The coming-of-age film, whose original Italian title is È stata la mano di Dio, is now among the five hopefuls vying for a prize in the academy's best international feature movie category.Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Venice International Film Festival, Paolo Sorrentino’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama is an evocative trip back to Naples during the heady days and volatile nights of the 1980s.
Fabio (Filippo Scotti, in a performance that won the Marcello Mastroianni Award at Venice) is a teenage boy fighting to find his place in the world. The youngster is cushioned by his loving family, and he’s thrilled by the new signing made by his city’s underachieving football team: Diego Maradona. But when unimaginable tragedy strikes, Fabio is forced to find a new way to live – and dream himself a new future. Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, The Young Pope) draws excellent performances across the board in this potent and deeply personal drama.
@photo gianni fiorito
