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‘Il Divo,’ part Nixon, part Corleone

by Eleanor Ringel Cater | 2, Add your Comment | Jul 16, 2009

toni-servillo-nel-ruolo-di-giulio-andreotti-in-una-scena-del-film-il-divo-60601You think Italian politics are nutty now.

Well, check out Il Divo at the Landmark Theater in Midtown Atlanta.

Giulio Andreotti could be a character out of a Fellini film, but he’s the real thing. This besmirched but irrepressible former Italian prime minister, who was still a power figure in his 90s despite accusations of corruption, murder and Mafia ties, felt no need to make confessions. Instead, he merely shrugged as his enemies stewed.

Paolo Sorrentino’s film (playing this week at the Landmark) takes the if-you-can’t-beat-’em-celebrate-’em approach to Andreotti’s long but checkered career.

Don’t worry about the details of Andreotti’s reign or trying to follow the politics involved. Simply know that “Il Divo” is a frisky, unapologetic portrait of the politician as a scoundrel. Part Richard Nixon, part Don Corleone, Andreotti (expertly played by Toni Servillo),  eventually comes off as a tragic figure.

Maybe …

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2 Responses to “‘Il Divo,’ part Nixon, part Corleone”

  1. Michael says:
    July 17, 2009 at 11:50 am

    I saw the teaser for this film and my over-riding thought was that the actor looked like a walking cadaver! But that’s not much of a stretch in these days with Berlesconi in power.
    Leave it to the Italians to make drama out of the Mafia and politics.

    Reply
  2. Billy Howard Billy Howard says:
    July 17, 2009 at 12:56 pm

    I concur with Michael, it would be as if we had done a dramatic movie on Cheney….he, wait a minute! scondrel, part Nixon, part Corleone, murder, corruption….are you sure this isn’t a movie about Cheney?

    Reply

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Eleanor Ringel Cater
Eleanor Ringel Cater
About the author Eleanor Ringel Cater: Eleanor Ringel Cater, long-time movie critic for The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, also has been a regular contributor to CNN, MSNBC, Entertainment Weekly, Headline News and WXIA, Atlanta's NBC affiliate, and a columnist for TV Guide.

Last 5 posts by Eleanor Ringel Cater