Film: Il Divo (2008)

If director Paolo Sorrentino was trying to tell his audience that Italian politics and politicians are corrupt, he's not really telling us anything new. Il Divo (which means 'star' or 'celebrity' in Italian) is a biopic that chronicles the legacy of three-time Prime Minister Guilio Andreotti and its all loud (at times, good) music, black comedy, parody with an edge, and for the most part, Sorrentino has a little too much fun with depicting the Mafiosos that rule the land. It would be advised to have a good understanding of Italian 20th century political culture and history too, as Il Divo throws out Italian politicians' names as fast as they can keep up with the base-pounding music.

The actor, Toni Servillo captures Andreotti as precisely and comically as Frank Langella captures Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon--but is far superior. Andreotti, the megalomaniac, scintillating, enduring, yet ambiguous with his awkwardly hunched back, punctilious hands and flopping ears is brought to life through Servillo's portrayal--and is, in my opinion the movie's only saving grace.