Film Review of Pif’s Movie by Angelo Sonnino and Gaetano Battistini (Web Reporters Certified by the WREP.EU Register)
For his fourth film, Pif, born Pierfrancesco Diliberto, returns to the role of main protagonist, after having entrusted it to Fabio De Luigi in his third work, and tackles two very delicate themes for his Sicily: food and faith.
Arturo, a real estate agent with an overwhelming passion for sweets, to which he even dedicates a small blog online, and for football, even if his place on the field is guaranteed only because he is the only one willing to play as goalkeeper, lives a life made of routine and habits. Everything changes when his job leads him to meet the beautiful Flora, played by Giusy Buscemi, who happens to be a pastry chef.
It seems like a dream come true, but suddenly, as in any self respecting comedy, the unexpected happens: the charming pastry chef is a devout believer, while Arturo abandoned the path of faith as a child.
He then finds himself forced to stage a series of deceptions which, at a certain point, collapse spectacularly and in a very amusing way, leaving our protagonist seeking comfort in sweets and in an unexpected spiritual guide, a brilliant and tender Carlos Hypólito, freely inspired by Pope Francis, who is also the muse of the novel on which the film is based.
The film, perhaps due to the sensitivity of its subject, is less humorous than his first two works, yet it remains a very enjoyable comedy, supported by excellent direction and enriched with both cinematic and historical references, particularly the emotions linked to the Spanish World Cup, recalled just days after yet another football exclusion. (A. Sonnino)
Pif’s first novel, “…Che Dio perdona a tutti,” was published in 2018 and now serves as the starting point for his return behind the camera, five years after his previous film. The film, distributed by PiperFilm and in theaters starting April 2, explores the relationship between faith, consistency, and everyday life through the director’s unmistakable, ironic style.
Arturo is a single, atheist real estate agent from Palermo whose main goal in life is to keep things exactly as they are. He has an obsessive passion for desserts—Sicilian ones, in particular—about which he posts reviews on social media with the seriousness of an art critic. His friends put up with this obsession, and in exchange for their patience, he sacrifices himself as goalkeeper in their soccer games—a role his teammates dislike but accept with resigned self-sacrifice.
This is his routine, until the day he meets Flora, the daughter of the pastry chef who makes the best desserts in Palermo. Struck by her beauty, Arturo falls in love with her instantly.
Flora is cheerful, smart, and enterprising, as well as deeply Catholic: she is as scrupulous about religion as he is about cannoli. She, too, falls in love with him, and for a while the two live happily together. Arturo manages to hide his total religious indifference from her until, to keep up the pretense, he agrees to play Jesus in a Stations of the Cross reenactment that turns into a veritable ordeal for him and a performance bordering on blasphemy.
When Flora realizes his Catholic coldness, the couple enters a crisis. He tries to deflect the blows, but in the end, exhausted and out of sheer provocation, he decides to apply the rules and teachings of Christianity to the letter.
What begins as a bet turns into a true revolution. Following the Gospel to the letter, in contemporary society, proves to be a radical and uncomfortable act, capable of shaking those around him and revealing to Flora—and not only to her—the most authentic and forgotten nature of the Christian message. A truth that, as Arturo will soon discover, comes at a very high price.
In this work as well, Pif skillfully blends candid irony with profound reflection, pointing the finger at the hypocrisy of those who profess to be Christian out of convenience or only in words. Compared to his previous films, which were more tied to Sicilian current events, here the director seems to want to explore more universal themes—doubt, identity, love—while maintaining his lively narrative rhythm and his curious, affectionate gaze on reality.
A fun, intelligent romantic comedy that uses religion as a pretext to explore our ability—or inability—to be honest with ourselves and with others. (G.Battistini)
CHE DIO PERDONA TUTTI
Director: Pierfrancesco Diliberto (Pif)
Cast: Giusy Buscemi, Pif, Francesco Scianna, Carlos Hipólito, Maurizio Marchetti, Domenico Centamore
Genre: Comedy
Production: Italy 2026
Runtime: 113′
Distribution: PiperFilm
Release Date: April 2, 2026
Angelo Sonnino, was born in Rome in 1969, and despite a degree in economics with 107 and authorizing the accountant never used doctor, continues in his DJ career, singer and entertainer.