Summary

Italy's official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, director Paolo Sorrentino's The Great Beauty tells the story of an aging Roman journalist who enjoys a life of hedonism and excess in the upper-echelons of the Italian capital's social circles, but whose 65th birthday prompts a sobering bout of self-reflection. When Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo) came to Rome at the age of 26, he was quickly swept-up into the city's vibrant nightlife. Following the success of his first and only novel, rising journalist Gambardella became a literary icon. Years later, Gambardella enjoys a life of privilege and unbridled excess; he's the life of every party, and rarely a night goes by that he isn't holding court in one of the city's hottest clubs. Things couldn't get much better until, on the day he turns 65, Gambardella is reminded of a chapter from his past that gives him a striking new perspective on the magnificent city that he has come to call home. Carlo Verdone, Sabrina Ferilli, and Carlo Buccirosso co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi