At 90, the Venice Film Festival looks better than ever
Cinema’s biggest stars just seem to shine a bit brighter at the Venice International Film Festival, which begins this week in the Northern Italian city.
Think of Lady Gaga, a woman who has never shied away from a grand entrance, somehow topping even herself delicately perched over the edge of a moving water taxi and vamping for the cameras like a classic screen siren. Or Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck evoking old Hollywood glamour to make their official debut as a couple just last year.
Whether you’re a celebrity gliding down the red carpet in front of hundreds of flashing cameras or an onlooker an ocean away daydreaming about Timothée Chalamet’s crystal-studded Haider Ackermann suit, or that electric moment between non-couple Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac, it is the kind of occasion that ignites the imagination. And that’s all before you even step inside the theater.
This year’s festival is stacked with highly anticipated films and performances in the main competition slate: Ana de Armas is making her debut as Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik’s “ Blonde ”; Brendan Fraser’s turn in Darren Aronofsky’s new film “The Whale” is already being hailed as an awards-worthy comeback; and Cate Blanchett is playing a renowned conductor in “ TÁR,” director Todd Field’s first film in over 15 years.
“Todd Field is as major a film artist as has ever been,” said Peter Kujawski, the chairman of Focus Features. “And what Cate is doing with the character, without saying too much, is just something you don’t see executed on this level very often.”
The festival, which began in 1932 and is heading into its 79th edition, officially begins Wednesday night with the premiere of Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of Don DeLillo’s seminal novel “ White Noise,” starring Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig.
Field, Baumbach, Aronofsky and Zeller are also among a slew of filmmakers with good Oscar track records who are making their first stop at Venice in competition: There’s also Martin McDonagh's Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson friendship drama “The Banshees of Inisherin”; Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s comedy “Bardo, or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”; and Luca Guadagnino’s cannibal romance “ Bones and All,” which reunites the Italian director with Chalamet.
There are also two narrative debuts from documentarians Frederick Wiseman ("A Couple") and Alice Diop ("Saint Omer") that are among the 23 films vying for the Golden Lion. The coveted award will be decided on by a jury led by Julianne Moore and presented at the festival's close on Sept. 10.