‘Parthenope’ Review: Goddess Worship – The New York Times

In Paolo Sorrentino’s “Parthenope,” middle-aged American writer John Cheever befriends the beautiful Parthenope in 1973 southern Italy, where her beauty opens doors to suitors but not to him. As the film explores beauty, desire, and Italy’s contradictions, Parthenope matures through symbolic interactions with others, including a romance with a local boy and a mentorship with a professor. Despite its opulence and seductive visuals, the film’s main argument is that beauty can inspire awe but also alienate, raising questions about love and true understanding.

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