La dea fortune (2019)

Directed by: Ferzan Özpetek | 114 minutes | drama | Actors: Stefano Accorsi, Jasmine Trinca, Edoardo Leo, Serra Yilmaz, Barbara Alberti, Sara Ciocca, Edoardo Brandi, Pia Lanciotti, Cristina Bugatty, Filippo Nigro, Dora Romano, Barbara Chichiarelli, Loredana Cannata

The work of the Turkish-Italian filmmaker Ferzan Özpetek (1959) is characterized as warm, colorful and lively. His stories are often taken from real life, but his characters do not always fit into preconceived boxes. That often makes them just that little bit more human. Özpetek made his debut in 1997 with ‘Hamam – Il Bagno Turco’, followed by ‘Le fate ignoranti’ (2001), ‘La finestra di fronte’ (2003) and ‘Mine vaganti’ (2010). For his film ‘La dea fortuna’ (2019) he got his inspiration from very close by, after a conversation with his sister-in-law. Özpetek’s brother was seriously ill and would die not long after the conversation. Because the health of his wife is not too good, she asks if Ferzan and his partner want to take care of their children, should something happen to her too. For the screenplay of ‘La dea fortuna’, Özpetek teamed up with Silvia Ranfangni and old acquaintance Gianni Romoli, with whom he collaborated so successfully at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The filmmaker likes to work with trusted actors, so we see Stefano Accorsi (who previously starred in ‘La finestra di fronte’) in one of the lead roles. Regulars Serra Yilmaz and Filippo Nigro can be seen in smaller roles.

When we meet Arturo (Stefano Accorsi) and Alessandro (Edoardo Leo), they ‘host’ a wedding of a befriended couple in their beautiful apartment in Rome’s Nomentano district. In this way we immediately get to know their colorful group of friends, such as the lesbian immigrant Esra (Serra Yilmaz, who shakes up the wisecracks), the transgender Mina (Cristina Bugatti), the curious couple Ginevra and Filippo (Pia Lanciotti and Filippo Nigro). and the African Prissy (Osasere Imafidon). But it also makes it immediately clear that the relationship between Arturo and Alessandro is no longer so stable after about fifteen years, because Alessandro quickly dives into the suitcase with another man in what he thinks unguarded moment. The party is almost over when Annamaria (Jasmine Trinca) drops by with her two children, 11-year-old Martina (Sara Ciocca) and nine-year-old Sandro (Edoardo Brandi). Annamaria is an old friend of the men and she is in town because she has to go to the hospital for an examination. She suffers from ‘vague migraine attacks’ and that needs to be looked into. If Alessandro and Arturo would like to babysit the children. The fathers of Martina and Sandro are no longer in the picture.

You can of course feel that Annamaria’s headaches have a very serious cause and that babysitting the children is taking longer and longer. Although it is initially quite uncomfortable for Arturo and Alessandro, a bond with the children soon develops. But their private worries threaten to throw a spanner in the works. Is their relationship strong enough to handle this new situation, with the care of Martina and Sandro? Or have the men grown too far apart after all these years? And why can’t the kids just go to Grandma Elena (Barbara Alberti), a baroness who lives in the imposing Villa Valnaguera in Sicily?

It could happen to you or me all of a sudden; a close friend asks you to take care of their child(ren) when he or she is gone. This starting point makes ‘La dea fortuna’ immediately recognizable. The lives of Arturo and Alessandro are not designed for children at all; they are used to doing what they feel like at that moment and are also too busy with themselves. Their relationship is on the brink of unspoken mutual frustration; Are the art and culture-loving Arturo and the practical and tough plumber Alessandro just too different from each other? Özpetek effectively shows that the arrival of the children forces the men to rethink their own lives and their lives together. Although the confrontations are sometimes fierce, Özpetek keeps it light, without sacrificing impact. Daring to let go is a theme (letting go of a relationship, or in Annamaria’s case, daring to let go of life and your most precious possession, namely your children), but holding on tight is just as much. Little Sandro has found the way to make sure that the one you love stays with you forever: look at that person and then blink as if you were taking a picture. You then store that image in the hard disk of your soul. How did he get that wisdom? From the goddess of prosperity from the title.

Although Özpetek goes a bit too far in his drama towards the end with a ridiculous final act in Sicily and thus loses the focus of what really matters, he restores that with the powerful very last scene. The three protagonists and the two children are convincing from start to finish; It is not for nothing that Trinca was awarded a David Di Donatello for her acting. But Accorsi and Leo also deserved that prize. The rich use of color, the beautiful locations and lively and atmospheric soundtrack complete it. Özpetek finally seems to be back to his old level, with a warm and human film about the breakdown of a relationship and the profit you make when you accept that people change.