Figuring out the exact nature of all their relationships has a certain fascination, but it's not exactly entertaining. The dialogue feels mannered and Scarpetta's actions are so selfish and pompous they become irritating.

It's a dazzling and technically brilliant feat, the work of an ambitious, experienced and passionate director.

Commits without compromise to its driving conceit: that Scarpetta's personal life was as wildly expressive and uninhibited as his stage presence, to the extent that they're not all that differently presented on-screen.

Toni Servillo embodies this complex character, deploying a great variety of resources: he is funny, intriguing, seductive, or gloomy as each moment of the story demands. [Full review in Spanish]