Film | God Willing (Subtitled) | (PG)
By PENNY MULVEY
Billed as ‘Italy’s #1 smash-hit comedy’ and titled God Willing, one can’t help but be a little curious.
In an era where the reputation of Catholic priests has been severely tarnished, this film provides an alternative narrative – priests can be cool, relevant, and offer a meaning to life that is beyond ourselves.
The first feature film of writer director Edoardo Falcone debuted at the 2015 Lavazza Italian Film Festival, and has been enchanting audiences around the world since.
Tommaso (Marco Giallini) is a cardiac surgeon with an over-sized ego. He treats his patients, their families, his staff and his own family with shared disdain as he strides through his ordered and powerful daily life.
When he strides out of surgery to inform worried relatives of the success of an operation, his focus is not so much on the recovering patient, nor the feelings of the family, rather it is on his own skills as a surgeon. He shows no compassion for a nurse scampering to keep up as he does his rounds, telling her to lose weight. He describes his daughter as an amoeba. But he loves his son, Andrea (Enrico Oetiker), who is studying medicine.
When his son hints that he has an announcement for the family, Tommaso becomes convinced that Andrea is going to inform them that he is gay. He rallies his wife, daughter and son-in-law to be supportive.
Andrea was delighted by the reception of his surprise announcement. Little does he know that his atheist father was in fact horrified when he learns his son is not making a declaration about his sexuality but, instead, declares he wants to become a priest.
A highly agitated Tommaso rants to the rest of the family: “A priest is no different from being a knife sharpener, a bagpipe player.”
“I don’t want a bagpipe-playing son.”
Rather than confront his son with his own feelings, Tommaso hatches a plan – to spy on Andrea to find out who could have manipulated him to make such a foolish decision.
The Christianity presented by the charming and sincere. Father Don Pietro (Alessandro Gassman) is a lived, down-to-earth faith, which is both practical and passionate. His interaction with Tommaso’s son has a ripple effect on the entire family.
Each member begins to examine their own life – all find something is missing. The revelations lead to both fulfilment and dysfunction. As Tommaso single-mindedly pursues a strategy to discredit the priest, and so dissuade his son from a priestly vocation, his behaviour becomes increasingly erratic with humorous outcomes.
This feel-good movie gently explores the capacity for change. Tommaso, a man so confident of his own abilities, so sure that he can manage his own destiny and all those who interact with him, is transformed by his encounter with God through Father Don.
Beautifully crafted, God Willing will have you both laughing out loud and reaching for the tissue box. And if you speak Italian, you won’t need to rely on the subtitles.
In selected cinemas.
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