Il Divo

Even if you don’t know anything about modern Italian political history or who Giulio Andreotti was, you will be totally enthralled watching this mesmerizing film directed by Paolo Sorrentino. In a nutshell, Andreotti wielded almost supreme political power for more than four decades, stopping at nothing, including murder, to help bend and shape Italy into his vision of what the country should be. The details of how he accomplished what he did, and the heavy price he and his associates paid for doing it, are best left to the film. Not only is the story fascinating, but the performances are exquisite, particularly the work of Tony Servillo (Gomorra) in the title role. On top of that Sorrentino is a master story teller with an artist’s eye as a director. The way he uses the camera not only adds to the visual pleasure of watching the film, but often acts as the seductive narrator of the story as well.