Paean to grand old Rome

ONCE in awhile, along comes a movie that not only has something interesting to say, but also says much about itself while doing so. The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) is director Paolo Sorrentino's love letter to Rome, a city that - like an ageing beauty who has lived life to the fullest - may be somewhat worn around the edges but remains elegant and dignified, with secrets yet to be discovered.

Sorrentino, who wrote the screenplay with Umberto Contarello, shows various sides to a city that is different things to different people: a famous tourist attraction filled with ancient sites and glorious architecture, a place where religion plays a significant role in daily life, a dec…