Loro 1

Loro 1 plays out as a cinematic collage rather than a traditional biopic, focusing on the orbit around Silvio Berlusconi in the late 2000s. Instead of a linear life story, Paolo Sorrentino slices the period into vignettes and encounters that shimmer with wealth, power, and showmanship. A roster of figures, including top aides, socialites, lovers, and wary observers, drift in and out, each drawn to the charisma and influence of the man who dominates Italian headlines. The film probes how ambition and appetite shape friendships, loyalties, and reputations, while exploring the seduction of wealth and media triumph. It presents a lived atmosphere of excess, risk, and moral ambiguity without promising answers or a conventional ending. The film favors intimate, glancing shots over grand speeches, inviting viewers to infer motives from silences and glances.

Directed by Paolo Sorrentino, Loro 1 arrives in 2018 as a bold, original screenplay project coauthored by Paolo Sorrentino and Umberto Contarello. The film blends real life ambience with fictional vignettes to recreate a volatile era. It marks a continuation of Sorrentino's stylized approach to political life, following the operatic mood of his earlier works.

The movie sparked conversation beyond cinemas, as Sorrentino's lavish tableaux and electric performances turned Berlusconi's public persona into a mirror for media power. Critics and viewers debated charisma, wealth, and the performative nature of politics, making the film feel like a cultural reference point for a controversial era. Its production design and fashion choices drew attention, with interiors and wardrobes echoing the era's excess.

Critics praised the film's lush design and fearless portrait of power, though some wished for a stronger through line. It examines how ambition, media appetite, and celebrity culture feed each other, exposing a society eager to be dazzled even as it grows wary. Some viewers found the tempo deliberate and hypnotic, while others found it diffuse.

Awards: No major nominations are documented for Loro 1, and there are no notable wins reported in major ceremonies. The conversation around the film centered on Sorrentino's audacious direction and Toni Servillo's risky portrayal, rather than awards recognition. Ultimately it leaves audiences debating whether power's spectacle outweighs any real accountability.