Venice Film Festival 2023: What to Look Out For
The 80th anniversary Venice Film Festival, despite Hollywood screenwriters' and actors' strikes, kicked off on August 30 with the premiere of "Comandante," an Italian drama set during World War II.
New films by David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, and Michael Mann compensate for the absence of stars due to Hollywood strikes, Deadline reported.
The festival program includes world premieres such as Michael Mann's "Ferrari," Bradley Cooper's "Maestro," Sofia Coppola's "Priscilla," Yorgos Lanthimos' "Poor Things," David Fincher's "The Assassin," Ava DuVernay's "Origin," and new films by controversial directors Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, and Luc Besson.
Below is a brief overview of the five most interesting competitive films, in our opinion.
Comandante
Director: Edoardo De Angelis
Starring: Pierfrancesco Favino, Massimiliano Rossi, Johann Heldenberg, Silvia D'Amico, Arturo Muzelli, Giuseppe Brunetti, Gianluca Di Gennaio, Johannes Virex, Pietro Angelini, Mario Russo, Cecilia Bertocci,
Paolo Bonacelli's Review: "Comandante" is simply a fragmented entertainment, an adventurous tale about a local hero who finds it difficult to attract viewers worldwide.
El Conde (The Count)
Director: Pablo Larraín
Starring: Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro, Paula Luxinger
Review: The Count is filled with smart ideas and stunning images that never seem in vain. It's as if someone ordered Larraín and Calderon to amaze and amaze, and they willingly complied.
Ferrari
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Sarah Gadon, Gabriel Leone, Jack O'Connell, Patrick Dempsey
Review: Adam Driver's strangely emotionless performance. The film is expected to lead the awards season in its first season. But it will be challenging to maintain it.
Poor Things
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Rami Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Suzi Bemba, Jerrod Carmichael, Catherine Hunter, Vicky Pepperdine, Margaret Qualley, Hanna Schygulla
Review: Costumes and set designs, making Disneyland look restrained, are all embroidered from the same fabric covered in sequins as in the royal mayhem of The Favourite, Lanthimos' previous film.
Dogman
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Caleb Landry Jones, Jojo T. Gibbs, Christopher Denham, Clemens Schick, Grace Palmer
Review: With Besson's trademark, any approach to the genre simultaneously creates a perfect picture.
The 80th Venice International Film Festival is organized by La Biennale di Venezia under the direction of Alberto Barbera. It will take place on the Venice Lido from August 30 to September 9, 2023.
You can view the full Venice Film Festival program on the website.