La Dolce Vita

One of the defining films in the career of Federico Fellini, La Dolce Vita is a swirling three-hour, occasionally penetrative, speculation on a burgeoning celebrity culture, a film often cited as a milestone of Italian cinema by critics. Marcello Rubini (Marcello Mastroianni) is a gossip columnist with a glamorous existence, courting stars from the world of film and music. Although he's got literary aspirations, Rubini never has the drive to exercise them, preferring to spend his time amongst Rome's glitterati. Even though it's hideously apparent that Rubini is driving his fragile girlfriend Emma (Yvonne Furneaux) to the point of despair, the emotionally constipated hack can't resist Hollywood screen siren Sylvia (Anita Ekberg), who arrives in Rome and seems ripe for his advances.

Forty-five years after its original release, the film's depiction of cafe culture hedonism may appear almost quaint, but Fellini's picture was a daring product of its time. The episodic structure means that the film is more entertaining than gripping, but Fellini was an unashamed visual filmmaker - witness the infamous Trevi fountain scene - and his moody approach conjures up an enigmatic atmosphere throughout. Yet as intoxicating as some of his work is, the film's lack of a moral compass means that La Dolce Vita never quite commits itself sufficiently to work as a cautionary tale. Still, if it's moodiness you're after, you've come to the right place...