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The Hand of God (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Hand of God (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Hand of God (film).

The Hand of God
Release poster
ItalianÈ stata la mano di Dio
Directed byPaolo Sorrentino
Written byPaolo Sorrentino
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDaria D'Antonio
Edited byCristiano Travaglioli
Music byLele Marchitelli
Production
company
Distributed by
  • Lucky Red[1] (Italy theatrical)
  • Netflix (Worldwide)
Release dates
  • 2 September 2021 (2021-09-02) (Venice)
  • 24 November 2021 (2021-11-24)
Running time
130 minutes[2]
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian

The Hand of God (Italian: È stata la mano di Dio, lit. 'It Was the Hand of God') is a 2021 Italian semi-autobiographical drama film written, directed and produced by Paolo Sorrentino. Set in Naples, the film delves into Sorrentino's own youth. Its cast features Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, Renato Carpentieri, Massimiliano Gallo, Betti Pedrazzi, Enzo Decaro, Sofya Gershevich, Lino Musella and Biagio Manna.

At the 78th Venice International Film Festival, it competed for the Golden Lion, winning the Grand Jury Prize; Filippo Scotti's performance earned him the Marcello Mastroianni Award. Following a limited theatrical release on 24 November 2021, the film became available for streaming on Netflix on 15 December 2021. It received a nomination for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.[3]

Plot

[edit]

In 1984 Naples, Fabietto Schisa enjoys a carefree adolescence with his close-knit family amidst eccentric relatives and friends. However, their peace is shattered: Maria's sister, Patrizia, faces abuse from her husband; Marchino's acting dreams falter after a failed audition with Federico Fellini; Maria discovers Saverio's infidelity.

Amidst turmoil, the acquisition of Diego Maradona by Napoli brings hope and joy, especially for Fabietto, who finds solace in Maradona amidst the chaos. Saverio and Maria reconcile, buying a villa in Roccaraso for family vacations. They invite Fabietto for a weekend getaway, but he declines to attend a Napoli-Empoli match to see Maradona play.

Tragically, Saverio and Maria die from a carbon monoxide leak at the villa. The loss devastates the Schisa siblings, especially Fabietto, who is prevented from seeing his parents' bodies. He grapples with survivor's guilt but also gains a new perspective from his uncle Alfredo's belief that he was saved by "the hand of God". Amidst profound grief and confusion, Fabietto searches for meaning and direction.

Meanwhile, Aunt Patrizia is hospitalized in a psychiatric facility. During Fabietto's visit, she shares her story: miraculously pregnant after an encounter with Saint Gennaro and the "munaciello", but subsequent abuse led to a miscarriage. Feeling trapped, she chose hospitalization to escape her oppressive life. This sparks Fabietto's desire to move to Rome. He has his first sexual encounter with a neighbor, Baroness Focale, who empathizes with his struggles. He also befriends Armando, a smuggler, delving into Neapolitan crime.

Fascinated by cinematography, inspired by a film and actress, Fabietto dreams of studying it. Meanwhile, his relationships with Marchino and Daniela sour: Marchino avoids the future, and Daniela reveals a half-brother fathered by their dad's affair. During a performance by Yulia, Fabietto witnesses director Antonio Capuano harshly criticize her flaws. They discuss Fabietto's desire to study cinema in Rome, but Capuano perceives it as an attempt to escape pain. He advises Fabietto not to flee from Naples but to embrace its stories.

Meanwhile, Napoli wins its first league title. After their encounter, Fabietto decides to keep his promise to go to Rome. During the train journey, he encounters a "munaciello" at a desolate station,[4] echoing his parents' affectionate whistle.

Cast

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Production

[edit]

In July 2020, it was announced Paolo Sorrentino would write, direct and produce the film, with Netflix attached to distribute. Sorrentino spent years gathering memories about his family, friends and parents before writing the screenplay. Despite the extensive preparation, he wrote the script in just two weeks.[6] That same month, a lawyer for Diego Maradona stated he was considering legal action against the film for its title, as it is a reference to Maradona's 1986 FIFA World Cup goal against England, and use of Maradona's image was not authorized. Netflix responded that the film is not a sports film or about Maradona, and instead a personal story inspired by Sorrentino's youth.[7] In September 2020, Toni Servillo joined the cast of the film, with principal photography commencing that same month in Naples, Italy.[8]

Release

[edit]
The cast along with the film's director Paolo Sorrentino during the première at the 2021 Venice Film Festival

The Hand of God had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2021. It became available worldwide on Netflix on 15 December 2021.[9]

Reception

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Critical response

[edit]

