Reviews

"Il divo" (i.e. "the divine") is a view of Italian politics in the 70ies, 80ies and 90ies, centered on its main character: the 5 times prime minister Giulio Andreotti. He is a tiny man, quite fragile looking (hunpback, dog-eared), but very witty, and with a huge aura of power around him (one of his famous aphorism is: power tires those who don't have it). He was a controversial character: first depicted quite as a saint, then as the great maneuverer, and at last as a politician able to welcome the evil to reach his aims. At first sight, this movie surprised me. First of all i was surprised by the ironical and grotesque cut that Sorrentino gave to his movie. Then i was surprised by the judgement suspension that this movie gives to the main character: yes, of course, there are tons of evidences that Andreotti had to do with evil persons to keep his power, but the movie director never says "he is the evil". At the second sight i found out there is more. At the second sight the main character faded into the whole background. This is a movie about Italian politics as a whole. This movies points out how italy has become the country that is nowadays. It shows the slow downhill starting from the first idealists of the republic (such as DeGasperi), down to politics such as Andreotti (for whom "a tree needs manure to grow up", a sort of Machiavelli's "a greater aim justifies any deed"), down until the politics that just want power for power's sake (for this reason the portrait of Cirino Pomicino - this name looks like a joke, but it isn't! - is wonderful). So no surprise when you read about an Italian politician that is judged for corruption or something even worse: it's the consequence of the downhill of the politics that common citizens cannot stop anymore, simply because citizens have no power anymore, it is all in politicians' hands and they share it from hand to hand. I can understand that foreign viewers can find this movie boring and difficult to understand. But forget for a moment it is a movie about Giulio Andreotti, and watch it as the history of 30 years of a real country's politics. Veeery frightening the scene in which Andreotti, caught by insomnia, walks in an empty street surrounded by a 20 men's heavy armed escort. In a "normal" country, straight people should be able to walk safely in any street with no need of any escort at all. That's all imho...

Sequel of the much better 80's movie "L'allenatore nel pallone". It should worth a 4 (for technical and stylistic reasons), but deserves a +1 bonus for the courage of trying to revive the old - the real one - Italian comedy. Banfi acted too many times as "Nonno Libero" to be able to act again as "Oronzo Canà". Tired and with no energy. Too many moments look like commercial spots, they neither try to disguise it. Too many unuseful out-of-plot scenes just to show some more soccer player (but maybe they are what average spectators really want to view). The supporting cast looks almost like a damage. Some laughs here and there. Elsewhere, much disappointment.