The Italian film follows a girl named Parthenope as she goes from girlhood to womanhood.  She faces many trials, shaping her ever-growing view of the world.  

It was directed by prominent Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, known for his complicated story-telling and beautiful cinematography. It explores themes of love, loss and ambition with a run-time of two hours and 17 minutes.

Up-and-coming actress Celeste Dalla Porta plays the protagonist. From the trailer, it appears the film is a love triangle where she is caught between two loves, but this is just an illusion. She is written to be the apple of everyone's eye. As an adolescent, she treats her beauty as a gift, cherishing it.  

She lives a carefree life which includes studying, partying, and other teenage hobbies. She lives in a continuous summer. She is one of the top students in her anthropology class and is drawn to her professor (Silvio Orlando).

Her older brother, Raimondo (Daniele Rienzo), is described as sensitive and enlightened, and the two have an intensely close relationship that causes pushing and pulling from both of them that causes a push and pull of seeking attention and loving a person as a whole, not just the idea.

Parthenope and Raimondo decide to take a holiday in Capri, Italy. The two are short on cash but want to make the best of the trip. On the journey, her on-again and off-again lover tags along. Encountering men who wish to covet her beauty or take advantage of it. The naivety of the world to Parthenope is established when she claims not to know anything but loves everything.

Capri leaves her with memories that will last her a lifetime. She faces loss, leaving her guilty and grieving. The eternal summer is no longer. The tragedy leaves her alone, with no one to turn to but her professor, who encourages her to continue her studies. In this trial of her life, she tries to pick up the pieces, some of them coming together and some not.

As she grows, she figures out what she wants from life and whether it will make her truly happy. While searching for inspiration for her future, she realizes her professor is the person she aspires to become.

To get to her goal, she goes on various journeys. Still maintaining the beauty and grace she had in her youth, she entangled herself in flings with men who learn from her as she learns from them

Throughout the film, there are several beautifully shot scenes. The scenes capture the beauty of Italy and the actress. Shots that make you feel like you are on that beach or the club. The film’s score connects well with some Italian hits and the classic “My Way” by Frank Sintra. Along with scoring, the fashion captures each decade's essence. As Parthenope grows and learns throughout the film, so does her wardrobe. All the fashion choices are so well-thought-out.

As time continues, Parthenope, now in her old age, is retiring and reflecting on her life: the beauty, love and the trials she faced.

 At the end of the film, she leaves the audience with the answer that love to survive is a failure.