Gritty cult director Ferrara gets religion in ‘Padre Pio’
By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
ROME (AP) — Abel Ferrara is perhaps best known for his gritty New York exploitation films of the 1980s and 1990s that delved into the soulless evils of drug addiction, corruption and sexual violence. His latest film is paying homage to one of Italy’s best-known and most revered saints, “Padre Pio.” It’s something of a change of pace for the cult director, one that Ferrara chalks up to a decade of sobriety and a new life in Italy. The film, which stars Shia LaBeouf as the Italian mystic Capuchin monk, premieres next week at the Venice Film Festival.
