Review: Paolo Sorrentino's 2022 Oscar Nominated "The Hand of God"

Based on his own life growing up in Naples, Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film, “The Hand of God” (È stata la mano di Dio) recounts the heartbreak and growing pains that shaped the man and filmmaker he is today.

The film opens with a stunning coastal aerial shot of Naples at dawn, which leads up to the moment Fabietto Schisa (Filippo Scotti), the main character, develops a teenage infatuation with his voluptuous, unstable Aunt Patrizia (Luisa Ranieri). From that point, we are introduced to the eccentric members of his family that undoubtedly gave a young Sorrentino material for his future filmmaking career. The close-ups of a few zany and grotesque characters reflect the visual homages to Federico Fellini that are often present in Sorrentino’s work. He goes a step further in “The Hand of God” to offer an account of Fellini’s first influence on his life and eventual career path.

Fabietto’s brother Marchino (Marlon Joubert), an aspiring actor, attends an audition for a Fellini film held in Naples. Discouraged after being told he has a conventional face, the face of a waiter, he tells Fabietto about a conversation he overheard between Fellini and a journalist in which the director states that cinema isn’t good for anything except for serving as a distraction from reality. Fabietto is perplexed, not knowing what to make of such a declaration, but the statement stays with him and he later draws on it when rationalizing his desire to become a film director himself.

At the center of Fabietto’s life are his parents. He has loving relationships with both of them and although his parents are in love with each other, his father (Toni Servillo) is involved in a complex affair with another woman. When Fabietto learns of the affair and sees the agony it causes his mother (Teresa Saponangelo), he has an uncontrollable physical reaction.

Renato Carpentieri as Uncle Alfredo

The whole story plays out during the mid-1980s when Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona is rumored to be in talks with the Napoli soccer team. It seems too good to be true for members of the Schisa clan but when the deal goes through, the family and all of Naples are ecstatic. Then tragedy strikes, and Fabietto's Uncle Alfredo (Renato Carpentieri) helps him realize the profound impact of Maradona on his life. Sorrentino addressed this fate in commentary about the film. “Hovering above everything, so close and yet so far, is Maradona, that ghostly idol, five foot five, who seemed to sustain the lives of everyone in Naples, or at least mine,” he stated.

In fact, the film’s title reflects a phrase that was associated with Maradona throughout his career. “The Hand of God” came about during the 1986 FIFA World Cup when Maradona used his hand to make a game-changing goal. He later described it as "a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God."

The family tragedy sets the stage for a period of confusion and self-reflection. There is a part of Fabietto that does not want to move on and forget the past but a realistic side that tells him he must. Little by little, through intimacy and friendship, he discovers a newfound liberation and enthusiasm for the future.

The film concludes with an encounter between Fabietto and the Neapolitan filmmaker Antonio Capuano (Ciro Capano) who rose to fame during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Capuano gives the indecisive Fabietto some tough love suggesting he muster up some courage, starting with replacing the “etto” of his name, which in Italian means “little,” with an “o.” Fabio takes Capuano’s advice and the rest is history.

“The Hand of God” has been shown at numerous festivals including the 2021 Chicago International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival where it was awarded a Silver Lion and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Filippo Scotti’s performance. The film is Italy’s entry for the 2022 Oscar race and has thus far made the short list.

Click here to watch the film on Netflix. It is accompanied by an 8-minute documentary titled, “The Hand of God Through the Eyes of Paolo Sorrentino,” which features commentary by the director at the actual locations of the film and his feelings on returning to tell this moving story about his life.

Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the March, 2022 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Comments

Anna Foglietta: Actress and Activist with Old School Elegance

One look at actress Anna Foglietta in her any of her roles, and the Golden Age of Italian cinema comes to mind. Among Italy’s most sought-after actresses today, Foglietta brings to the table a classic eloquence of yesterday while representing Italy’s modern woman. Born in Rome in 1979, Foglietta began her career in 2005 with a role in the RAI television series La squadra . Her character Agent Anna De Luca had a two-year run on the series as she was transitioning to cinema with Paolo Virzì’s 2006 ensemble project 4-4-2- Il gioco più bello del mondo . Since then, she has become one of Italy’s most diverse actresses, transforming herself into interesting, layered characters for comedies and dramas alike. Aside from a small part in Anton Corbijn’s 2010 film The American starring George Clooney, Foglietta’s work began reaching mainstream American audiences in 2015. As Elisa in Edoardo Leo’s 2015 comedy Noi e la Giulia , Foglietta showed her funny side playing a goofball pregn...

