69th Venice Film Festival – Update
I have been here for 3 days, seen 2 films (weak!), 3 press conferences, and infinite weird things!
The new Dennis Quaid / Zac Efron feature At Any Price was a disappointing Ambient Rural Drama (my new least favourite genre) about family and economy. During the press conference however, it was being talked about like it was the be all and end all in modern cinema, with Zac Efron being referred to as “The next Tom Cruise or Johnny Depp” and Kite Boarder / Actress Maika Monroe as “The next Meryl Streep”. As my colleague put it, “All great actresses begin their careers as kite boarders.”.
The Iceman was an excellent film, with the crowd shouting after WINONA Ryder on the red carpet. And what a lead performance by The Iceman himself – Michael Shannon!
Bad 25 celebrated Spike Lee and Michael Jackson, on the actual day of the album’s 25th anniversary! The crowds were dancing away on the red carpet!
Today’s press conference of Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master was an odd one. The journos had their odd questions, but Joaquin Phoenix outdid them with his odd behaviour – smoking a cigarette, mumbling one answer, and then disappearing for 5 minutes. Is this man acting all the time, or should we be worried for his health / sanity? I used to think this was an act, now I am genuinely concerned.
