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\u2019s the director\u2019s most restrained work in years. Toni Servillo plays a retired-style president confronting euthanasia and pardon petitions \u2014 moral choices that push the film beyond vanity spectacle into moral drama. Variety\u2019s early review calls the film \u201cunderstated,\u201d shifting attention from Sorrentino\u2019s baroque excess to subtle moral stakes \u2014 a change that could reshape awards talk and how prestige directors stage political stories in 2025.<\/p>\n
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- Paolo Sorrentino premiered “La Grazia” at Venice Film Festival, Aug. 27, 2025.<\/li>\n
- Toni Servillo stars as Italy\u2019s president, delivering a notably restrained performance.<\/li>\n
- The plot centers on euthanasia and pardon petitions, raising legal and moral stakes.<\/li>\n
- Variety\u2019s review praises Sorrentino\u2019s quieter tone, shifting festival narratives this week.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Why Sorrentino\u2019s restrained style at Venice 2025 matters for awards and tone<\/h2>\n
Variety\u2019s review frames La Grazia as a tonal reset: instead of Sorrentino\u2019s usual baroque excess, the film uses restraint to spotlight constitutional power and private grief. That timing matters \u2014 festivals this season are parsing films that blend political themes with intimate character work. If Venice awards or critics embrace Sorrentino\u2019s quieter move, studios and distributors may reposition prestige releases toward moral deliberation instead of spectacle, affecting awards campaigns and buyers ahead of fall markets.<\/p>\n
How Venice stars and critics reacted to ‘La Grazia’ this week<\/h2>\n
Critics at Venice flagged the film\u2019s surprising minimalism and Toni Servillo\u2019s disciplined turn as its engine. Many noted the movie\u2019s moral center \u2014 a president reluctant to exert power \u2014 as a clear reaction to modern populist leadership. Notable moments on the red carpet and post-screening exchanges underlined the film\u2019s human scale.<\/p>\n