LA GRAZIA — Paolo Sorrentino’s Powerful New Masterpiece Arrives in Theaters This December

“When power meets conscience, grace is the hardest thing to find.” ✝️

The maestro of modern Italian cinema, Paolo Sorrentino, returns to the big screen with his most emotionally charged and morally complex film yet — LA GRAZIA.

A meditation on faith, politics, and forgiveness, this elegant drama stars the legendary Toni Servillo in a career-defining role that earned him the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 82nd Venice Film Festival.

Prepare for a cinematic experience that’s both breathtaking and soul-stirring.

🌟 LA GRAZIA — Overview

Detail	Information
Title	LA GRAZIA (The Pardon)
Director & Writer	Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, The Hand of God)
Starring	Toni Servillo, Anna Ferzetti, Massimo Venturiello
Genre	Drama
Runtime	133 minutes
Languages	Italian (with English subtitles)
Production Companies	Fremantle, The Apartment Pictures, Numero 10
Cinematography	Daria D’Antonio
Editing	Cristiano Travaglioli
US Theatrical Release	December 5, 2025 (Limited Release)
Germany & Spain	March 19, 2026
UK & Ireland	March 20, 2026
Distributor	MUBI
Italy Theatrical Release	January 15, 2026

A visually stunning and emotionally charged preview of what critics are calling “Sorrentino’s most intimate film since The Great Beauty.”

💔 The Story — When Power Meets Faith

In the heart of Rome, President Mariano De Santis (Toni Servillo), a devout Catholic and lifelong jurist, faces the most difficult moral decision of his career — and perhaps his soul.

As Italy’s political landscape fractures, De Santis must decide whether to sign into law a bill legalizing euthanasia, all while weighing pardon petitions from two convicted murderers who each killed their partners.

Haunted by his faith, tormented by his duty, and shadowed by his own aging conscience, the President finds himself trapped between mercy and justice — between the law of man and the will of God.

“Every decision is a confession.”

LA GRAZIA is not a story about politics — it’s about humanity. About the quiet agony of choosing between what is right and what is righteous.

🎭 Cast — A Performance-Driven Masterwork

Actor	Role	Description
Toni Servillo	Mariano De Santis	The conflicted President of Italy, torn between law and morality.
Anna Ferzetti	Dorotea De Santis	The President’s wife — a figure of calm wisdom and quiet faith.
Massimo Venturiello	Ugo Romani	A passionate lawyer testing the boundaries of justice.
Orlando Cinque	Colonel Massimo Labaro	The President’s loyal yet skeptical security advisor.
Milvia Marigliano	Coco Valori	A journalist whose probing questions force the truth to the surface.
Rufin Doh Zeyenouin	The Pope	A spiritual counterpart to De Santis — both bound by divine burden.
Guè Pequeno	Himself	A cameo that bridges modern pop culture and Sorrentino’s sharp irony.

Toni Servillo’s commanding performance has already been hailed as “a career high” by critics, evoking echoes of his roles in Il Divo and The Great Beauty — but with a far more restrained, aching humanity.

🎬 Behind the Camera — Paolo Sorrentino’s Vision

After dazzling the world with his flamboyant visual poetry in The Great Beauty and Youth, Paolo Sorrentino turns inward.

In LA GRAZIA, the Italian auteur trades lavish excess for moral minimalism — quiet halls, candlelit confessionals, and the muted grandeur of power fading into doubt.

Shot by longtime collaborator Daria D’Antonio, the cinematography paints Rome not as eternal, but as fragile — golden light seeping through marble cracks, mirroring the President’s crumbling certainty.

“Sorrentino turns politics into poetry, and guilt into grace.” — La Repubblica

🕊️ Themes — Power, Forgiveness, and the Price of a Soul

At its core, LA GRAZIA asks:

👉 Can forgiveness exist within law?

👉 Can faith survive the machinery of politics?

👉 Can a man of power truly be humble before grace?

Sorrentino weaves religion, philosophy, and personal reckoning into a tapestry that blurs the line between sinner and saint.

This isn’t just a film — it’s a cinematic confession.

🏆 Awards & Festival Recognition

• 🎬 Opening Film — 82nd Venice International Film Festival (2025)

• 🏆 Volpi Cup for Best Actor — Toni Servillo

• 🌟 Standing ovation for 9 minutes at Venice premiere

• 💬 Critics call it “a triumph of restraint and conviction.”

“Sorrentino’s cinema is once again both a prayer and a provocation.” — The Guardian

🌍 Global Release Dates

Region	Theatrical Release Date
🇺🇸 United States	December 5, 2025
🇮🇹 Italy	January 15, 2026
🇩🇪 Germany	March 19, 2026
🇪🇸 Spain	March 19, 2026
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	March 20, 2026
🇮🇪 Ireland	March 20, 2026

Distributed by MUBI, LA GRAZIA is expected to debut on the platform globally after its theatrical window, making it one of 2026’s most anticipated art-house releases.

🎞️ Final Thoughts — Grace Isn’t Given, It’s Earned

With LA GRAZIA, Paolo Sorrentino offers a rare cinematic sermon — a story where politics meets poetry, and power confronts penitence.

Toni Servillo’s haunting performance anchors a film that dares to ask impossible questions and refuses to give easy answers.

“Some men seek power. Others seek forgiveness. But the greatest seek grace.”

Prepare to be moved, provoked, and spellbound when LA GRAZIA opens only in theaters this December.

🎥 In US Theaters — December 5, 2025🎬 A MUBI Release