GOD WILLING ★★½
(PG) Selected cinemas (88 minutes)

The kind of commercial yet ultra-respectable European comedy that has no real equivalent in the English-speaking world, Edoardo Falcone's God Willing is neat, witty and somewhat complacent – much like its hero Tommaso (Marco Giallini), a wealthy Italian heart surgeon who prides himself on his progressive outlook.

When Tommasso suspects his adult son Andrea (Enrico Oetiker) is about to come out of the closet, he's determined to show goodwill. But to the shock of the entire family, Andrea makes a different announcement: the main man in his life is Jesus, who has inspired him to become a priest.

Andrea also has an earthly mentor in Father Don Pietro (Alessandro Gassman), a handsome charmer whose sermons are crowd-pleasing comedy routines. Convinced this charismatic figure is a phony, Tommaso decides to go undercover, posing as a believer to win his son back for atheism.

The strength of the film lies in the way it zips from one comic situation to another, rather than merely ringing the changes on a single theme. Tommaso is so convinced of his common sense he gives himself permission to go off the rails, inventing a whole new identity and recruiting a dimwitted band of allies to pose as his fake family.

Meanwhile, other characters go through transformations of their own: Tommaso's wife Carla (Laura Morante) rediscovers the radicalism of her student days, while their self-involved daughter (Ilaria Spada) takes to reading the gospels, or at least watching the TV version of Jesus of Nazareth.

This is Falcone's first feature as director, but he already seems in full control of his no-frills style, dependent on brisk pacing and careful blocking (it's no surprise to learn that his career began in the theatre). He's careful in other respects as well, ensuring that the theological wrangles between Tommaso and Don Pietro never touch on any subject that might offend any segment of the public.

Right through to the ambiguous ending, God Willing can be seen either as a Christian parable or as a straightforward buddy movie, depending on whether you think Tommaso needs to find God or simply loosen up.