Review of The Hand of God (2021) by Bertobellamy — 17 Dec 2021

If in 'Youth' director Paolo Sorrentino was ruminating about getting old, then 'The Hand of God' is exactly the opposite: a celebration of being young.

This so-called autobiography takes us through his teenage days, when the obsession for soccer star Diego Maradona affected Naples in every way. There, young Fabietto wanders around getting horny about his aunt and thinking what to do next with this life.

After the grandeur and showiness of 'The Great Beauty,' Sorrentino's new film feels a lot more intimate and restrained; filming back in his hometown sure needed a more personal approach. Either way, the first part offers some funny and very visual vignettes about Fabietto's extravagant family. It's during the second part that the plot gets more reflexive and emotional.

As a coming-of-age, 'The Hand of God strikes the right note, but I felt something was missing, especially when Fabietto discovers his love for cinema, which is kind of sudden. But it all makes sense when the desire for a new reality is apparent — after a big tragedy happens. 'The Great Beauty' remains Sorrentino's greatest achievement, but 'The Hand of God' is his most revelatory work to date.