The Goddess of Fortune (2019)

What makes The Goddess of Fortune special is how quietly, confidently it turns a familiar relationship crisis into something tender, funny in small human ways, and ultimately disarming—Ferzan Özpetek has a gift for making ordinary rooms feel like they’re holding whole lives. The film watches Alessandro and Arturo with a humane, unshowy compassion, letting long-term love look messy, worn, and still worth fighting for, especially when two unexpected kids disrupt their carefully managed routines. It’s a warm, heart-tugging drama about chosen family and the kinds of courage people find when they’re forced to care for someone else, carried by lived-in performances and an emotional current that sneaks up on you. It’s not for everyone—there’s strong language and some heavy material around illness and mortality—but if you want an adult drama that feels generous rather than cynical, this one earns its feelings.

The Goddess of Fortune is aiming for a warm, messy, very human portrait of a long-term relationship on the verge of collapse, using the sudden arrival of two kids to shake loose buried feelings and force hard choices. When it works, it’s because Özpetek can still find tenderness in everyday chaos, and the cast sells the affection and fatigue in ways that feel lived-in. But the storytelling can be frustratingly scattershot and uneven, jumping between tones and plot threads like it’s improvising, which may leave you more emotionally teased than satisfied. If you want a tight, cleanly structured drama, or you’re sensitive to strong language and slurs alongside heavy themes like illness and mortality, this may test your patience even if you appreciate its heart.