172. Loro; movie review
Cert 18
151 mins
BBFC advice: Contains drug misuse
How do narcissists such as Silvio Berlusconi get away with it?
Berlusconi is an Italian Donald Trump - a risk-taking womaniser with a surprisingly thin skin.
His extravagance is the stuff of legends and the way he made much of his money has been open to question.
And yet he has been Italian Prime Minister three times.
Disappointingly, Loro doesn't address the question of his public popularity but it does get down and personal with one of the most recognisable politicians in Europe.
Some of Paolo Sorrentino's film may be fact and some may be fiction but there is no doubt that Loro looks fantastic.
The movie centres on those who swirl around Berlusconi (Toni Servillo) between 2006 and 2009 when he was divorced by his wife, Veronica (Elena Sofia Ricci ).
It paints Berlusconi as self-glorifying and self-indulgent, surrounding himself with psychophants and attractive young women.
The movie begins with a sideways slant through an ambitious young man (Riccardo Scamarcio) trying to catch his eye by setting up parties for beautiful people near to Berlusconi's home.
To be honest, this is the part of Sorrentino's film I found least interesting but my wandering mind became fully focussed when Servillo took centre stage.
It would be fair to say that he portrays Berlusconi as a pantomime character with a fixed grin, outwardly playing the part of the benevolent host while actually making his agenda all about himself.
But is he really happy? When he advances on one young woman, she calls them both "pathetic" - he for chasing someone 50 years his junior and she for being there in the first place.
I alight upon this moment because pathetic seems to be the word that Sorrentino wants us to take away from this precis of Berlusconi's life.
He paints him as a clown but with sinister motives beyond the overdone smile.
How much of this exaggerated biopic is true? I am not even sure it is meant to be. Instead, it is a mockery of the man and his excesses and his devotion to himself rather than his nation.
I found it enthralling and compelling.
Reasons to avoid: Takes too long to plug into the Berlusconi story.
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 8/10
Did you know? Together with his family, Silvio Berlusconi ties with three others at No. 257 on Forbes' annual list of billionaires, with a net worth of $6.3 billion.
The final word. Paolo Sorrentino: "The idea for a film about Berlusconi came to me and grew during the years when Berlusconi was present among us. For many years, a large portion of Italians loved him while another substantial portion hated him. He sparked very strong, completely contrasting feelings. My ambition was to depict him and also some of the Italians who tried to follow his path and become connected to him any way they could." Variety
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