By Kyle Flynn

Earlier this year, when I went to the cinema on a Sunday Afternoon to watch Sorrentino’s film Parthenope, a film at its core about beauty and the way we often become transfixed by the value it provides, I entered with moderate expectations about how much I would really enjoy the film. I, of course, have a never-ending admiration for Sorrentino’s work, but leaving Parthenope, I couldn’t help but think he did it again. Sorrentino’s La Grazia, perhaps the first time I was so primed to believe I would come out raving, his work couldn’t help but underwhelm me. 

La Grazia is the most Sorrentino has struck with the intent to make a piece about power since the HBO television series The Young Pope. The film follows the President of the Italian Republic, Mariano De Santis, played by the brilliant Toni Servillo, near the end of his term as he weighs his decision on two presidential pardons. What follows is a morally complex examination of power and its intersection with the lives of others.

I found the journey Sorrentino takes you on to be sufficient and worthwhile. Constantly provoking questions for the audience to follow and decide, but oddly giving fairly clear-cut answers by the end of the narrative. The lack of ambiguity would work if not for the story operating so loosely in form, with none of the revelations feeling earnest for me by the end of the picture.

The performance from Toni Servillo is outstanding. A driven and vivid performance. I was surprised when the Alexander Payne-led jury gave him the best actor, but the performance he turned in by him is one of the best screen performances of the year. The supporting performances from Anna Ferzetti and Massimo Venturiello are riveting from start to finish, as they each push and pressure Mauricio’s decisions. 

The use of music within the film, large blasts of electronica. Think Sandstorm – Darude. It feels like a film with an enrapturing aura and creates an added depth to the stylistic flourishes of the film. It does happen far too often, and each time it’s repeated, the effect feels a little dulled. Envisioning the film with any other type of consistent musical cue is almost impossible after seeing the way Sorrentino splices in the music used in the movie. 

Just like any other film from Sorrentino, it is a feast by nature when it comes to the craft of the film. Well-thought-out production and costume design made me feel completely engrossed. The cinematography is gorgeous, a well-balanced use of mid-angle shots and intimate shots of the space. It all works together to make the film an experience worth viewing, even if it doesn’t come together quite as well as the signature works that Sorrentino has developed in the past. A solid yet tepid recommendation for me. If you have a love for the work of Sorrentino, much of his effects are present in La Grazia. 

3 stars