Only knowing Paolo Sorrentino from his Academy Award win for Best Foreign Film 2013 for The Great Beauty, I found myself interested in La Grazia after researching some of the films that picked up awards at the Venice Film Festival. That interest was furthered once I saw it would be appearing at the Chicago International Film Festival (winning recognition there as well). After viewing, I left the theater incredibly moved and in love with this film. La Grazia is one of the most expertly crafted films, with its rich dialogue and captivating story, both draped in lavish cinematography and painting-like shadows, which are hypnotic and incredibly engaging.
The film is about the fictional President Mariano De Santis (Tony Servillo), in the last stretch of his term as President of Italy. He grapples with his relationship to his work, having to sign off on a law regarding euthanasia and making some presidential pardons. On top of this weight, he grieves the loss of his wife after eight years of her passing, finding himself carrying his love for her in everything he does. Ultimately, he finds that the grief consumes him and weighs him down from truly doing something “brave” as a leader. As depressing as that sounds, there’s something truly hopeful in De Santis’ journey, and in his exploration of himself, we find various meanings to both love and loss.
De Santis struggles with certain aspects of his past marriage and with understanding his grown children. He feels lost in the past as the world around him moves forward, and the film captures perfectly the feeling of knowing it’s okay to let go. When you’ve given your life to your love and your work, and there is nothing more you can do, you rediscover yourself and move on with the man you are now, not who you used to be.
This film would be nothing without Servillo’s incredible central performance. He carries the weight of this film and the character of De Santis so masterfully, and the entire story is rooted in his decisions and dilemmas. His performance is further highlighted by the beautiful cinematography and setups created by both Sorrentino and cinematographer Daria D’Antonio.
The contrasts in the slower, “still-life” moments of La Grazia were immersive and helped you understand the central character, while the faster-paced outbursts and discoveries complemented the emotional weight perfectly. The script was beautiful, with stretches of dialogue that were truly poetic, and the story held together throughout the entire film.
Some gripes lie in some of the music selections and transitions. Some of the electronic scores didn’t quite fit in with the more lush moments on the soundtrack. Most of the music choices were purposeful in that it’s central to the story that De Santis gets into modern Italian Hip-Hop throughout the length of the film, and that side plot is a microcosm of the changes and transitions in both his political and emotional life, and understanding of the modern world.
Although the hip-hop soundtrack was purposeful to De Santis’ development as a character, some of the other electronic music used was jarring and very out of place with the tone. The sudden cut-to-text moments towards the end credits felt a little lazy. Sorrentino could’ve shown what happened to the characters as opposed to typing it out, especially considering it’s not based on any real people or facts. But, the film still felt telling and human that the small drawbacks don’t take away too much from the overall experience.
Servillo’s performance and Sorrentino’s script and direction on La Grazia are both beautiful and some of the year’s strongest, and I found myself incredibly moved and entertained. This under-the-radar gem has proved to be one of my favorites of the year.
Review Courtesy of Justin Duggan
Feature Image Credit to Mubi