SnoopyStyle Giulio Andreotti is the seven times Prime Minister of Italy leading the ruling Christian Democracy Party. In 1978, The Red Brigades kidnaps his rival former Prime Minister Aldo Moro. Andreotti refuses to negotiate and Moro is killed. Over the next 15 years, various people are mysteriously killed. In 1991, he's named Senator for Life. In 1992, he resigns as Prime Minister. His bid for the Presidency fails and he goes on trial for corruption with the Mafia.I have one problem with this movie and it's a big one. I feel like I did a PhD on Italian politics watching this movie. The first half is nearly impossible to follow for someone like me who knows nothing about Italy during this time. It's a lot of style but I couldn't understand the substance. There are a lot of deaths but I don't know the significance of some of them. The second half is more compelling with the criminal trial. It becomes a character study and Andreotti is an intriguing character. I'm sure this movie is much more compelling for people with a background in Italian politics during this time. A lot of this is going over my head.

Filippo Carcaci Andreotti was a man who never showed any emotions, if not a caustic sense of humour. He was powerful, but he was the head of a minority faction of the Christian Democrats. His power was hidden, but he always stood up to help his friends. Vatican, Mafia, Secrets Services and Dirty Money. But not for him. Although I was always disgusted as an Italian by what he represented, I always felt that he was serving a purpose and that his acts fitted Machiavelli's quote "The end justifies the means". Just a feeling, because I never knew what "the end" actually was. Surely this man was the anti-Berlusconi. Andeotti didn't like how he was portrayed, and kept a grudge. The film is great, because it captures the essence of the man and of the politician and Sorrentino's technique is one of a kind. But it's not just about Giulio. His men are such strong characters. Paolo Cirino Pomicino always introduced by a samba is pure genius, unfortunately non-Italians will not be able to appreciate. Salvo Lima's dark presage of the Mafia closing in on promises that could not be delivered counters that. And Franco Evangelisti, who took care of his electoral stronghold in non-urban Lazio, could only be portrayed as colourless as he was. And then the highlight: the kiss with Toto' Riina, the savage and cruel head of Mafia, on which the Italian media have focused so much and for so long. It was not easy to make such film, but Sorrentino's ability to mix different genres, the use of music and photography, and the much needed dose of laughs have delivered a masterpiece.

tomgillespie2002 Il Divo charts the vast and eventful reign that former Italian prime- minister Giulio Andreotti had over Italy. He served as prime minister a number of times between 1976 and 1992, and also held positions of Defence Minister and Foreign Minister. During this time he was widely believed to have strong links to the Mafia, and was placed on trial in the late 1990's for his involvement in the murder of a journalist who was suggested to have held documents that strongly implicated Andreotti in criminal activities. The film jumps back and forth in time, and shows Andreotti's enigmatic presence of almost divine levels, and his guilt over his refusal to negotiate in the kidnapping and eventual murder of fellow Christian Democrat Aldo Moro.This is no ordinary biography. It is an unconventional, highly stylised comedy-drama that is infuriating, exciting, informative and exhausting. Director Paolo Sorrentino throws so many facts, figures and names at you in rapid fashion that it all becomes a blur, it is near impossible to keep up, especially if your knowledge of Italian politics around this time is slim (which was the case for me). But it eventually becomes clear that all this information is irrelevant. It's simply a way to show just how involved Andreotti was virtually everything that happened. He was so influential, so powerful that nothing escaped him. And nothing could touch him.Toni Servillo's simply brilliant performance conveys everything you need to know about Andreotti. He is not physically intimidating, but instead he is hunched, softly-spoken and extremely strange-looking. But Andreotti does not need to move for anyone. His extreme intelligence and near-supernatural ability to get out of situations by doing next to nothing only increases his divine status. We see the best and worst of Andreotti, but Sorrentino is not trying to force an opinion of him out of us, but instead he has directed an outrageous film about an outrageous man. 'Il Divo', literally translated, means 'the star', but suggests 'the divine one', and was the nickname given to Julius Caesar.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

jotix100 We had missed Paolo Sorrentino's film when it was shown in its original commercial run. Having seen it recently, when it was shown on a cable channel, we realize what a loss it would have been, had we not seen it. The director and the star of the film, Toni Servillo, show us the life of an enigmatic man that has been at the center of controversy in his native Italy for many years.This is a politically charged film that is courageous enough to expose the corruption behind politics. Giulio Andreotti, is a man that on one hand, is deeply religious, while on the other hand, he has been involved with the Italian mafia, getting away with his involvement because the system that tried to bring him to justice was equally corrupt.The performance of Mr. Servillo is one of the best things in the Italian cinema in recent memory. His Andreotti is a man with high standing in the Italian Social Democrat party with enough ties to the catholic church and other factions in his country. A figure in Italian parliament, he has been able to survive all the political upheavals in his country for most of his life.Mr. Sorrentino's account on this fictional work, probably is closer to the truth behind this man that shows little emotion in his dealings with the events that surrounded his days as a central political figure. The splendid collaboration between Mr. Sorrentino and Mr. Servillo results in an intelligent film that goes behind the scenes of a system that baffles the mind.