The Hand of God: it is hard to say of a film with all the earmarks of being a very personal project, like this one by Paolo Sorrentino, that it is trying to do too much. After all, it is possible (even likely) that every element was inspired by true events, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that there is some excess here, particularly in the film’s second half. The first half is very entertaining, as the film presents the characters, many of them eccentric and colorful, and establishes the dynamics of this extended family. Filippo Scotti is OK as the protagonist, a sensitive young man. Toni Servillo, as his father, gives a grounded, sympathetic performance. Teresa Saponangelo, the mother with a knack for practical jokes, is even better. The film has some typically Italian explosions of shouting and cursing, but they always belong. Period recreation, mostly through costume design done by Mariano Tufano, is effective. Fine camerawork by cinematographer Daria D’Antonio.