directed by Federico Fellini An episodic character study of a journalist trying to reconcile his superficial life with the one he ought to be living, La Dolce Vita is both lush and melancholy. Marcello Mastroianni supplies the melancholy in nearly every glace he gives, he’s so good at communicating inner-turmoil through a façade of exterior whimsy. Director Federico Fellini balances the character study with gorgeous compelling visuals of fountains and beaches and traffic in bustling cities at night. He takes us to a mansion for a late-night party-game that travels up and down and all around; and he accomplishes this without ever losing site of his Mastroianni. This is a film wise about human nature, delivering its themes without preaching, due to Fellini’s command of form and story and character.
