Artistry abounds in every aspect of the film.

Because Carlo Broschi, the 18th-century castrato singer known as Farinelli, was himself such an exotic and sensationalistic figure, you'd think that creating a dull movie out of his flamboyant life would be next to impossible. Think again.

Glossy and histrionic, salacious and empty, Farinelli reduces a fascinating story to a series of hissy fits and leering glances.

In an age in which the castrato voice no longer exists, the moviemakers recreated an intriguing facsimile.