Nanni Moretti Habemus papam

Nanni Moretti's new movie, Habemus papam, came out recently in Italy and was shown today at the Cannes Film Festival. It received a positive response, unlike, say Antonioni's L'Avventura, which was booed and hissed at Cannes when it came out fifty years ago. So one may be just a bit skeptical of film festivals.

But here I strongly suspect they're right. I know the French like Nanni Moretti, and so do I. In fact he's my favorite living Italian director, not that he has a lot of competition. I haven't seen the movie, alas, but any movie directed by Moretti and starring Moretti and veteran French actor Michel Piccoli is one I'm going to see.

Habemus papam is Latin for "we have a Pope," and is the traditional announcement once the Conclave of cardinals has arrived at a decision on the next pope. In the movie, the newbie pontiff (Piccoli) gets cold feet and actually runs away. Enter Moretti as a psychologist to the rescue. Will he be able to save the papacy, and if so, how? Watch it and see.

(Holy cow- I just realized it's Friday the 13th. Sfiga in vista!)