It's clear that Garrone is lamenting the death of culture. But the movie is more compassionate than screed-y. It's a portrait of the preoccupation with fame in an age in which in fame is cheap.

Those who found Gomorrah embarrassingly overrated can relax. Despite a first half that's basically a spin-off of the 2008 movie that brought Matteo Garrone international acclaim, Reality turns out to be its veritable refutation.

The satire here is finespun, and the film's conclusions ambiguous.

Explores the pratfalls of celebrity with the unashamed extravagance and reckless abandon of reality TV and its many characters.