“The Hand of God”: An Escape to An Adolescent Italian Summer

Paolo Sorrentino’s biographical coming-of-age film is simple and comforting

On the coast of Naples, the Schisa family dines amidst the olive trees. Among them is Fabietto, a high school student in love with film and Diego Maradona. In The Hand of God, we get to watch a series of events in his life unfold, from delightful friendships to heart-wrenching family encounters. Director and writer Paolo Sorrentino weaves us in and out of a Neopolitan summer, displaying Fabietto’s formative experiences with a purposefully simplistic touch that provokes deep emotional reactions.

The true emotional impact of the story is rooted, in part, in the everyday nature of the character interactions. These awkward but loving encounters paint a naturalistic portrait from Fabietto’s perspective and we are enveloped into his world. It doesn’t take long to get totally lost within these quick and delightful establishing scenes, which are populated by elaborate characters who deliver witty yet lifelike dialogue. Though many of the sequences are displayed with brevity, Sorrentino gradually lets us linger as Fabietto’s experiences become more unpleasant and devastating. The storytelling implants an immediate nostalgia within us: along with Fabietto, we long for the serenity that seemed to slip from our grasp too quickly, and we are left with a persisting discomfort.

The simplicity but meticulous structure of the story solidifies it as one of the strongest films of the year. It is a beautiful and empathetic love letter to adolescence, to family, to soccer, to Naples, and to the sacrality of being.

OVERALL SCORE: 9/10

The Hand of God was released on December 1, 2021 and is currently streaming on Netflix.