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| Cate Blanchett, President of Jury - Image courtesy of La Biennale ASAC - Photo: Andre Avezzù |
(Venice, Italy) Many people expressed concern about the dangers of attending a film festival during a pandemic. For me, it was worth taking a chance. I have worked with La Biennale di Venezia for more than two decades, and trust the institution to do everything in its power to maintain high standards. Cinema is such a crucial art form that it was imperative to demonstrate how a film festival could be held safely, with reasonable precautions, and still be entertaining, enlightening and enjoyable. That two-time Academy Award-winning actor Cate Blanchett was the President of the Jury gave it an extra kick.
In case you missed it, I wrote about the experience in a separate post:
Here are some quick recaps of the films I saw in the order in which I saw them, what language they were in, and links to the reviews I agree with the most, which will give you a fuller description. Some of the films have since screened at TIFF, so I am also including some reviews from there. I was so starved to see movies in a theater that I became a little obsessed, and saw 20 films.
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| What a full house at the Venice Film Festival looked like during the pandemic - Photo: Cat Bauer |
1. MOLECOLE (Venetian Molecules) - Italian
Andrea Segre's masterful love letter to Venice and to his deceased Venetian father, filmed in the lagoon during quarantine. I gave it its own post: The Haunting Film “Venetian Molecules” (Molecole) shot in Venice during Quarantine pre-opens the Venice Film Festival. Review from Film Inquiry. Grade: A
2. LACCI (The Ties) - Italian
Lots of Italian critics liked this movie, which was the first Italian film to open the Venice Film Festival in 11 years, but I thought the leaps back and forth in time were confusing. The film was about a thoroughly dysfunctional marriage and the offspring it spawned. I couldn't keep track of who was who, especially when the characters aged and a completely new set of actors took over the roles. Review from Indie Wire. Grade: C-
3. MILA (Apples) - Greek
Apples is Christos Nikou's debut film set (coincidentally) during a pandemic where people are losing their memories and sent into a dystopian rehabilitation program. Nikou is an original, talented director and Apples is an impressive debut. Review from The Hollywood Reporter. Grade: A-
4. FINAL ACCOUNT - German
The late Luke Holland, who died in June just three months before Final Account premiered in Venice, interviewed elderly Germans from various walks of life who were alive during the Holocaust in yet another attempt to understand why human beings commit genocide. Review from Variety. Grade: B
5. THE DISCIPLE - Marathi, Hindi, English
Chaitanya Tamhane won the award for best screenplay, which, to me was puzzling. I was really looking forward to this film because I love classical Indian music, but I thought the movie was too long and repetitive, and needed a good dose of editing. Review from Screen Daily. Grade: C
6. THE DUKE - English (UK)
Based on a true story, The Duke is a very British film that will delight those who remember the escapade back in 1961, but did not click emotionally with this American. Review from Screen Daily: "The Duke pairs national treasures Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren in a by-the-Brit-playbook film about a well-meaning Newcastle cabbie who steals a Goya painting from the National Gallery in 1961 in a half-baked attempt to get free TV licenses for pensioners." Grade: B
Andrea Segre's masterful love letter to Venice and to his deceased Venetian father, filmed in the lagoon during quarantine. I gave it its own post: The Haunting Film “Venetian Molecules” (Molecole) shot in Venice during Quarantine pre-opens the Venice Film Festival. Review from Film Inquiry. Grade: A
2. LACCI (The Ties) - Italian
Lots of Italian critics liked this movie, which was the first Italian film to open the Venice Film Festival in 11 years, but I thought the leaps back and forth in time were confusing. The film was about a thoroughly dysfunctional marriage and the offspring it spawned. I couldn't keep track of who was who, especially when the characters aged and a completely new set of actors took over the roles. Review from Indie Wire. Grade: C-
3. MILA (Apples) - Greek
Apples is Christos Nikou's debut film set (coincidentally) during a pandemic where people are losing their memories and sent into a dystopian rehabilitation program. Nikou is an original, talented director and Apples is an impressive debut. Review from The Hollywood Reporter. Grade: A-
4. FINAL ACCOUNT - German
The late Luke Holland, who died in June just three months before Final Account premiered in Venice, interviewed elderly Germans from various walks of life who were alive during the Holocaust in yet another attempt to understand why human beings commit genocide. Review from Variety. Grade: B
5. THE DISCIPLE - Marathi, Hindi, English
Chaitanya Tamhane won the award for best screenplay, which, to me was puzzling. I was really looking forward to this film because I love classical Indian music, but I thought the movie was too long and repetitive, and needed a good dose of editing. Review from Screen Daily. Grade: C
6. THE DUKE - English (UK)
Based on a true story, The Duke is a very British film that will delight those who remember the escapade back in 1961, but did not click emotionally with this American. Review from Screen Daily: "The Duke pairs national treasures Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren in a by-the-Brit-playbook film about a well-meaning Newcastle cabbie who steals a Goya painting from the National Gallery in 1961 in a half-baked attempt to get free TV licenses for pensioners." Grade: B
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| Greta (I am Greta) - Official still |
7. GRETA (I am Greta) - Swedish, English
I went to see Greta planning to leave early to catch a press conference, and ended up staying for the entire film. Like most of us, I am concerned about climate change, but was only aware of Greta Thunberg by the glimpses I caught of her on the news. The documentary changed my entire perception of her. She is articulate, intelligent, courageous and definitely her own person making her own decisions, writing her own speeches, and she is genuinely passionate about waking up humanity to the dangers of climate change.
