Il Divo

It's tempting to say that a degree in Italian politics is essential before seeing Il Divo. The plot is so complex that one feels that every scathing comment ever made about the Italian political system was entirely justified. Corruption; collusion with the Mafia; rampant political cynicism; the unhealthy involvement of the Church - it's all here. Captions introduce the multitude of characters that pass across the screen but trying to keep who is who sorted is well-night impossible. Identifying faces is one thing but once names start flying around (especially during a barvura "confession" montage) helpless bewilderment takes hold. I suspect numerous viewings, accompanied by a crib sheet, are the only way a foreigner can hope to work out precisely what is (or not) going on.
Canny cross-cutting associates Andreotti with numerous assassinations and meetings with the Mafia but never with concrete certainty. Andreotti himself bears more than a passing resemblance to Nosferatu (are his ears *really* like that?), even down to the rigid movement, with as little bodily expression as facial. Luckily the film, in contrast, is fleet of foot, with long flowing single takes, roaming through both the halls of power and domestic spaces. There are a couple of brilliant montages: the above-mentioned "confession" and, right at the start, a series of assassinations of key figures which will resonate throughout the film. It grabs the attention immediately and, despite the overwhelming density of information, the film never relinquishes it. Not the easiest film to follow then, but one that is worth the effort.