A dark comedy centering on the lives of a Neapolitan based family whose father, a fish merchant, is so infatuated with the reality TV show "Grande Fratello" (the Italian version of "Big Brother") he starts living his life as if he were on it.
Matteo Garrone follows his crime epic Gomorrah with a comedy about reality TV, and though it hardly rivals the earlier movie in its social complexity, it still offers the spectacle of a vibrant and vividly realized Neapolitan neighborhood.
– J. R. Jones,
Chicago Reader,
28 Mar 2013
fresh:
For all its ups and downs and occasional detours into boorishness, it's an original that will surprise if not necessarily delight fans of Garrone's very different crime drama, "Gomorrah."
– John Hartl,
Seattle Times,
4 Apr 2013
fresh:
A dark allegorical comedy about the nature of fame, about obsession, about madness - and the point where they converge: on Big Brother, a TV show watched by millions.
– Steven Rea,
Philadelphia Inquirer,
4 Apr 2013
rotten:
The satire here is finespun, and the film's conclusions ambiguous.
– Michael O'Sullivan,
Washington Post,
5 Apr 2013
fresh:
It's clear that Garrone is lamenting the death of culture. But the movie is more compassionate than screed-y. It's a portrait of the preoccupation with fame in an age in which in fame is cheap.