La Grande Bellezza of Sabrina Ferilli

The 2015 Rome Premiere of "Io e Lei" Sabrina Ferilli has been gracing Italian screens, big and small, since the mid-80s. With her recent role in Paolo Sorrentino's international blockbuster, "La Grande Bellezza" (The Great Beauty), audiences throughout the world are getting the chance to see why she is one of Italy's most beloved treasures. Born in Rome in 1964, Sabrina Ferilli is the daughter of Giuliano Ferilli, the former leader of the Communist Party of the Lazio Region. Ferilli attempted to study her craft at Rome's Experimental Center of Cinematography, but later decided to abandon her studies and dive right into her career. Time has proven that she made the right choice. With dozens of movies to her credit, Ferilli has appeared on television and on the big screen, becoming a household name in Italy. Ferilli is the very portrait of Italian beauty with her infamous figure, long brown locks and dark eyes. But as cliched as it may sound, s...

Paola Cortellesi shines as La Befana in a family comedy blending tradition and modernity

A wildly successful Christmastime film, earning over $8 million at the box office when it premiered in 2018, "La befana vien di notte" (“The Legend of the Christmas Witch”) is a wholesome holiday comedy that the whole family can watch. Directed by Michele Soavi, the film stars two of Italy's most diverse contemporary actors, Paola Cortellesi and Stefano Fresi, as gift-giving foes. Paola (Cortellesi) is a grammar schoolteacher by day, but at night, she turns into La Befana, the Christmas witch, a mystical being who brings gifts to the good kids and coal to the naughty ones. On one of her Befana nights, she was attacked by a dog that tore her Befana gift list. When she returned home from a night of riding on her broomstick, delivering gifts to children all over the world, she realized that she had forgotten one child. When she discovered the torn-up list, she figured out who the child was, got back on her broom, and headed straight to his house. Having arrived late, the b...

Director Gianni Di Gregorio explores relationships in later life with 'Never Too Late for Love'

In “Astolfo” (“Never Too Late for Love”), director Gianni Di Gregorio delivers a coming-of-age film for the golden years of life about a retired professor who leaves Rome to return to a tiny mountain village in Abruzzo. The film opens with the title character, played by Di Gregorio, walking through the streets of his Roman neighborhood, groceries in hand, only to find his landlord waiting for him when he arrives home. She is there to announce that he will have to vacate his humble residence to make way for her daughter, who is getting married soon. After some contemplation, he calls his ex-wife to ask her about an old family castle he split with her in their divorce. When she confirms that a portion of the castle is his for the taking, he gleefully returns to his spacious new home only to discover it has been occupied by a squatter, who turns out to be an acquaintance from his childhood who is also down on his luck. Without hesitation, Astolfo adopts the man as his roommate. ...

Nicoletta Braschi and Roberto Benigni.. What cinema dreams are made of

The Toronto International Film Festival is wrapping up its retrospective of the cinematic collaboration of husband and wife team, Nicoletta Braschi and Roberto Benigni. Over the last few days, the couple have participated in discussions, Q & A sessions and have introduced several of their films. Today, I attended a screening of "La voce della luna" (The voice of the moon). It was Federico Fellini's last film and is a wonderful tribute to the director's signature poetic madness. The film gave Benigni the opportunity to team up with fellow beloved comic, Paolo Villaggio, and the two created a truly unforgettable adventure. Today's screening began with an introduction by Benigni. The moments leading up to his introduction were noticeably serious and somewhat tense. Benigni's publicist and TIFF security staunchly guarded his privacy. There was no interaction and no photos were allowed. Guided by ...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog