Sadly Over-hyped

A Major Disappointment

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Farinelli is a 1994 Belgian-Italian-French biographical drama film directed by Gérard Corbiau and starring Stefano Dionisi, Enrico Lo Verso, Elsa Zylberstein and Jeroen Krabbé. It centers on the life and career of the 18th-century Italian opera singer Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli, considered the greatest castrato singer of all time; as well as the relation with his brother, composer Riccardo Broschi. Although based on real-life events, dramatic license was taken to a great extent, and only the basic facts of Farinelli's life are correct, while the plot line is completely fictional and far removed from what is known about real-life Carlo Broschi (1705-1782). For example, the ambiguous relationship between the Broschi brothers, the stormy one with rival composer Handel, and Farinelli's own amorous escapades and over-the-top rock star attitude are totally spurious. Additionally, Farinelli's brother is given much more importance than he actually had in his brother's career, while Porpora's own (and that of other composers of the Neapolitan School as well) is De-emphasized; the movie also offers a different explanation for how Carlo Broschi came to take the stage name Farinelli than what has been historically ascertained. George Frideric Handel, played by Jeroen Krabbé, is made out to be somewhat of a villain, but that is based on the competition between the London theater at which Handel's music was played and the rival theater at which Farinelli sang for a short period It was released in 1994 and won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 1995. It was also nominated for an Academy Award in the same category.

How could I dislike most opera, and LIKE this film? The sets, costumes, and period attitudes were amazing. The Castrato voice was amazing. Do I wish I'd lived in that world? NO! But... the "Castrati" singers were a serious cultural phenomenon, and an odd, interesting, self centered, sad, twisted human "invention" that leave you wondering if there's another species you'd rather join. This is a true story, which adds credibility to its bizarreness. It's about the rise a Europe's most popular – dare I say "Superstar"? - Castrato, "Farinelli", who became all the rage. He was wined, dined, and sexed by anyone who could get near him, and yet, like so many superstars, life was not what it seemed. His relationship to Handel is an interesting one, but not equal to that with his brother. The story unfolds exactly like one of the operas – with all the drama and flourishes one would expect from that time. When you're in the mood to enter a VERY different world that existed on THIS planet, "Farinelli" should be on that list.

This was an extremely pretty, but ultimately pretty unengaging film. The sets are lovely and the singing, for those who like this kind of music, is great but ultimately the story failed to engage me on anything but a superficial level. The based on truth story just doesn't have enough going on to merit a movie. Yes, Farinelli has no testicles and can't ultimately satisfy his lovers. In steps his brother to "finish the job". About the only interesting tidbit I gathered was that you ultimately find out this brother is the one who actually arranged to turn Farinelli into a castrato. Yuck. I get that. So what is next? Unfortunately, not much.

Based on the true story of Carlo Broschi, Farinelli is an opera singer from Europe, hailed for the beauty of his voice and his fine musicianship. Unfortunately for the people who love opera music, this film is a real disappointment. Since it is not about music, but about the costumes, the setting and the boring and pointless relationship between the two brothers, proving to each other they are not `gay'. Compared to Amadeus, this film is worse than a B-movie. It's a B-minor movie.