Il Divo
  • Studio: MPI
  • Release Date: Apr 24, 2009
User Score
7.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 24
  3. Negative: 5 out of 24

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  1. KentP
    Apr 25, 2009
    10
    Great fun. Smashing editing, scoring and cinematography and an incredible performance from Servillo.
  2. JoshB
    May 9, 2009
    7
    The filmmaking is really very good, but it can be confusing and hard to follow sometimes if you're not familiar with Italian political history (which, no offense, you probably aren't).
  3. DWilly
    May 3, 2009
    4
    Now, maybe I was only as lost as your average Italian felt watching Oliver Stone's "Nixon" (no one should have to watch his "W."), but as far as I could tell "Il Divo" had no plot. Plot isn't everything, of course, and this movie does have style and sumptuousness for days, but come on, you gotta throw me a little human value of some kind, and not just this parade of caricatures (there was even a guy in an obvious fat suit). Like a fine Italian shoe with no soul. No thanks.… Expand
  4. johns
    Jun 7, 2009
    1
    Unbelievably boring movie. i like artistic foreign films, i even like political dramas but this was a complete waist of time. there are literally 3 dozen obscure characters that one must follow and none of them are the least bit interesting. do yourself a favor and skip it.
  5. TwinklesM.
    Aug 24, 2009
    2
    Sorrentino's glossy style seems totally inappropriate for such a purely political story, giving us endless zooms and stale Scorsese montages in place of character or insight or plot. After an hour of gazing at Toni Servillo's totally inexpressive face ; an endless stream of cryptic, gnomic remarks and a continuous stream of faceless bureacrats, maintaining interest in the 'story' becomes nigh impossible. Disappointing.… Expand
  6. Novak.G.
    May 17, 2009
    9
    Brilliant, brave, modern, wise, elegant, even better from Gomorra!

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 17 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Liam Lacey
    75
    Fortunately, there's always the fascination of watching actor Toni Servillo, who does a brilliant job of playing Andreotti (known as Beelzebub) as a kind of devil with a clown's exterior.
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  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Peter Brunette
    90
    The frequently outrageous Il Divo follows the career of one of the best-known and most tenacious figures in Italian political history in a lively, sensory-overload, cartoonlike fashion reminiscent of "Amelie" and "Moulin Rouge." The fact that it's often over-the-top goes with saying, and is part of the fun.
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  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Jay Weissberg
    100
    An intensely political film so wildly inventive and witty that it will become a touchstone for years to come, Il Divo is a masterpiece for maverick helmer-scribe Paolo Sorrentino.
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