2/19/2021
Arriving in the U.S. almost simultaneously with his raved-about release
Sin centers on another artist whose grand projects often competed with each other: Michelangelo, whose talents were demanded by one pope even as he had years to go on a job for that man s predecessor.
A beautiful but decidedly unromantic look at artistic drive, the Italian/Russian production zeroes in on the great man s demons without, as art-biographical cliches usually have it, crediting them for his genius. A captivating lead performance and a truly massive central metaphor make it a memorable arthouse film, even if the arthouses in this case (from Film Forum to Austin Film Society to Laemmle in L.A.) are all virtual.