Loro

In Puglia the businessman Sergio Morra looks for a way into Silvio Berlusconi's circle and throws parties to get there. At the same time Berlusconi's own life is coming apart: his wife wants a divorce and the scandals about young women are growing. Paolo Sorrentino directed. Toni Servillo plays Berlusconi. The release was unusual. In Italy it was shown as two separate acts, the first on 24 April 2018 and the second on 10 May 2018. A single 145-minute version was prepared for international audiences and shown on 13 September 2018, also to qualify for the 91st Academy Awards. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 79 percent with a 6.5 average; one critic called it a messily compelling snapshot of how power attracts and corrupts. Metacritic is cooler at 55. Elena Sofia Ricci won the David di Donatello for Best Actress and the film took several nominations at the Italian awards. On a 21 million dollar budget it grossed only 7.6 million worldwide. Who it is for: viewers who like Sorrentino's visual excess and are curious about Italian politics. Who it is not for: anyone who does not know who Berlusconi was. The film explains nothing and most of the references do not travel.