Pretentious social commentary, messy allegories
Aside from the picturesque landscapes, there is not much that can save this movie. Sorrentino wanted to deliver social commentaries on different topics: what depression can lead to, the limited mentality of a certain social class in Naples and the hypocrisy of the Church. However, the execution comes across as pretentious. There are several scenes that contain too many symbolisms and allegories to the point where narrative exposition is too messy and confusing. Not to mention the fact that these are serious subjects that are often romanticized or not developed enough.
Cringey character dynamics
The pace of the film is exhaustingly slow, for no reason. Parthenope is supposed to be a sensual character that with her behavior should seduce all the men who meet her eyes, but unfortunately Celeste Dalla Porta appears goofy and sad in most scenes. All the men are displayed either as brainless individuals unable to conceive the most basic thoughts, or straight-up offensive and aggressive as soon as they get in touch with the protagonist. I understand that this was probably made to give an artsy mood, but in my perspective, there is nothing appealing in seeing an actor sneaking and smelling the underwear of Parthenope or seeing two siblings behaving way too intimately. Perverts and incest are such, even with excellent photography and lighting.
Sequences are often strange and feel like watching a fever dream. Dialogues are surreal as well and most of the time bring nothing to the story: they often feel incomplete, as characters react strangely or scenes are cut oddly. At times, connections between sequences are not well done, resulting in a disordered narration. Some characters are quickly introduced to the audience but then disappear completely, serving no purpose at all. I really wondered why Gary Oldman was involved in the first place; his presence in this production did not bring any value.
Overall, quite a big disappointment from Sorrentino, one of the most appreciated Italian directors. At the end of almost two and a half hours, I wondered what the purpose of this film was.