Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Palermo, Sicily, Italy, 2017. Twenty-five years after the murders of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone, on May 23, 1992, and Paolo Borsellino, on July 19, 1992; and on the occasion of the tributes held in memory of both heroes, skeptical photographer Letizia Battaglia, chronicler of their titanic combat, criticizes the opportunism of shady characters who, like businessman Ciccio Mira, profit from the commemoration of both tragedies.
A semi-fictional docudrama set in Palermo's charged commemorative atmosphere, blending photojournalism, black humor, and social satire into a genuinely singular form. Letizia Battaglia's real presence anchors the film in authentic documentary texture while the semi-fictional framing gives it an unusual, subversive edge — Novelty is a clear strength. Cinematography benefits from Battaglia's own visual sensibility permeating the aesthetic, lending the film a striking, photo-documentary quality. The plot's satirical critique of opportunism around anti-mafia commemoration is sharp but somewhat thin across a feature runtime, keeping it above average without being exceptional. Acting within the docudrama hybrid is serviceable and naturalistic. The ending, however, feels somewhat deflating — the satirical arc doesn't resolve with the bite or resonance the setup promises, leaving the film trailing off rather than landing a memorable final note.