More homage than documentary, Because I Believe charts the blind tenor’s journey from his Tuscan village of Lajatico to global stardom, weaving biography with performance in a polished package replete with the kind of sweeping visuals one might expect: drone swoops over Tuscan estates; candlelit churches; galloping horses; rapturous audiences in sold-out arenas.

With family approval, director Cosima Spender captures Bocelli (now in his mid-60s) in rehearsal for his 2023 concert in Rome’s ancient Caracalla baths complex and in conversation with family and collaborators.

It’s all very handsomely shot, and it does capture the evolution of that unmistakeable voice over there decades in operatic arias, sacred repertoire and crossover anthems.

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe

The film works best when it lets the music speak. Extended performance sequences remind us why Bocelli commands such devotion. His seriousness about craft is very apparent. Scenes of him singing offstage strip away the spectacle to reveal the charactter of the instrument itself.

But Because I Believe is also unashamed hagiography. Interviews with family members, friends and celebrity admirers are affectionate but repetitive, circling themes of resilience, faith and inspiration. The film’s desire to uplift is admirable,...