An ambitious, but maddening, attempt to tell two parallel stories where the leading actors play dual roles.

One is set in the 14th century (in glorious color) where Dante Alighieri is writing his ”Divine Comedy”; the other in 2001 (in cold black-and-white) where a novelist is hired by gangsters to locate the hand-written original. Entertaining at first, until the movie drowns in its literary references and increasingly silly crime plot.

Gerard Butler is a stand-out as a hit man, a real piece of work.

2026-Italy-U.S. 153 min. Color-B/W. Directed by Julian Schnabel. Screenplay: Julian Schnabel, Louise Kugelberg. Novel: Nick Tosches. Cinematography: Roman Vasyanov. Cast: Oscar Isaac (Nick Tosches/Dante Alighieri), Gal Gadot (Giulietta/Gemma Donati), Gerard Butler (Louie/Boniface VIII), John Malkovich, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, Jason Momoa, Franco Nero. 

Trivia: Co-produced by Schnabel; co-executive produced by Drake, Isaac and Scorsese. Johnny Depp first owned the rights to the novel, planning to produce and star in an adaptation.