Gomorrah writer/director Matteo Garrone returns with this stylised, Fellini-esque fable, in which Neapolitan fish-seller and petty scam artist Luciano (Aniello Arena, who’s currently serving a life sentence for Mafia-related killings), is urged by his wife (Loredana Simioli) and three children to try out for telly series Grande Fratelli (ie Big Brother ).
Garrone strikes effective contrasts between Luciano’s crumbling inner-city home and the high gloss of reality TV.
But the film belongs to Arena, outstanding as a man growing ever more delusional in his quest to acquire celebrity status.
