The Passion (La Passione) (M)

A big box office hit in Italy, ``The Passion`` is the story of Gianni (Silvio Orlando), a washed-up director who is blackmailed into staging a Tuscan village`s Good Friday pageant. A leak in Gianni`s apartment has ruined the 16th century fresco of the chapel next door and he is forced to direct the celebrations in exchange for legal immunity. The retelling of the Passion is a tradition that still occurs in small towns all over Italy but Gianni`s task is a monumental one with no script, talent or costumes. Worst of all, he has a deadpan local weatherman playing Jesus. When ex-con Ramiro (Giuseppe Battiston) joins the production as an assistant director, he could make things a whole lot worse – or he could be its saviour. Ramiro seems to be the only one that believes in Gianni, but is his cat burglary a thing of the past? This quirky comedy is brimming with offbeat characters and situations but the questions it raises about talent versus pragmatism and commercialism versus art elevate the film to something very special.