The Venice Film Festival is finally upon us and we’ve got Day 1 Hot Takes. The two most notable premieres were Paolo’s Sorrentino’s LA GRAZIA (which features another collaboration with famed Italian actor and theater director Tony Servillo, who is said to be stupendous in this new film) in the Main Competition, and Teona Strugar Mitevska’s MOTHER, which stars Noomi Repace as Mother Theresa, premiering in the Horizons section.
Overall, critics see LA GRAZIA as a powerful return to form for Paolo Sorrentino. The Guardian describes it as Sorrentino “rediscover[ing] his voice, his wan humour and his flair” for blending surreal elegance with quiet melancholy. The Times (UK) called the film “wonderful”, noting that it “gradually, seductively seeps into you and becomes near impossible to shake,” and gave it four out of five stars. Spanish-language coverage (Cadena Ser) likewise praised it as “vibrant, emotional, beautiful, funny, deeply political, and more than relevant.” It appears to be, by most accounts, a standout opening for Venice.
The biggest takeaways are—
- Servillo, who delivers a nuanced portrayal of fictional President Mariano De Santis: a dignified, grief‑haunted figure grappling with moral dilemmas
- The film’s emotional and political weight, confronting issues like euthanasia, presidential pardons, grief, and the search for moral grounding in turbulent times
- Sorrentino’s typical surreal stylistic touches—slow‑motion visuals, dance/electro‑pop music, dreamlike tableaux—blending grandeur with absurdity
The biggest criticism:
- Reuters observes that the film diverges from Sorrentino’s usual opulent style, adopting a more austere tone that’s unexpected from him. For some critics expecting his signature baroque aesthetic, it feels less distinctive.
A very probable Best International Film submission from Italy is incoming. Italy has had success with its Sorrentino submissions, having gotten into the category twice before: THE GREAT BEAUTY (for which it won) and THE HAND OF GOD. Mubi will be releasing LA GRAZIA; it marks their first collaboration with Sorrentino.
As for MOTHER, the biggest highlight seems to be Noomi Rapace’s layered portrait of a conflicted Mother Theresa. The film is said to have a bold, unconventional, somewhat anachronistic approach, with strong symbolic imagery. The Guardian likens its tone to “Euro-metal”. The film also weaves in elements of psychological and even giallo horror.
There are some reservations about its occasional tonal excesses, and a few critics suggest that the flamboyant sequences verge on one-dimensional, potentially detracting from deeper character exploration.