Good follow-up to "La Grande Bellezza"

Rating: 9/10 (2 June 2015)

A lot should be expected of Paolo Sorrentino after "La Grande Bellezza", and there is a lot here. In particular, I should mention first the scenery and cinematography, and the music, all of which are sublime.
The dialogue is provocative, full of memorable lines and strong emotions, so kudos to the writers. The subject matter was heavy, but there is a fair share of lighter moments, and, in particular, irony.
I would not think that the acting was at all improvised, with the possible exception of some of the riffing the "screenwriters" working with Harvey Keitel's character were doing. Still, strong performances in particular from Keitel, Jane Fonda in a small role, the young actress who plays the masseuse, and a dignified Michael Caine.
Sorrentino continues to give homage to Fellini, which I love, while his central characters (Caine in this one, Toni Servillo in LGB) work through the kind of existential issues which Fellini tackled and which Sorrentino, though he is not an old man, seems to be anticipating. Nostalgia, regret, the sweetness and the bitterness that comes from the awareness of the limitations of our short lives.
The one thing that struck me as useless to the story--maybe I just didn't get it--was the turn Paul Dano's character made for a couple of scenes as...well, I shouldn't spoil it. It struck everyone in the scenes as inappropriate, and I guess that was the point, but really, why? For me, that takes it down to a 9 rating--still, a top-notch effort.