, 2014


http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Great-Be.../dp/B00DUD7VDI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shyf_4oUQR4

[adamhopelies]

My copy arrived yesterday, and I watched it last night. It's been said everywhere already, but it's an incredibly overwhelming sensory experience. The Blu-ray looks great to my eyes too. Shame about the lack of extras, but to be honest it's the kind of film best served by the text itself, with making of docs and other contextualising documents possibly even distracting.

[Funktion]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

Shame about the lack of extras, but to be honest it's the kind of film best served by the text itself, with making of docs and other contextualising documents possibly even distracting.

Still, with several deleted scenes available online, and to be featured on the upcoming US release by Criterion, it's a shame Artificial Eye didn't even include that.

[rapta]

I wasn't sure whether to get this. I never saw Il Divo or The Consequences Of Love but did enjoy This Must Be The Place. I think I even bought my mother a copy of Consequences. I saw some bits of this and it does look good but I can wait for it. Some pretty intense camerawork from what I saw.

[UncleBuckWild]

Originally Posted by rapta

[Show spoiler]I wasn't sure whether to get this. I never saw Il Divo or The Consequences Of Love but did enjoy This Must Be The Place. I think I even bought my mother a copy of Consequences. I saw some bits of this and it does look good but I can wait for it. Some pretty intense camerawork from what I saw.

Some friends of mine saw it yesterday and were raving about it - if it's anything like what many critics say 'A Modern Day - La Dolce Vita' ... this must be good.

[pro-bassoonist]

The Great Beauty Blu-ray REVIEW



P.S.

Other English-friendly DVD/Blu-ray releases of films directed by Paolo Sorrentino (two options for The Consequences of Love):

[Dubliner1]

Originally Posted by Funktion

Still, with several deleted scenes available online, and to be featured on the upcoming US release by Criterion, it's a shame Artificial Eye didn't even include that.

Again, considering the super low prices of ArtEye releases compared to Criterion, I do think it's nice to have the option to get the movie cheap for those not interested in the extras.

[UncleBuckWild]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

[Show spoiler]The Great Beauty Blu-ray REVIEW



P.S.

Other English-friendly DVD/Blu-ray releases of films directed by Paolo Sorrentino (two options for The Consequences of Love):

As usual, thanks for yet another awesome review ... kinda wish AE didn't impose subtitles - at times it can be distracting on repeated viewings.

The Consequences of Love, Il Divo & This Must Be the Place seem equally rewarding... will get these films soon.

[Judex]

Urgh, just noticed it has imposed subtitles.
I guess AE have made the decision easier for me. I'll be importing the Criterion edition.

This film is absolutely magnificent.

[pro-bassoonist]

Hey guys,

The imposed subtitles are not determined by Artificial Eye. They are required because the Italian Blu-ray release is also out. A restriction imposed by the Italian rights holders.

Pro-B

[Romulus]

Managed to catch this at the art house theater in town today. Really enjoyed this film, there isn't anything quite like it at all. As every single person who has seen the film, it's easy to make the comparison to Fellini. Score is incredible and it's matched by equally great cinematography. Also some hilarious exchanges between the characters that really pokes fun at the art world. Felt that it could really drag at certain sequences, though. Plot is definitely presented in episodic content, going from one aspect of the city and its life to another. It was in the sequences that ultimately make or break the film (some I enjoyed, some I didn't).

Definitely worth checking out, probably would put in my top 15 for the year. Wouldn't call it my favorite foreign film of the year either (I enjoyed The Hunt, Blue is the Warmest Color, and The Grandmaster more) but I definitely want to revisit the film at a later date.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Judex

Urgh, just noticed it has imposed subtitles.
I guess AE have made the decision easier for me. I'll be importing the Criterion edition.

This film is absolutely magnificent.

the movie really didn't grab me at first - but looking back at it, I thought it was quite a remarkable film.

I think you have to had seen or appreciate a Fellini movie or even Resnais' 'Last Year at Marienbad' to get the style and flow of the film.

I was over hearing the conversation of two woman who had just seen the movie and she was apologizing profusely over subjecting her friend to it - they really were highly negative about the film (different strokes for different folks) - I've been putting off taking a close friend of mine to this, cause I know his likes and dislikes and this one is definitely not his cup of tea.

[ycbbh]

I'm clearly in the minority on this one, saw this in Italy last year and no-one I was with thought much of it. It did look great if a little shiny and as a mini travelogue it's not bad.

However, when there's overwhelming critical praise I try and revisit films after a while and see if I'll change my mind so might pick this up if it's very cheap