The Hand of God
2021
In 1980s Naples, Italy, an awkward Italian teen struggling to find his place experiences heartbreak and liberation after he's inadvertently saved from a freak accident by football legend Diego Maradona.
Reviews
badelf
Calling this a "coming-of-age" film is like calling Bud Lite a beer. They're not in the same class. I compare this film to my other favorite re-telling of a seminal childhood memory - Joanna Hogg's Souvenir.
The great Austrian poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, once wrote "For it is not yet the memories themselves. Not till they have turned to blood within us, to glance and gesture, nameless and no longer to be distinguished from ourselves - not till then can it happen that in a most rare hour the first word of a verse arises in their midst and goes forth from them." And that is visible here. Sorrentino writes this film in his own nameless, demential blood. I laughed. I cried. This film is one of those rare captures of the human condition. This is a brilliant piece of storytelling with masterful direction and top-notch acting.
That's all I have to say. see more
20 Dec 2021
CinemaSerf
Told largely from the perspective of the young "Fabietto" (Filippo Scotti), this is a charming tale of this youth who lives with elder brother "Marchino" (Marlon Joubert) and his parents "Saverio" (Toni Servillo) and "Maria" (Teresa Saponangelo). Both teenagers are frequently tempted by their somewhat exhibitionist aunt "Patricia" (Luisa Ranieri) a temptation only matched by their (and the entire city of Naples') desire to see Diego Maradona come and play at Napoli. Director Paolo Sorrentino packs quite a lot into this story. Sex, fun, friendship, betrayal, tragedy, beautiful scenery and a sense of family that is usually quite difficult to encapsulate without becoming too sentimental. The young Scotti (who reminded me a lot of Timothée Chalamet) plays well as an archetypal boy - he likes football and girls, but has no idea about the latter; and the engaging character development from boy to man is told quite imaginatively, I felt. No, it doesn't need a big screen - indeed maybe that compromises some of the intimacy of the story, but if you want to see a well crafted, enjoyable to look at story then I'd recommend this. see more
28 Mar 2022
More like this
È stata la mano di Dio: Attraverso gli occhi di Sorrentino
2021
Don't Look Up
2021
L'amico di famiglia
2006
Le conseguenze dell'amore
2004
4 metà
2022
Youth
2015
This Must Be the Place
2011
Diabolik
2021
La profezia dell'armadillo
2018
La grande bellezza
2013
House of Gucci
2021
Hytti nro 6
2021
Io sono Babbo Natale
2021
The French Dispatch
2021
The Power of the Dog
2021
Ariaferma
2021
Supereroi
2021
Freaks Out
2021
Verdens verste menneske
2021
Il Divo
2008