Paolo Sorrentino surprised Venice with a quietly forceful move: La Grazia, his new presidential drama, opened the festival Aug. 27, 2025, and critics say it’s the director’s most restrained work in years. Toni Servillo plays a retired-style president confronting euthanasia and pardon petitions — moral choices that push the film beyond vanity spectacle into moral drama. Variety’s early review calls the film “understated,” shifting attention from Sorrentino’s baroque excess to subtle moral stakes — a change that could reshape awards talk and how prestige directors stage political stories in 2025.
What Venice 2025’s opening of ‘La Grazia’ reveals about Sorrentino
- Paolo Sorrentino premiered “La Grazia” at Venice Film Festival, Aug. 27, 2025.
- Toni Servillo stars as Italy’s president, delivering a notably restrained performance.
- The plot centers on euthanasia and pardon petitions, raising legal and moral stakes.
- Variety’s review praises Sorrentino’s quieter tone, shifting festival narratives this week.
Why Sorrentino’s restrained style at Venice 2025 matters for awards and tone
Variety’s review frames La Grazia as a tonal reset: instead of Sorrentino’s usual baroque excess, the film uses restraint to spotlight constitutional power and private grief. That timing matters — festivals this season are parsing films that blend political themes with intimate character work. If Venice awards or critics embrace Sorrentino’s quieter move, studios and distributors may reposition prestige releases toward moral deliberation instead of spectacle, affecting awards campaigns and buyers ahead of fall markets.
How Venice stars and critics reacted to ‘La Grazia’ this week
Critics at Venice flagged the film’s surprising minimalism and Toni Servillo’s disciplined turn as its engine. Many noted the movie’s moral center — a president reluctant to exert power — as a clear reaction to modern populist leadership. Notable moments on the red carpet and post-screening exchanges underlined the film’s human scale.
How Venice’s slate shows a 2025 shift toward restrained prestige films
Festival coverage this week emphasized films that trade spectacle for moral nuance: several competition titles reviewed at Venice (including La Grazia and Park Chan-wook’s entry) lean into character-driven dilemmas. Critics are highlighting subtlety as a differentiator in trade reviews, and early reads suggest buyers and awards strategists will monitor which restrained titles translate to broader awards momentum in autumn.
The numbers that change how ‘La Grazia’ could fare at awards 2025
| KPI | Value + Unit | Scope/Date | Change/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Running time | 131 MIN | Venice, Aug 21, 2025 | Feature-length, awards-eligible |
| Review publish date | Aug 27, 2025 | Variety review | Early critical narrative established |
| Lead actor age | 66 years | Toni Servillo, 2025 | Veteran credibility for awards push |
| Competition status | In Competition | Venice Film Festival | Visibility among jurors and buyers |
Summary: Short running time and Venice competition slot give La Grazia early awards visibility.
Sources
- https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/la-grazia-review-paolo-sorrentino-venice-film-festival-1236498775/
- https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/venice-film-festival-2025-hot-sales-titles-1236353825/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG59ozUEk4M
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Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.