The Goddess of Fortune [Lа Dеа Fоrtunа] **** (2019, Stefano Accorsi, Edoardo Leo, Jasmine Trinca, Serra Yilmaz) – Classic Movie Review 12,798

Ferzan Özpetek’s 2019 Italian film The Goddess of Fortune [Lа Dеа Fоrtunа] is highly emotional rollercoaster ride, quite the full-on tearjerker. A married gay couple are in trouble after a long-time friend asks them to take care of her two little children.

Director Ferzan Özpetek’s 2019 Italian drama film The Goddess of Fortune [Lа Dеа Fоrtunа] is highly emotional rollercoaster ride, quite the full-on tearjerker. A married gay couple are in trouble after a long-time friend asks them to take care of her two little children.

Just after Annamaria (Jasmine Trinca), a long-time friend of married gay couple Alessandro (Edoardo Leo) and Arturo (Stefano Accorsi), asks them to take care of her two little children while she is in hospital, the relationship between the two men seems to reach the point of no return when Alessandro discovers Arturo has another long-term boyfriend.

Alessandro and Arturo have been a couple for more than 15 years, and passion has turned into love. Plumber Alessandro’s single mother best friend Annamaria leaves her two nice children in the men’s care for a few days, and their sudden arrival gives an unexpected upturn to their lives. But Annamaria is detained in hospital. The men don’t think they can look after them permanently and the only other solution is to take them to live with her rich but awful mother. The two children are not only super nice but they are also incredibly grown-up and adult, wiser than some of the adults. They bond effortlessly and lovingly with the two men, their hope and their salvation – maybe.

Stars Stefano Accorsi, Edoardo Leo and Jasmine Trinca all give tremendous, persuasive performances, and the two kids are great, plus once again Özpetek casts essential ingredient Serra Yilmaz, this time as wise and canny Esra, There is some well-aimed, amusing comedy, and many warm moments, but mostly it’s an agonisingly tearful drama, a lovely wallow, quite witty and wise itself. There’s quite a lot of pain, anger, hurt and loss to go through, and a lot of secrets and lies, but Özpetek is an optimist and a little sentimental. Everything will work out one way or another, it will be okay somehow, don’t worry, be happy, and love each other when and how you can. It’s good that Özpetek keeps a sharp, beady eye on this idea.

Writers: Silvia Ranfagni, Gianni Romoli, Ferzan Özpetek.

The cast are Stefano Accorsi as Arturo, Jasmine Trinca as Annamaria Muscarà, Edoardo Leo as Alessandro Marchetti, Serra Yilmaz as Esra, Barbara Alberti as Elena Muscarà, Sara Ciocca as Martina Muscarà, Edoardo Brandi as Alessandro Muscarà, Pia Lanciotti as Ginevra, Cristina Bugatty as Mina, Filippo Nigro as Filippo, Dora Romano as Lea, Barbara Chichiarelli as the nurse, Loredana Cannata as Melina, Carmine Recano as the doctor, Edoardo Purgatori as Marco, and Matteo Martari as Michele.

The film’s title refers to the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia in the city of Palestrina, where Annamaria works. The film takes a memorable side trip to the Sanctuary of course. Palestrina is an Italian city and comune (municipality) with a population of about 22,000 in Lazio, about 35 kilometres east of Rome. The Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia is a magnificent sacred complex, dedicated to the goddess Fortuna, which dates back to the end of the 2nd century BC.

The films of Ferzan Özpetek: Hamam (1997), Harem Suare (1999), The Ignorant Fairies (2001), Facing Windows (2003), Cuore Sacro (2004), Saturn in Opposition (2007), A Perfect Day (2008), Loose Cannons (2010), Magnificent Presence (2012), Fasten Your Seatbelts (2014), Red Istanbul (2017), Naples in Veils (2017), The Goddess of Fortune (2019), Nuovo Olimpo (2023). Also the TV series The Ignorant Angels (2022).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,798

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