I have a confession to make. Please no one judge me for this. I cannot stand The Godfather. I have tried about 5 times to like it but I can never properly get into. So the thought of watching a similar Italian Mafia based film, filled me slightly with dread. Why bother watching it, you may ask? Well BBC Four have this World Cinema series on a Sunday night and I had heard good reviews so I thought I would give it ago.
To draw a comparison between Il Divo and The Godfather is a bit simplistic just because they both feature Mafia type characters. Il Divo tells the story of real life Italian politician Giulio Andreotti and the many scandals that he is associated with, ranging from his rise in the Christian Democrat Party to his links with the Mafia.
Did I like it? In a number of ways yes. First it was beautifully shot. Great camera work which gave it a modern feeling. I just loved how the camera would stop on a hand with an ant crawling up it or the skate board that turned into the car bomb from the Red Brigade. It was further complemented by an amazing soundtrack which gave a massive modern contrast to the story of ageing Italian politicians.
Second, I absolutely loved how Giulio was portrayed by Toni Servillo. Many of his lines expressed his bitter irony he supposedly displayed. They were sharp, funny and witting and fitted really well with the modern pace of the film.
The one let down, and I have noticed I have been negative in my reviews so far, is the film expects you to know Italian politics from that era. Or, to put it another way, I got lost trying to work out what was going on because I know very little about post-war Italian politics. I therefore think I should really watch this again now I have a grasp what happens. So maybe my review is premature?
3.5/5 - Probably would be marked higher after a second watch
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