12/06/2020 - A remake of the Danish dark comedy Adam’s Apples, Giorgio Pasotti’s second directorial endeavour reveals a very black, satirical streak in the filmmaker

Robert Palfrader, Claudio Amendola, Giorgio Pasotti, Gerti Drassl and Aram Kian in Abbi fede

A child prodigy in the field of martial arts movies, making his debut at the age of 18 in 1994 by way of the Hong Kong action comedy Treasure Hunt, Giorgio Pasotti has sailed his way through the Italian filmscape with that eternal good guy face of his and a flicker of madness in his eye, acting for authors such as Daniele Luchetti, Gabriele Muccino, Mario Monicelli, and Paolo Sorrentino. In his second directorial outing, Have Faith [+see also:
trailer
film profile], following on from his lukewarm work Io, Arlecchino [+see also:
trailer
film profile] in 2015, Pasotti shows a very dark, satirical side which is positively astounding.

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"Based" on the multi-award-winning film by Denmark’s Anders Thomas Jensen Adam’s Apples [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anders Thomas Jensen
interview: Mads Mikkelsen
interview: Tivi Magnusson
film profile] (2005) which showcased the two much loved stars Ulrich Thomsen and Mads Mikkelsen (before the latter exploded onto the international scene as the notorious baddie and adversary of James Bond), Have Faith actually reproduces almost every frame and witty remark of its forebear. Its geographic and cultural transposition to northern Italy (the splendid Alto Adige region) and the acting performances of its protagonists (Pasotti himself, alongside Claudio Amendola, vigorously flanked by Robert Palfrader, Gerti Drassl, Aram Kian, Roberto Nobile, Giancarlo Martini and Lorenzo Renzi), however, are perfect, and for this reason, Have Faith could quite feasibly be described as a successful remake of a nigh-on perfect film, not least for the universal themes is covers: the fight between good and evil, and faith and redemption; all this revisited in a caustic tone.

Claudio Amendola reinvents the unabashedly evil expression of Ulrich Thomsen’s neo-Nazi, playing a neo-fascist by the name of Adam, flaunting the obligatory Celtic crosses on his neck and shaved head, who’s sent by the courts to the small halfway house in the middle of the valleys, run by unflappable priest Ivan (Pasotti). Other members of this small community include drunken skier Gustav (Palfrader), the maladjusted Sara (Drassi) and the hilarious, foul-mouthed, violent, former terrorist Khalid (Kian), whose determination surpasses even that of the violent fascist. Adam settles into his little room, hanging up his picture of Benito Mussolini in the place of the crucifix, and is astonished by the fact that each and every time the bible on his bedside table takes a tumble, it unfailingly falls opens onto the Book of Job. Ivan’s surreal and unwavering application of the evangelical message "turn the other cheek” and his unbearable, ostentatious optimism are so irritating to Adam that he feels compelled to dig into the priest’s past, uncovering frightful traumas. Why does the young cleric deny reality? Why, for him, is there no such thing as death, illness and evil? Tired of hearing that God forgives everyone and that his actions are the work of Satan, Adam will do all he can to destroy Ivan’s unshakeable faith and to finally make the strudel he’s been meaning to bake using the apples from the tree in front of their little community church. But the Lord clearly works in mysterious ways, and Adam’s group of neo-fascist friends who are en route towards them are armed to the teeth...

An Italian-Austrian co-production by Cannizzo Produzioni, Greif Produktion, Sigma Film, Cineworld Roma, Dinamo Film and RAI Cinema, the film enjoys the support of IDM Südtirol – Alto Adige Film Fund & Commission and was made available yesterday exclusively on RaiPlay. Its distribution in Austria is entrusted to Einhorn Film.

(Translated from Italian)