Did celebrated Italian auteur Nanni Moretti, known at home and abroad for his leftist political satires and introspective human comedies, just make his first straight-up soap opera? The answer is mostly yes, which begs another question: Is that actually a good thing?
With a hefty filmography that includes one Palme d’Or winner, a Silver Lion and a Silver Bear among countless Italian prizes, the 73-year-old director clearly has nothing left to prove when it comes to arthouse cinema, for which he’s been his country’s most consistent commodity since the 1980s. Not unlike Woody Allen, but minus the disastrous personal life, Moretti puts out a new film as often as he can, testing out different genres while maintaining his deadpan humor and personal touch. Not all Moretti movies are created equal — and some deserve more praise, such as his 2011 Vatican dramedy, We Have a Pope — but they’re always made with intelligence and a fair amount of levity undercut by darker currents swirling beneath the surface.
It Will Happen Tonight
The Bottom Line
Arthouse soap with a dash of humor.
