Bits and Pieces

This kaleidoscopic portrait of Rome is peppered with small, intriguing pleasures and leaves a strangely lasting impression. Whether it adds up to an essay on the mind's ability to comprehend something so vast as a city (or the world for the matter) is a moot point. The myriad separate (if slowly relating) scenes offer much droll, mysterious and uniquely Roman amusement. It's one of those idiosyncratic movies that turn up once in a while, usually by people like Otar Iosseliani or Nanni Moretti. Among the throng, Romans and film buffs will spot any number of cameos (Dario Argento, Gabriele Salvatores).