At its best in the early stages, as a lively cartoon on the various ways we cling to unreality - kicking off with a (literal) fairytale wedding, then Enzo the reality-show winner urging folks to "Hold on to your dreams" (what if it's better not to?). Actual plot runs out of steam, the religious allegory being more a single clever idea (hero doing good deeds in the hope of getting into "Big Brother", a.k.a. Heaven) than a full-blown allegory (though Enzo functions as a kind of roving Jesus figure, turning up to bestow his blessing on weddings and social functions); the result is thin but full of energy, and the ending (Heaven itself) spectacular enough to make you weep for the passing of DP Marco Onorato. As for Garrone's actual take on reality TV ... well, a five-second crane-shot up to the Cinecitta sign says it all.

66/100

Here's my brief review from Cannes, where I had the advantage of seeing the film without knowing in advance what it's about. (The title really doesn't tip it in a vacuum, especially if you're familiar with Garrone's previous work.) This apparently granted me magical powers of observation, as nearly everyone else there dismissed it as a feeble satire of reality TV, somehow failing to notice a religious allegory so blatant that it practically molests small children. Ha ha ha ha ha just kidding faithful.

At its best in the early stages, as a lively cartoon on the various ways we cling to unreality - kicking off with a (literal) fairytale wedding, then Enzo the reality-show winner urging folks to "Hold on to your dreams" (what if it's better not to?). Actual plot runs out of steam, the religious allegory being more a single clever idea (hero doing good deeds in the hope of getting into "Big Brother", a.k.a. Heaven) than a full-blown allegory (though Enzo functions as a kind of roving Jesus figure, turning up to bestow his blessing on weddings and social functions); the result is thin but full of energy, and the ending (Heaven itself) spectacular enough to make you weep for the passing of DP Marco Onorato. As for Garrone's actual take on reality TV ... well, a five-second crane-shot up to the Cinecitta sign says it all.

Skip it.

Good performances, yet the film feels both thin and overstuffed, sapped by turgid edits, iffy vision and an overabundance of dialogue to carry it through (which was not the case with Gomorrah).

Enjoyable and unique, interesting take ton the pit falls of reality TV. The cast is superb, and very believable. The last act is excellent, especially the ending. The first half hour was rather slow and meandering, and some of the paranoia stuff when a little over the top.

Wisdom, heart, soul...and still feels like there's not quite enough to grab onto. Good enough that I don't know how I'll feel about it in a week.

[B]

Like The King of Comedy stripped of all its bite, Reality is adrift for most of its two hours, halfheartedly trying to be a satire or a religious allegory but never succeeding even to elicit much laughter. Garrone's dreamy camera movements and long takes aren't suited for a comedy, and the pacing suffers right from the beginning. And do I have this right: Luciano thinks that giving away his possessions and committing himself to charity is the way to get on a reality-TV show featuring attractive young people living like oblivious hedonists? An exploration of how people behave differently when they think someone is watching — such as a television audience or an omnipotent deity — sounds intriguing, but Reality doesn't know what to say about it.

This is a film that, if you know GOMORRAH at all, you enter into wondering just how similar it will be. When the infectious, charming energy is laid out, and persists for much of the film, you understand that Garrone can clearly commit to more than just heavy-duty seriousness. REALITY even edges into Rupert Pupkin territory with some darkness that feels perfectly in tune with its sweet surroundings. Unfortunately, the film just doesn't know where to go, and ends not only abruptly, but unsatisfyingly.