The film was mostly well received by critics. In The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw awarded the film four stars out of five, calling it an "extravagantly personal" film saying it would be "obtuse not to marvel at the exuberance, energy and vivid moment-by-moment immediacy of this movie."[10] The Independent also awarded the film four stars out of a possible five.[11] RogerEbert.com described the film as quintessential Sorrentino, noting that "it’s about finding character in unexpected places and making it seem both true to life and completely overwhelming". They also praised the cinematography of Daria D'Antonio.[12] Writing in The New York Times, A.O Scott described the film as "sensual, sad and occasionally sublime." Like many critics, he saw the similarities between Sorrentino and Federico Fellini, suggesting that "if The Great Beauty, an Oscar winner in 2014, can be called Sorrentino’s La Dolce Vita, then this is his Amarcord". Referencing the autobiographical of Sorrentino's film, he concluded: "It’s a beautiful tautology: a true-to-life movie about a life made for movies."[13]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 83% based on 158 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Although The Hand of God isn't Sorrentino's best work, this beautifully filmed coming-of-age story sings in a beguiling, albeit minor, key."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[15]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Academy Awards 27 March 2022 Best International Feature Film Italy Nominated [16]
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards 18 March 2022 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Nominated [17]
BAFTA Awards 13 March 2022 Best Film Not In the English Language The Hand of God Nominated [18]
Best Casting Annamaria Sambucco Nominated
Black Film Critics Circle Awards 22 December 2021 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Won [19]
Capri Hollywood International Film Festival 4 January 2022 Best International Feature The Hand of God Won [20]
Best Director Paolo Sorrentino Won
Breakout Actor of the Year Filippo Scotti Won
European Feature Film of the Year The Hand of God Won
European Director of the Year Paolo Sorrentino Won
European Producer of the Year Lorenzo Mieli Won
Italian Actor of the Year Toni Servillo Won
Italian Actress of the Year Teresa Saponangelo Won
Casting Society of America 17 March 2022 Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Studio or Independent Drama Annamaria Sambucco Nominated [21]
Critics Choice Movie Awards 13 March 2022 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Nominated [22]
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association 20 December 2021 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Nominated [23]
David di Donatello 3 May 2022 Best Film The Hand of God Won [24]
Best Director Paolo Sorrentino Won
Best Original Screenplay Paolo Sorrentino Nominated
Best Producer Paolo Sorrentino & Lorenzo Mieli Nominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role Filippo Scotti Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Teresa Saponangelo Won
Luisa Ranieri Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Toni Servillo Nominated
Best Cinematography Daria D'Antonio Won
Best Costumes Mariano Tufano Nominated
Best Editing Cristiano Travaglioli Nominated
Best Production Design Iole Autero & Carmine Guarino Nominated
Best Make-Up Vincenzo Mastrantonio Nominated
Best Sound The Hand of God Nominated
Best Visual Effects Rodolfo Migliari Nominated
David Youth Award The Hand of God Won
Dublin Film Critics' Circle 21 December 2021 Best Cinematography Daria D'Antonio Nominated [25]
European Film Awards 11 December 2021 Best Film The Hand of God Nominated [26]
Best Director Paolo Sorrentino Nominated
Best Screenplay Paolo Sorrentino Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 22 December 2021 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Won [27]
Georgia Film Critics Association 14 January 2022 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Nominated [28]
Golden Globe Awards 9 January 2022 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Nominated [29]
Golden Reel Awards 13 March 2022 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Foreign Language Feature Silvia Moraes Nominated [30]
Goya Awards 11 February 2023 Best European Film The Hand of God Nominated [31]
Hawaii Film Critics Society 14 January 2022 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Won [32]
International Cinephile Society 6 February 2022 Best Breakthrough Performance Filippo Scotti Nominated [33]
Kansas City Film Critics Association 16 January 2022 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Nominated [34]
London Film Critics' Circle 6 February 2022 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Nominated [35]
London Film Festival 17 October 2021 Best Film Paolo Sorrentino Nominated [36]
Middleburg Film Festival 21 October 2021 International Spotlight Award Paolo Sorrentino Won [37]
Mill Valley Film Festival 17 October 2021 Festival Award Paolo Sorrentino & Filippo Scotti Won [38]
Music City Film Critics Association 25 January 2022 Best International Film The Hand of God Nominated [39]
Newport Beach Film Festival 28 October 2021 Best International Film Paolo Sorrentino Won [40]
North American Film Critic Association 6 February 2022 Best Cinematography Daria D'Antonio Nominated [41]
Best Foreign Film The Hand of God Nominated
North Dakota Film Society Awards 17 January 2022 Best International Feature The Hand of God Nominated [42]
Palm Springs International Film Festival 28 October 2021 Best Foreign Language Film Paolo Sorrentino Nominated [43]
Phoenix Critics Circle 18 December 2021 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Nominated [44]
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 18 December 2021 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Won [45]
Robert Awards 6 February 2022 Best Non-English Language Film The Hand of God Nominated [46]
Satellite Awards 2 April 2022 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Nominated [47]
Seattle Film Critics Society 17 January 2022 Best Foreign Language Film The Hand of God Nominated [48]
Set Decorators Society of America 22 February 2022 Best Achievement in Decor/Design of a Feature Film - Contemporary Iole Autero & Carmine Guarino Nominated [49]
South African Online Film Critics 29 December 2021 Best International Feature Film The Hand of God Won [50]
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards 19 December 2021 Best International Film The Hand of God Runner-up [51]
Sydney Film Festival 15 November 2021 Best Film Paolo Sorrentino Nominated [52]
Turkish Film Critics Association 17 January 2022 Best Streaming Film The Hand of God Nominated [53]
Venice Film Festival 11 September 2021 Golden Lion Paolo Sorrentino Nominated [54]
Grand Jury Prize Paolo Sorrentino Won
Marcello Mastroianni Award Filippo Scotti Won
Pasinetti Award for Best Film Paolo Sorrentino Won
Pasinetti Award for Best Actress Teresa Saponangelo Won