However, to me, it was essential to understand how the documentary came into existence in the first place to put all the conspiracy theories to rest. Throughout the film, I kept wondering how the filmmaker Nathan Grossman just so happened to capture the sudden rise of Greta Thunberg onto the international scene. How did he get involved? He was there at the beginning when Greta was sitting outside Swedish parliament, mostly alone, holding a school strike, and followed her as the climate change movement exploded across the globe. He was there when she met world leaders and spoke before parliaments and the United Nations, and when she crossed the Atlantic Ocean by sailboat. Her father was by her side, but her mother was only briefly on screen, and her sister not at all. What were the family dynamics? The answers are not in the documentary.
To fill in the missing background, I had to do my own research. I recommend reading Nathan Grossman's interviews with Cineuropa and the Golden Globes to fill in some blanks.
I went to see Greta planning to leave early to catch a press conference, and ended up staying for the entire film. Like most of us, I am concerned about climate change, but was only aware of Greta Thunberg by the glimpses I caught of her on the news. The documentary changed my entire perception of her. She is articulate, intelligent, courageous and definitely her own person making her own decisions, writing her own speeches, and she is genuinely passionate about waking up humanity to the dangers of climate change.
However, to me, it was essential to understand how the documentary came into existence in the first place to put all the conspiracy theories to rest. Throughout the film, I kept wondering how the filmmaker Nathan Grossman just so happened to capture the sudden rise of Greta Thunberg onto the international scene. How did he get involved? He was there at the beginning when Greta was sitting outside Swedish parliament, mostly alone, holding a school strike, and followed her as the climate change movement exploded across the globe. He was there when she met world leaders and spoke before parliaments and the United Nations, and when she crossed the Atlantic Ocean by sailboat. Her father was by her side, but her mother was only briefly on screen, and her sister not at all. What were the family dynamics? The answers are not in the documentary.
To fill in the missing background, I had to do my own research. I recommend reading Nathan Grossman's interviews with Cineuropa and the Golden Globes to fill in some blanks.
Greta's father, Svante Thunburg, is an actor. Her mother is the Swedish opera singer Malena Ernman, who wrote a book with the other members of the family entitled Our House Is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis, which was excerpted by The Guardian that gives raw insight into the dynamics of Greta's family, and the emotional struggle they went through when Greta was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OSD) and selective mutism.
