La Dolce Vita

La Dolce Vita (1960) starring Marcello Mostroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimee, Yvonne Furneaux, Magali Noel. Directed by Federico Fellini. Famous Fellini film is somewhat disappointing in the viewing, shows its age early and often. Mostroianni plays Marcello, a tabloid reporter who is disgusted by what he does for a living but can't seem to break free of it. Paparazzi are a theme throughout the movie, showing up every time someone remotely famous says or does anything. The film is highly episodic, and some of the sections are interesting, but it doesn't add up to much -- and it's a real butt-buster at two hours and 50 minutes of length. It's also in black and white, which in this case worked against the film for me. Fellini fans will no doubt love it, but it left me rather cold. (In Italian, with English subtitles -- except when the occasional character speaks in English, in which case it is not subtitled.) Grade: B-