'La grazia', Sorrentino in great form for a profound and poetic film

It is no coincidence that the film opens with images of the sky, through an upward gaze that can refer to so many sequences in its author's filmography: from the finale of 'This Must Be the Place' to the moment when Diego Maradona seems to be dribbling with God in 'Youth'.

As in 'Il divo' and 'Loro', Sorrentino effectively focuses on the private side of power, describing a melancholic man, who lives in nostalgia because of the disappearance of his wife a few years earlier, who struggles to have a healthy relationship with his daughter and who still suffers from an alleged betrayal in his spouse's youth.

Family dynamics are at the heart of De Santis' character, but the narration of some equally well-written secondary characters completes the story.

 As is often the case in the director's cinema, what is most striking is the combination of perfectly orchestrated images and sounds: De Santis listens to Guè in a passage that is certainly grotesque, but also rich in stylistic cues typical of the extreme register that Sorrentino offers his viewers.

Mixing truly amusing sequences (the first dialogue with her friend Coco) with moving passages (the finale, first and foremost), 'The Grace' is a whirlwind of different emotions, a film that chooses a stylistic path full of particularly ambitious intuitions, risking a few downfalls but above all offering absolutely brilliant moments.

Contributing to the overall power of the operation is the gigantic performance of Toni Servillo, an actor who for many years now has been among the absolute best in contemporary European cinema and who here gives yet another impressive performance: he was deservedly awarded the Coppa Volpi at the last Venice Film Festival.

 While one always expects the best from Sorrentino, "Sorry, Baby", the directorial debut of Eva Victor, a director who is also the film's leading actress in the role of Agnès, a brilliant young university lecturer living in a quiet New England town, immersed in a routine of rituals and reassuring habits, is a nice surprise. The film is a good example of the "Sorry, Baby" style

Sorry, Baby

A traumatic event, a harassment by a trusted person, has left her suspended, as if frozen in time, while around her the world continues to flow and transform. The people around her go on with their normal lives. Among them is Lydie, her best friend who moves to New York, starts a family and a new life, while Agnès remains anchored to a present that weighs her down and a cumbersome past.

It is a profound and touching first feature 'Sorry, Baby', a film that has a simple but extremely original subject, capable of delving deep into the psychology of a character that is not easy to write and play.

Some dialogue may appear too contrived, but overall this feature film succeeds in its intention to shake you up, albeit gently, and to portray a decidedly unconventional vision. A must-see.