Release Date – 20th March 2026, Cert – TBC, Run-time – 2 hours 11 minutes, Director – Paolo Sorrentino
President Mariano De Santis’ (Toni Servillo) term is coming to an end. As he looks back on his career he worries about life, legacy, party and people.
“Your term is about to come to an end, Dad. When will you ever decide anything?” Mariano De Santis’ (Toni Servillo) term as Italian President has been one of safety. Boring and unswayed from the party line, which has made most of his decisions, for years his unknown-to-him nickname has been Reinforced Concrete. Never leaning towards anything that might be deemed controversial or divisive. Documents which would legalise euthanasia in the country sit on his desk throughout the film, his mind split with the personal and political ‘what if’s’ whenever he looks at them.
Legacy is at the core of La Grazia. Like age has done for De Santis the feeling on looking back on life and a career in old age creeps up on the film. As the final days of the latter approach for the central character Servillo’s performance becomes more reflective and somewhat downcast, especially in the wake of the conflictions at play. Will his legacy be defined by his party or what he’s done for the people of the country that voted him in, and is doing something for the people just to boost his image really doing something for the people?
As such themes are explored the satirical humour throughout starts to diminish. In the fist half the tone of La Grazia is somewhat unexpectedly funny. There are a number of chuckles to be found as the grandness of the presidency is contrasted with the tightly-kept and bland form of De Santis, although the character himself isn’t bland to the viewer. You can see the thoughts and conflictions flip-flopping through his mind at each moment, even when confronted with the prospect that his late wife cheated on him many years before, with him trying to find out with whom of his friends, and staff.
La Grazia translates to ‘grace’ and in many ways the film is about trying to achieve that. As an image seen by others, as a way of feeling or coming to terms with the past and indeed feeling about oneself and decisions. Writer-director Paolo Sorrentino deals with a number of these ideas gracefully, with the help of Servillo’s strong central performance which much of the film revolves around.
The weight, like the decisions of De Santis, is on his shoulders and he carries it successfully. A tale of ageing and final days, confronting and doing the right thing as part of them, and simply making your own decisions without the burden of thought for critical responses or the party. A number of these are subtly dealt with and work hand-in-hand with the ideas at the heart of the film which itself is an amusing and well-balanced piece of work.
Toni Servillo brilliantly carries La Grazia’s themes of ageing, legacy and final days through the chuckles of the first half and the more solemn second. Thematically mirroring the changing mindset of the central figure.
Just A Little Bit Random 