Day 4 – 68th Venice International Film Festival

Venezia 68 – In Competition

One movie that absolutely calls my attention as is their first experience with non-animation after the fantastic Persepolis, Poulet Aux Prunes by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud has an incredible cast with the likes of Mathieu Amalric, Maria de Medeiros, Isabella Rossellini, Chiara Mastroianni and others plus a story that according to directors’ statement sort of precedes the story of the same family in Persepolis as covers the years between 1930 and 1990. Nevertheless with preceding credentials plus great actors, film is absolutely must be seen for me.





Yorgos Lanthimos is very young and does very strange movies but yes will try to see Alpis (Alps) that has a story that really appeals to me about people stand-in for dead people. LOL! Has to be a very crazy movie.



Out of Competition

Another American movie that could have had great stars in the red carpet but it didn’t as there was no Marion Cotillard, no Kate Winslet, no Jude Law, only Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne and Gwyneth Paltrow… lol! I’m talking about Contagion by Steven Soderbergh that no it doesn’t call much my attention but have to see everything with Marion Cotillard, so I know will watch it. The best news from today is that Soderbergh is quitting doing movies to become a full time painter, hope his painting is better than his later movies.



More interesting is La Folie Almayer by Chantal Akerman but then I’ll watch anything and everything by Chantal Akerman.

Late night was the screening of Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Frédéric Tcheng, and Bent Jorgen Perlmutt with a portrait of perhaps the 20th century greatest arbiter of style.

Orizzonti

Today the feature film Sal by James Franco that honestly I’m not interesting at all in watching, can’t stand the actor and truly believe he was overexposed –this even when I am interested in Sal Mineo. More interesting are Lung Neaw Vitits his Neighbourts by Rirkrit Tiravanija, Shock Head Soul by Simon Pummell, O le Tulafale (The Orator) by Tusi Tamasese and Palacios de Pena (Palaces of Pity) by Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt.

Controcampo Italiano

Today a few shorts plus the screening of Cose dell’Altro Mondo by Francesco Patierno and Quiproquo by Ellisabetta Sgarbi.

Retrospective

Today two short films from 1967 and 1970 plus the 1971 In Punto di Morte by Mario Garriba.

Giornate Degli Autori – Venice Days

Early today Philippe Lioret’s Toutes Nos Envies (All Our Desires) that surprise, surprise NO I’m not interested in watching. Also today the special event with the screening of Inni by Vincent Morisset a doc with very interesting images and suggestive use of black and white, and a documentary about death by Julia Murat, Historias que so existem quando lembradas.

International Critics’ Week

Today Marecages (Wetlands) by Guy Édoin from Canada with a family story that doesn’t appeal to me.

The not so serious news

Some photos with Gwyneth Paltrow

Day 3 – 68th Venice International Film Festival

So last night there was no Jodie Foster at Venice, strange quite strange… but Kate Winslet wore such a special dress that put her in the spotlight above Madonna and everyone else… check the video at yesterday’s post to get a glimpse of the amazing dress.

Venezia 68 -In Competition

Today’s centerpiece is a movie that absolutely calls my attention because story –a period drama- , the amazing cast –love Michael Fassbender plus Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel and Keira Knightley- and most of all a very special/puzzling director: David Cronenberg. I’m talking about A Dangerous Method the dark tale of sexual and intellectual discovery that plays with Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, wow! Do I need to say more about story? No.





Late night the premiere of a film that’s must be seen for me Un été brûlant by Philippe Garrel starring his son Louis Garrel and none other than Monica Bellucci. No need to comment more as you all know that I simply LOVE (good) French Cinema.



I imagine that tonight both red carpets will have the awesome real life husband and wife couple of Vincent and Monica, so hope tomorrow to find great photos.

Out of Competition

La Sala Grande will have the screening of Mildred Pierce (episodes 1 and 2) which I absolute loved and highly recommend to watch the first four episodes that are magnificent; unfortunately the quality of the story and some performances in the last two episodes is not as good as in the first four. So we will have Kate Winslet and surely Rachel Evan Wood again today.



Midnight will bring to la Sala Grande China’s Tony Siu-tung’s Baishe Chuanshuo (The Sorcerer and the White Snake) that I’m sure will have amazing visuals but wonder if I ever will see it as the genre disappoints me too much thanks to lame stories that extraordinary visual cannot cover enough for me to enjoy the film.

