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The Handyman

Name: The Handyman
Director: Valerio Attanasio
Released: 2018
Duration: 96 min

Representation Score

5.6/10

Fair

2018

Director

Valerio Attanasio

Runtime

96 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film serves as a dark satire of the legal profession, emphasizing systemic corruption rather than identity-based representation. Its main strength lies in critiquing the sanctity of professional institutions through a lens of exploitation. While the narrative lacks LGBTQ+ or disability-focused storylines, it effectively uses the protagonist's struggles to critique capitalist power dynamics. The inclusion of an Argentinian character adds necessary complexity to the social hierarchy. Ultimately, the film prioritizes a critique of institutional integrity over diverse character visibility, using social mobility as a tool to expose the transactional nature of power.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Handyman have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The story focuses on a traditional heterosexual relationship between Antonio and Isabel. It does not include any queer narratives or non-traditional gender identities, sticking to conventional relationship models.

How does The Handyman portray gender?

Fair

The film challenges male-dominated hierarchies by showing the legal profession as morally corrupt. Isabel actively influences her legal status, rather than being a passive figure.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Handyman?

Good

Isabel’s Argentinian background adds an international dimension to the story. Her status as an immigrant highlights the intersection of ethnicity and legal vulnerability within societal structures.

How does The Handyman represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative sharply critiques Western institutions and the myth of meritocracy. It portrays the legal system as a corrupt, transactional framework demanding moral compromise.

Does The Handyman include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of visible or invisible disabilities that affect the character arcs or drive the narrative forward.

Present on Screen

Effective deconstruction of Western professional institutions and the myth of meritocracy.
Complex portrayal of the intersection between immigrant status and legal vulnerability.
Challenges traditional male authority figures through depictions of incompetence and decay.

Limited or Absent

Lack of representation for LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender narratives.
Absence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.
Dependence on traditional heterosexual relationship structures to drive the plot.

Official Synopsis

We are all equal before the law, but some are just more equal than others. Antonio is a trainee lawyer who dreams of joining his mentor’s prestigious firm. But Salvatore “Toti” Bellastella, the Prince of the Forum, is also an exploitative tyrant! He asks Antonio any kind of task: from being his assistant to driver, from paralegal to personal cook! When Antonio brilliantly passes the bar, he gets the offer of becoming a partner in the firm, but there is still one condition: he must marry Isabel, Toti’s lover, an Argentinian girl who needs the Italian citizenship. It looks like just another little “favor” for his boss. So Antonio accepts… and he’s really in a sea of trouble.

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