Venice Film Festival 2018 – Review Roundup for All Feature Films In Competition

The first major festival of award season has arrived. Critics and movie fans alike are currently congregating in Italy for the 75th Venice International Film Festival, which runs from Aug. 29-Sept. 8. Guillermo del Toro, last year’s Oscar winner for Best Director, fittingly presides as the President of the Jury at the fest, with Italian actor Michele Riondino serving as host.

Oscarologists are diligently watching (and in some cases, forming) the response to various films submitted to Venice, as the festival has become an important starting place for many Oscar-winning films over the past few years. Recent Best Picture winners Birdman (2014), Spotlight (2015) and The Shape of Water (2017) all debuted in Venice, so any one of the films in competition at this year’s festival could very well be our new Best Picture winner.

This post will serve as an aggregate of reviews for all the films in competition at the 2018 Venice Film Festival. Each film is hyperlinked with a list of reviews from Metacritic. I am also including reviews for buzzy films being played out of competition – A Star Is Born and The Other Side of the Wind. I have indicated the Metacritic score after each linked title, with the average feelings on the film in the parenthetical. Films are ranked in order by Metacritic number.

ROMA – 96 (Very Positive)

Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Screenplay: Alfonso Cuarón
Cast: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Marco Graf, Daniela Demesa, Carlos Peralta, Nancy García

“The most personal project to date from director and writer Alfonso Cuarón, ROMA chronicles a turbulent year in the lives of a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City. