The Hand of God (film)
The Hand of God (, i.e. "It was the hand of God") is a 2021 Italian drama film written, directed, and produced by Paolo Sorrentino. It stars Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, Renato Carpentieri, Massimiliano Gallo, Betti Pedrazzi, Biagio Manna, and Ciro Capano. The film refers autobiographically to Sorrentino's youth in Naples. It competed for the Golden Lion at the 78th Venice International Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize and where Filippo Scotti received the Marcello Mastroianni Award. It was released in a limited release on 24  November 2021, followed by streaming on Netflix on 15 December 2021. It was nominated for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards. Plot. In the 1980s, young Fabietto lives at home in Naples with his father Saverio Schisa and mother Maria Schisa. He doesn’t have many friends nor a lover and wants to study philosophy in college. For the time being, he's mainly listening to music and watching Diego Maradona playing for his home team, Napoli. His brother Marchino takes him to acting auditions and sympathizes with his affection for their emotionally troubled aunt Patrizia . Then, tragedy strikes the Schisa family and Fabietto comes of age in a cruel and brutal manner. Production. In July 2020, it was announced Paolo Sorrentino would write, direct, and produce the film, with Netflix attached to distribute. That same month, a lawyer for Diego Maradona stated he was considering legal action against the film for its title, as it is a reference to Maradona's 1986 FIFA World Cup goal against England, and use of Maradona's image was not authorized. Netflix responded that the film is not a sports film or about Maradona and instead a personal story  inspired by Sorrentino's youth. In September 2020, Toni Servillo joined the cast of the film, with principal photography commencing that same month, in Naples, Italy. Release. "The Hand of God" had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2021. It became available worldwide on Netflix on 15 December 2021. Reception. Critical response. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 143 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Although "The Hand of God" isn't Sorrentino's best work, this  beautifully filmed coming-of-age story sings in a beguiling, albeit minor, key." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".