The dark underbelly of Italian politics and mass media, full of bribes, escorts, and drugs, is depicted in a rather lackluster rehash of the tropes popularized in “The Wolf of Wall Street”. Sorrentino goes for a more international aesthetic, while a more distinctive Mediterranean flair could have made the difference. The parts with Silvio, on the contrary, felt a little too ludicrous and cartoony, as if we were watching a sophisticated take on old-school impersonator shows. Although this series of disconnected vignettes can be entertaining for a while, the absence of a compelling narrative arc, paired with the stilted delivery of the cast, leaves the audience with a sense of unfulfillment.

Still, it was interesting to see a faded and melancholic Silvio realizing that his prime is long gone. Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that some of the most ludicrous episodes depicted here are based on real events. Those times you feel ashamed for being Italian.