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Writer's pictureThe Owl's Eyes

The Hand of God: Loss is Growth

Updated: Feb 27, 2023


Reviews by:

  • @the_owlseyes

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"What I find compelling is the moment in which people realize, with suffering and pain, that in the past there was a time when they were happy, because back then the present and the future coincided - they were one and the same thing"


Paolo Sorrentino


PLOT

"In 1980s Naples, young Fabietto pursues his love for football as family tragedy strikes, shaping his uncertain but promising future as a filmmaker" or "How Paolo Sorrentino became a filmmaker and honoured his parents legacy".


SCRIPT

This movie is character driven. It's an autobiopic of Sorrentino's youth and struggles. Fabietto's character is his proxy and is very well written and defined. I like how he's shaped by his family's legacy and traditions and how his city influences his development. This is a story about love, family and loss.

The main characters are well fleshed out and interesting while the secondary ones are more like blurs than actual characters.

The movie has an interesting which, just a few times, seems to drag a little. It's a quite peaceful experience.

It's a simple tale which transcend time and helps us understand the importance of family and make us ask ourselves which is our spark.

Even though the movie is about a sad event, the director is able to put it in a way which is hopeful rather than desperate, which is remarkable. Overall I think that this is a pretty competent and personal script which is pretty satisfying.


Script: 7/10


ACTING

Toni Servillo and Filippo Scotti are the core of this movie and the ones who deliver the best performance. Scotti shows his wide range and helps us get invested in his character. I think also that Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert and Luisa Ranieri did a good job too. Saponangelo crafted a sweet but strong character which has moments of frailty. Joubert's character, which is the most care-free, evolves into one of the most emotional and the actor excells into showing all his sides. Luisa Ranieri's delivers the most surprising performance. She starts as a sexy bombshell who is imvolved in different nude scenes and slowly shows her acting skills during the character's fall.

There're moments when the acting seems a bit off but I'm moderately satisfied.

The side characters are acted in an acceptable way.


Acting: 6/10


PHOTOGRAPHY

The best aspect of the whole movie. I think that this is one of the best looking scene I've ever seen and there're a lot of scenes which are just marvellous and unforgettable. Sorrentino will make you fall in love with his birthplace, its history and the sea, which is gorgeous.


Photography: 9/10


EDITING

It's good because it uses a lot of camera movement and close-ups are largely used to show character's expressions and emotions. Sometimes it's a bit stale and boring but there're moments when it's amazing, especially in the opening scene.


Editing: 6/10


SPECIAL EFFECTS

This movie should've been cgi-free but it disappoints. There's a scene where the cgi is so bad that it isn't hard to consider what's on the screen fake. You'll notice it and the movie doesn't try to hide it. I know that it's just a scene in a two hours movie but it's infuriating.


Special Effects: 5/10


SOUNDTRACK

The first half doesn't have any trace of soundtrack. The second one presents a classic and tender score which fits the narration and enhance the movie's quiet and peaceful tone. It isn't remarkable but it's good nonetheless. Sometimes classical italian pop songs are used in the background to make some characters more alive. I liked the closing song, which is an ode to Neaples.


Soundtrack: 7/10


COSTUMES

Not much to say about them. They fit the characters and the time period the story is set in. There're some nude scenes involving Luisa Ranieri's character which have a role in the plot and Fabietto's development. Just that.


Costumes: 6/10


CONCLUSION

Script: 7/10

Acting: 6/10

Photography: 9/10

Editing: 6/10

Special Effects: 5/10

Soundtrack: 7/10

Costumes: 6/10

AVERAGE: 6,57


An emotional movie which will make you fall in love with Neaples and get you an introspective view into the childhood of one of today's most acclaimed directors.


Director: Paolo Sorrentino

Screenplay: Paolo Sorrentino

Cast: Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, Renato Carpentieri, Massimiliano Gallo, Betti Pedrazzi, Biagio Manna, Ciro Capano, Enzo Decaro, Sofya Gershevich, Roberto Oliveri, Lino Musella, Cristiana Dell'Anna, Monica Nappo

Soundtrack: Lele Marchitelli

Cinematography: Daria D'Antonio

Running Time: 130 min


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