February 24, 2010: Il Divo
Il Divo was a low point for me in this year’s Oscar blast. A film I had not heard of before the nominations, it was in consideration for the Makeup award.
The film is in Italian, and chronicles the political life of enigmatic several-times Italian prime minister Guilio Andreotti. His political success seems to arise from his dogged consistency of character and his mysterious manner. I did not know of this man, so the makeup which made actor Toni Servillo presumably very closely resemble Andreotti was totally lost on me. At the same time, I must admit I found the film to be tedious. It’s an affected performance, expressing several pronounced behavioural tics, and Andreotti is certainly a fascinating character, but the film really didn’t draw me in at all. I even slept through part of the movie, but I think I got the point. It’s been called a masterpiece by enough critics, also taking home the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2008, to make me question my populist leanings when it comes to film. I think I need to just accept that some of the more “artsy” films in this world aren’t really what I’m looking for, and I’m OK with that.
I can’t judge the makeup quality.
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