This movie is by no means perfect, starting from the technical realization. There are many hiccups in terms of editing and some in pacing, but a legendary director and a (mostly) solid cast contribute to the final enjoyment.
The story comes from the homonymous book, an autobiographical novel which suffered the same fate of the film, perhaps disregarded because it is a stream of consciousness. The main character is a screenwriter who starts to struggle with his health after his father dies. The movie offers an insight into the psychoanalytical world and a depressing tale of the self-destruction of a man with a severe pathology. I think it is worth a watch.