La grazia

President Mariano De Santis is nearing the end of his mandate, a man everyone calls 'Cemento armato' for his stubborn, hyper-cautious approach to power. The presidency has left him isolated in the vast rooms of the palace; he keeps company with memories of his late wife and an unlikely soundtrack of hip-hop records. As retirement looms he faces a short list of consequential choices: two controversial pardons and an ambitious bill that could redefine his public record. He moves slowly, weighing reputation against conscience, while those around him try to steer the outcome. Characters test loyalty, protocol, and personal limits.

La Grazia, released in 2025, was written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino and stars Toni Servillo as Mariano De Santis, alongside Anna Ferzetti, Massimo Venturiello, Milvia Marigliano, and Orlando Cinque. The film reflects Sorrentino's interest in political theater and solitude.

Critical response has leaned positive, reflected by a 7.3/10 average from 25 votes, with many reviewers praising Toni Servillo's layered performance and the film's uneasy blend of satire and melancholy. Critics noted its slow, deliberate pace and its reflections on authority, mourning, and the rituals of public life and consequence.

La Grazia has sparked conversation among filmgoers about contemporary leadership and ritual, in part because of its striking visual flourishes and the odd juxtaposition of presidential formality with hip-hop. Scenes showing the president alone in the palace have been singled out for their eerie, comic resonance in political debate today.

Box office details for La Grazia are limited; the film appears to have had a selective theatrical run rather than a broad commercial rollout, with revenue figures not widely reported. Its profile remains more critical and festival oriented than blockbuster-oriented.