Orizzonti

The section will screen several short and medium-length films, but also feature films like Birmingham Ornament by Andrey Silvestrov and Yuri Leiderman from Russia; Whores’ Glory by Michael Glawogger from Austria and Germany; Hail by Amiel Courtin-Wilson from Australia; Le Petit Poucet by Marina de Van from France; and Photographic Memory by Ross McElwee from USA.

Controcampo Italiano

The section opens today with the screening of the short by none other than Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Il Maestro; followed by the feature film Scialla! By Francesco Bruni. Later in the afternoon, the screening of Out of Tehran – Four Stories by Monica Maggioni and Rudolf Jacobs and L’Uomo che nacque morendo by Luigi M. Faccini.

Giornate Degli Autori -Venice Days

Today the Canada/France production by Jean-Marc Vallée, Café de Flore, a love story about people separated by time and place but connected in profound and mysterious ways. Not particularly fond of Vanessa Paradis but I like the director previous work The Young Victoria, so probably will give film a try.

International Critics’ Week

From Argentina El Campo (In the Open) by Hernán Belón that maybe could be interesting.

The not so serious news

Another day with spectacular photos with Kate Winslet and Rachel Evan Wood, yes will include some from today and the previous days. It’s official Kate is absolutely showing off her fantastic body with great dresses that outline it.

Today photos are fantastic and if you wish to check them the best place is Getty Images where you just enter 68th Venice and enjoy seeing all the great photos that are for sale, that’s why cannot put them here.

Let's start with Kate and Rachel with night and day photos.

Daytime Monica and Vincent

Second Day – 68th Venice International Film Festival

Today’s centerpiece is the premiere of Carnage –in competition- with the most amazing cast in what I hope is a better movie –than his previous- by Roman Polanski. Described as “grotesque comedy of manners” seems was received with rounds of applause and riotous laughter which makes me wonder a bit if I’ll be able to enjoy the humor but hopefully I will as film was shot in real time which probably positively will help the humor. From photocall shots I see Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly and Christopher Waltz but no Jodie Foster so let’s hope she will be tonight at the red carpet.

Also today in competition the Taiwanese epic film that tells a real life story about the aboriginal tribes that lived in the island when was a Japanese colony. Saideke Balai (Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale) by Te-Sheng Wei reviews the 1930 so-called Wushe Incident where the Japanese ban indigenous cultural practices. Could be interesting plus a while back read that is the most expensive film produced up-to date in Taiwan and from trailer can say that production values are high.

From the films out of competition surely the one everyone will be talking about is W.E. by Madonna a film that tells a “modern version” of the Wallis and Edward tale told by a fictional Wally that lives in current time and mirrors their life. Always like UK period dramas and what makes me wonder if I’ll like it is that this film is by Madonna, but from photos film looks fine. All right early reviews are not positive, lol!  Follows a video with Madonna and her cast arrival.



Today fest also will screen the following out of competition films: Giochi d’Estate (Summer Games) by Rolando Colla, India, Matri Bhumi by Roberto Rossellini, La Désintégration by Philippe Faucon, and Scosa by Francesco Maselli, Carlo Lizzani, Ugo gregoretti, and Nino Russo.

Venice Days continues today with the screening of Rugine (Rust) by Daniele Gaglianone an Italian drama that does not call my attention at all.

La Settimana della Critica opens with an event, the screening of Stocholm Ostra (Stockholm East) by Simon Kaijser da Silva which is out of competition and is a family drama that wonder if will appeal to me.

Orizzonti opens today with Cut by Amir Naderi a film described as a “visual poem” for the cinema set in the world of the yakuza that obviously calls my attention for the visuals but wonder if I will stand the story. Worth to remind you all that none other than Jia Zhang-ke is the Orizzonti jury President who will chair a very eclectic group of jurors. Orizzonti will also today screen five (5) short films.

Today is the presentation of the collateral award Città di Venezia 2011 to Colombian Carlos Gaviria for his movie Retratos en un Mar de Mentiras, the film will be screened after the award ceremony as well as The Neighbor by Nahgmeh Shirkan from Iran and the 2006 film Si le vent soulève les sables by Marion Hansel from Belgium. The program closes with three short films from Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco that includes Garagouz by Abdenour Zahzah, winner in the short film category.. For more information go here.

Here is a photo with the W.E. male cast and the director plus another video with Madonna joking...

Most interesting video with some clips from press conference and the movie... audio can be switched to French or German... English only in the background...



At the Carnage red carpet/premiere Kate wore a truly amazing dress that fitted her like a glove... you have to check the following video or browse the net for the spectacular photos