To me, it would have presented a more complete picture if some of this critical background had been included in the film. I am Greta will be in cinemas on October 16 and then stream on Hulu starting on November 13. Review from The Hollywood Reporter. Grade: B
8. PIECES OF A WOMAN - English (USA)
Vanessa Kirby won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in Pieces of a Woman. I had never seen her before, and thought she was brilliant, especially after also seeing her in The World to Come, which also premiered at the Venice Film Festival. But after the first thirty minutes of a home birth gone terribly wrong, which was riveting, the film lost my interest. Review from Slash Film. Grade: C
9. MISS MARX - English (UK)
Romola Garai stars as Carl Marx's youngest daughter, a female pioneer of socialism. The film isn't perfect, but it held my attention and I enjoyed the history. Susanna Nicchiarelli, whose critically acclaimed Nico, 1988 won Best Film in the Orrizonti section of the 2017 Venice Film Festival, directed. Review from Screen Daily. Grade: B
10. THE FURNACE - English (AUS) , Badimaya
Australian Roderick MacKay's engrossing debut feature is set in the Western Australia desert in the late 19th century when the British imported camel caravans and their drivers from Afghanistan, India and Persia to transport goods across the vast terrain, and where the Chinese also had set up shop. Different religions and languages collide with the indigenous people, as gold fever strikes. Review from Variety. Grade: B+
11. MAINSTREAM - English (USA)
Director Gia Coppola allowed Andrew Garfield, talented as he is, to have total freedom in her satire on social media. That was a mistake. Review from Indie Wire. Grade: D
8. PIECES OF A WOMAN - English (USA)
Vanessa Kirby won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in Pieces of a Woman. I had never seen her before, and thought she was brilliant, especially after also seeing her in The World to Come, which also premiered at the Venice Film Festival. But after the first thirty minutes of a home birth gone terribly wrong, which was riveting, the film lost my interest. Review from Slash Film. Grade: C
9. MISS MARX - English (UK)
Romola Garai stars as Carl Marx's youngest daughter, a female pioneer of socialism. The film isn't perfect, but it held my attention and I enjoyed the history. Susanna Nicchiarelli, whose critically acclaimed Nico, 1988 won Best Film in the Orrizonti section of the 2017 Venice Film Festival, directed. Review from Screen Daily. Grade: B
10. THE FURNACE - English (AUS) , Badimaya
Australian Roderick MacKay's engrossing debut feature is set in the Western Australia desert in the late 19th century when the British imported camel caravans and their drivers from Afghanistan, India and Persia to transport goods across the vast terrain, and where the Chinese also had set up shop. Different religions and languages collide with the indigenous people, as gold fever strikes. Review from Variety. Grade: B+
11. MAINSTREAM - English (USA)
Director Gia Coppola allowed Andrew Garfield, talented as he is, to have total freedom in her satire on social media. That was a mistake. Review from Indie Wire. Grade: D
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| Vanessa Kirby - Image courtesy La Biennale ASAC - Photo: Jacopo Salvi |
12. THE WORLD TO COME - English (USA)
Katerine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby both give excellent performances in a story directed by Mona Fastvold of forbidden love set in Upstate New York in 1856, told through diary entries. It is quiet, intelligent and beautifully moving, and whisks Vanessa Kirby up to the stars. Review from Variety. Grade: A-
13. ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI - English (USA)
Regina King makes history as the first Black woman to direct a film selected by the Venice Film Festival in Kemp Powers' fictional account of an actual gathering in Miami with Cassius Clay, Malcom X, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke. I gave this film its own post: Black Power: “One Night in Miami” Moves the Needle Forward at the Venice Film Festival. Review from Variety. Grade: A
14. DOROGIE TOVARISCHI! (Dear Comrades) - Russian
The story of the real-life Novocherkassk massacre on June 2, 1962 when Soviet soldiers opened fire on workers who were protesting for better living conditions and lower food prices, shot in black and white. Review from Indie Wire. Grade: B
15. NOTTURNO - Arabic, Kurdish
Italian director Gianfranco Rosi's vision of the effect war torn Middle East has upon the civilian population. Powerful images, but no narrative. Review from The Wrap. Grade: B
16. SPY NO TSUMA (Wife of a Spy) - Japanese
Set in 1940 when Japan joined the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Wife of a Spy has many clever plot twists and plenty of intrigue that drive the story forward. Yu Aoi was terrific as the wife. One of my favorites. Kurosawa won the Silver Lion for Best Director. Take the time to read the review from Variety. Grade: A-
17. NOWHERE SPECIAL - English (IRL)
