Paolo Sorrentino was one of my great discoveries last year, and, again, why am I so poorly educated? The Criterion Channel exhausts itself trying to get me caught up (will I ever recover from growing up in Indiana?). His film The Great Beauty blew me away and quickly became an all-time favorite, and I'll doubtless be watching it again soon and thus it will make this year's list. The other night Janet and I watched his semi-autobiographical film The Hand of God, which was also very good. Like most Italian filmmakers, they're cursed/blessed to always be associated with Fellini. I read where one film critic had proposed that if The Great Beauty was Sorrentino's La Dolce Vita, then The Hand of God is his Amorcord. There is some definite truth to that comment. The great Toni Servillo (and Sorrentino regular) plays the father of Fabietto Schisa (played by Filippo Scotti) as he grows up in Naples, surrounded by his extended family, and focused on the possibility of the local Naples team potentially signing the legendary Diego Maradona. Teresa Saponangelo gives a wonderful performance as Fabietto's mother, while Luisa Ranieri (as his aunt, and object of lust) Patrizia and Betti Pedrazzi (as Baronnessa Focale, who gives him a tremendous gift) compete to steal scenes. Like all Sorrentino film, The Hand of God is required viewing.
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