Great performance by Sergio Castellitto in this movie. A trustworthy portray of Padre Pio's life from the Catholic point of view and this can be a warning for the non-believers. There can be a lot of senseless episodes from the skeptical point of view, but this is a part of the movie: to understand the power of Christian faith. I highly recommend this movie!

This film purports to tell the story of Padre Pio, a controversial saint whose life is open to interpretation. Many miracles have been ascribed to him, and, in favor with the current Pope at the time, John Paul II, he did achieve sainthood in 2002."Padre Pio," my version at least, is dubbed, and that took a little getting used to. However, Sergio Castellitto as Padre Pio does a wonderful job. Jurgen Prochnow is a visitor to the Padre at the end of his life, who wants him to admit that he is a fraud. Padre tells him his life story, so the film is in flashback.The film shows Padre Pio's difficult life, his work for the poor, his healings, the founding of a hospital, and the punishment he endured by his own order, who did not like his long masses and closeness to the congregation.Padre Pio had a stigmata, which was a source of controversy; though his stigmata is shown in the film, it's not really discussed. He was accused of continually opening the wounds with carbolic acid at one point. Also, he had about him the "odor of sanctity," a smell akin to flowers possessed by other saints, which by some was thought to be eau de cologne. He was constantly under investigation. Yet his followers speak of his many gifts, including his healings, ability to read hearts, bilocation, levitation, and prophecy. He supposedly told Father Karol Józef Wojtyła in 1947 that he would ascend to the highest place in the church. When Father Wojtyla became Cardinal, he believed Padre Pio's prediction to be true; however, he went on to become Pope John II. And it should be noted that his body, exhumed 40 years after his death, was found to be uncorrupted."Padre Pio" takes a positive, uplifting look at this man who followed a holy path from childhood, but it doesn't shy away from how unpopular he was with church officials. He was a fascinating man and well worth learning about, and this movie does an excellent job of showing his work.

Director Carlo Carlei explores the life of Francesco Forgione, also known as Saint Padre Pio, in this TV movie entitled,Padre Pio:Miracle Man.This was adapted from the book by Renzo Allegri.It stars Sergio Castellitto in the title role together with Jurgen Prochnow and Adolfo Lastrett.A Capuchin friar whose endless devotion would manifest itself in the appearance of stigmata wounds for more than 50 years, Padre Pio was responsible for a series of religious miracles that many sited as proof of God's existence in an era where spiritual skepticism was at an all time high.This TV movie captures Padre Pio's intense faith and devotion, and deep spiritual concern for others.Aside from that,it demonstrates his great compassion for the sick and suffering. It reveals the amazing details and events in his life as a boy and throughout his years as a friar, dramatizing the frequent attacks of the Devil on him, as well as the persecution he suffered at the hands of people, including those in the church. This is an outstanding feature film on the amazing life of this great saint.

This is an honest movie about a Catholic saint who had more than his share of run-ins with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Some of those run-ins were justified, in that the Church always treats supernatural experiences with great suspicion because of the possibility of fraud or even demonic influence. Some of them were the result of basic human pride and jealously.But the movie is realistic and even-handed in its depictions of the members of the Church, and Padre Pio would have been the last to suggest that the Church was evil because people in it are evil.Padre Pio was a remarkable person who was given remarkable gifts by God. This movie does him proud. The acting is phenomenal, the scenery exquisite, and the soundtrack is very moving. I wish they did more movies like this in Hollywood, but maybe they can't, their budgets are too big and they are fixated on profits instead of telling a stories.