Set in Northern Ireland, a single father (James Norton) is dying and must find a new home for his four-year-old son (Daniel Lamont). There is genuine chemistry between the two leads as they interview potential families. Umberto Pisolini created the film based on a true story he read in the newspaper. You will cry. Review from The Upcoming. Grade: A
18. NOMADLAND - English (USA)
Winner of this year's Golden Lion, the Venice Film Festival's top prize, Chloè Zhao's Nomadland takes us into the real lives of nomadic Americans who live out of vans and RVs and work gig jobs. The always amazing Frances McDormand is surrounded by non-actors who play versions of themselves. Review from Polygon. Grade: A-
19. CRAZY, NOT INSANE - English (USA)
Alex Gibney's documentary features Dorothy Lewis, a forensic psychiatrist, whose radical views about what makes serial killers tick brought her fame as a defense witness. Her most famous case was Ted Bundy, whom Gibney saves for the end. Review from Variety. Grade: B-
Katerine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby both give excellent performances in a story directed by Mona Fastvold of forbidden love set in Upstate New York in 1856, told through diary entries. It is quiet, intelligent and beautifully moving, and whisks Vanessa Kirby up to the stars. Review from Variety. Grade: A-
13. ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI - English (USA)
Regina King makes history as the first Black woman to direct a film selected by the Venice Film Festival in Kemp Powers' fictional account of an actual gathering in Miami with Cassius Clay, Malcom X, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke. I gave this film its own post: Black Power: “One Night in Miami” Moves the Needle Forward at the Venice Film Festival. Review from Variety. Grade: A
14. DOROGIE TOVARISCHI! (Dear Comrades) - Russian
The story of the real-life Novocherkassk massacre on June 2, 1962 when Soviet soldiers opened fire on workers who were protesting for better living conditions and lower food prices, shot in black and white. Review from Indie Wire. Grade: B
15. NOTTURNO - Arabic, Kurdish
Italian director Gianfranco Rosi's vision of the effect war torn Middle East has upon the civilian population. Powerful images, but no narrative. Review from The Wrap. Grade: B
16. SPY NO TSUMA (Wife of a Spy) - Japanese
Set in 1940 when Japan joined the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Wife of a Spy has many clever plot twists and plenty of intrigue that drive the story forward. Yu Aoi was terrific as the wife. One of my favorites. Kurosawa won the Silver Lion for Best Director. Take the time to read the review from Variety. Grade: A-
17. NOWHERE SPECIAL - English (IRL)
Set in Northern Ireland, a single father (James Norton) is dying and must find a new home for his four-year-old son (Daniel Lamont). There is genuine chemistry between the two leads as they interview potential families. Umberto Pisolini created the film based on a true story he read in the newspaper. You will cry. Review from The Upcoming. Grade: A
18. NOMADLAND - English (USA)
Winner of this year's Golden Lion, the Venice Film Festival's top prize, Chloè Zhao's Nomadland takes us into the real lives of nomadic Americans who live out of vans and RVs and work gig jobs. The always amazing Frances McDormand is surrounded by non-actors who play versions of themselves. Review from Polygon. Grade: A-
19. CRAZY, NOT INSANE - English (USA)
Alex Gibney's documentary features Dorothy Lewis, a forensic psychiatrist, whose radical views about what makes serial killers tick brought her fame as a defense witness. Her most famous case was Ted Bundy, whom Gibney saves for the end. Review from Variety. Grade: B-
20. LASCIAMI ANDARE (You Came Back) - Italian
The closing film of The Venice Film Festival was on location in Venice when exceptional high water hit last November and December. The weather was cleverly incorporated into the film, which gave it an added dimension. It's hard enough to film in Venice under "normal" conditions, let alone when the city is flooded. The movie reminded me of Nicholas Roeg's Don't Look Now. I featured it in a separate post: Venice Film Festival Closes with the Eerie "Lasciami Andare" (You Came Back) - Filmed during the Venice 2019 Floods. Grade: B
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| New Talent: Greek director Christos Nikou - "Mila" (Apples) - Photo: C. Nikou |
This year's film festival was not about escapism and sheer entertainment, but was quieter and more thoughtful -- perfect for going to the movies during a pandemic when we are all feeling a bit more retrospective and bewildered. The magical experience of viewing a film with fellow human beings
invokes a precious camaraderie -- there is nothing else like it. The void left by the absence of Hollywood films was filled with distinct voices that might otherwise have been overlooked. I learned a lot, and am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend La Biennale di Venezia's 77th Mostra internazionale d'arte cinematografica. See you at the movies!
Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer
Here are some quick recaps of the films I saw in the order in which I saw them, what language they were in, and links to the reviews I agree with the most, which will give you a fuller description.
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