Loro 1

The first half of Paolo Sorrentino's two-part portrait of Silvio Berlusconi, this 2018 Italian-French co-production sketches the glittering, corrupt world orbiting political power in Italy. The story initially revolves around Sergio Morra (Riccardo Scamarcio), an ambitious operator from Taranto who surrounds himself with attractive young women in order to buy his way into the circles of wealthy businessmen and politicians, hoping ultimately to reach the inner court of Berlusconi himself. Lavish villas, endless parties and a hunger for money and fame define this crowd of strivers. Only toward the end does Berlusconi, played by Toni Servillo, take center stage: seemingly past his political prime, the media tycoon faces a crumbling marriage to Veronica (Elena Sofia Ricci) at his opulent Sardinian estate while quietly plotting his return to influence. Shot with Sorrentino's trademark visual flamboyance, the film also features Kasia Smutniak, Iaia Forte, Fabrizio Bentivoglio and Anna Bonaiuto. Sorrentino co-wrote the screenplay with Umberto Contarello; the roughly 104-minute feature is completed by its companion piece, Loro 2.