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ Dams, Tim (24 October 2024). "Social media and re-releases: Lucky Red's strategy for growing Italy's arthouse audience". Screen Daily. Retrieved 29 October 2024. There is no formal deal in place, but Lucky Red has distributed for Netflix whenever it has a theatrical launch, most recently Paolo Sorrentino's The Hand Of God in 2021.
  2. ^ "The Hand of God". Venice Biennale. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Oscar 94^ Edizione: "È stata la mano di Dio" È il film Italiano designato per la categoria "International Feature Film Award"" (in Italian). ANICA. 26 October 2020. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  4. ^ The sign indicates that it's the Formia-Gaeta station, but in reality, the scene was filmed at the Morcone station.
  5. ^ "The Hand of God Review: Cinema Versus Reality". MovieWeb. 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  6. ^ Ravindran, Manori (8 July 2020). "Paolo Sorrentino to Direct 'The Hand of God' for Netflix". Variety. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  7. ^ Grater, Tom (13 July 2020). "Diego Maradona Exploring Legal Action Over Paolo Sorrentino Netflix Film 'The Hand Of God'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  8. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (14 September 2020). "Toni Servillo Joins Paolo Sorrentino's 'The Hand of God' as Shooting Starts". Variety. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  9. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (19 August 2021). "'The Hand Of God': Teaser For Paolo Sorrentino's Venice-Bound Story Of Fate, Family, Sports, Cinema, Love & Loss". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  10. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (1 December 2021). "The Hand of God review – Paolo Sorrentino tells his own Maradona story". Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  11. ^ White, Adam (16 December 2021). "The Hand of God review: Paolo Sorrentino's autobiographical drama dazzles as much as it confounds". Independent. Independent. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  12. ^ Abrams, Simon (3 December 2021). "The Hand of God". Roger Ebert. Roger Ebert. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  13. ^ Scott, A.O (14 December 2021). "'The Hand of God' Review: A Portrait of the Cineaste as a Young Man". New York Times. New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
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  20. ^ Feinberg, Scott (4 January 2022). "Capri, Hollywood Film Fest: 'Power of the Dog' Named Best Picture". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
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  22. ^ Jordan, Moreau (17 December 2021). "Film Nominations Announced for the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards". Critics Choice. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
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  24. ^ "David di Donatello 2022: la lista completa dei vincitori". Rolling Stone Italia. 4 May 2022. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  25. ^ Jordan, Moreau (21 December 2021). "Dublin Film Critics go all in for 'The Power of the Dog'". Awardswatch. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
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  34. ^ Anderson, Erik (17 January 2022). "Kansas City Film Critics: 'The Power of the Dog' triumphs in spread out winners list". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on 16 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
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  43. ^ Jordan, Moreau (17 December 2021). "Palm Springs Film Festival Sets 2022 Lineup; Roger Michell's Final Film 'The Duke' To Close Fest". Deadline. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  44. ^ Jordan, Moreau (19 December 2021). "Phoenix Critics Circle (PCC) winners: 'The Power of the Dog,' 'Licorice Pizza,' Mike Faist and more". Awardswatch. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  45. ^ Jordan, Moreau (19 December 2021). "Belfast Wins Best Picture, Best Director in PFCS 2021 Awards". phoenixfilmcriticssociety.org. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
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  49. ^ Anderson, Erik (17 January 2022). "'Nightmare Alley,' 'The Tragedy of Macbeth,' 'Cyrano' earn Set Decorators Society of America (SDSA) nominations". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  50. ^ Ventura, Andrea. "South African Online Film Critics Awards". southafricanonlinefilmcritics. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
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  54. ^ Roxborough, Scott (9 November 2021). "'Titane', 'Hand of God' Among European Film Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
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