Movie: Holy Cannoli

Religion and scrumptious pastries combine in Holy Cannoli to create a delightful Italian comedy with a conscience.

The movie tells of Arturo (Pierfrancesco ‘Pif’ Diliberto), a successful real estate agent who has a great passion for Italy’s famous desserts. He especially loves the sciù (Palermo’s favourite cream-filled choux buns) from the city’s most celebrated pasticceria.

While generally content with his life he is missing one thing- a soulmate.

That changes when he meets Flora (Giusy Buscemi). She’s everything he is looking for in a partner – she is beautiful, clever, funny and kind and more importantly she’s a pastry chef!  Her father owns Arturo’s favourite pasticceria and while obviously devoted to her father she is looking to open her own shop which will sell her own creations.

Arturo helps her find that shop and then finds excuses to visit her daily. Eventually they fall in love and things are going well until religion becomes an issue.

She is a devoted Catholic while he is an atheist. Initially he pretends to also be Catholic but is eventually caught out when he’s thrust into the role of Jesus in a Stations of the Cross reenactment.

Furious at Arturo’s deception Flora breaks up with him. A heartbroken Arturo drowns his sorrows by eating over 30 sciù in the one sitting.

The next thing he knows the Pope (Carlos Hipólito) is in his lounge-room.

Through discussions with the Pope, both in his living room and in a church confessional, we learn why Arturo has such an issue with religion.

We also learn of his efforts to become a perfect Catholic  which to him means following to the letter everything written in the bible.

As Arturo quickly discovers this is extremely challenging in today’s society, especially given his career as a real estate agent and the often unethical behaviour of his boss and friend Tommaso (Francesco Scianna). He’s similarly shocked by some of the attitudes of senior church officials.

Even Flora, who initially forgives Arturo for lying about his faith, becomes increasingly frustrated with his actions.  These actions include no sex before marriage, giving his clothes away, lending his car out to strangers, and `adopting’ an unnamed Black male immigrant.

Religion isn’t the only discussion Arturo has with the Pope. Italian food and desserts also feature in many conversations given Arturo’s great love of Sicilian food and his wish to educate the Argentinian born pontiff.

Given the many satirical scenes which feature in Holy Cannoli it comes as no surprise to learn its creator and star known as Pif is one of Italy’s most popular satirists. The movie, which he also directs, is based on his 2018 best-selling novel, Che Dio perdona a tutti (adapted in English as May God Forgive Everyone) and is clearly a passion project.

He’s ably supported by Buscemi as Flora and Hipólito as the kind and understanding pontiff.

In many ways Holy Cannoli is about the hypocrisy of those who claim to be perfect Catholics. However, thanks to Pif’s use of comedy, fantasy and food the movie presents this in a fairly subtle way ensuring a most entertaining and, in terms of pastries and Sicilian food, educational 114-minute cinematic offering.

Holy Cannoli officially opens in Australian cinemas on October 22 with advanced screenings scheduled for the weekend of October 14 and 15.

*Photo credit: @Valentina Glorioso