The Great Beauty is a remarkable movie, in large part for its insistence on going its own way, and revealing its story on its own terms. That is to say, there is a lot that isn't blatantly spelled out for the viewer, and this seems to be a problem for some people, i.e. those used to a more comfortable and straightforward viewing experience. Yesterday I accidentally stumbled across an ad for the film on Verizon pay per view, which includes viewer ratings. The Great Beauty had garnered an average rating of one half of one star. I think it's safe to say that a blank screen might have fared better, but these same Verizon viewers, it's worth noting, rated Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa at four and a half stars. Where do you go with that? I don't even know where to begin. And how, in a system of one to five, is one half a star even possible??
At any rate, a truly worthwhile movie in my book. And as for "Bad Grandpa", I'll wait for the director's cut.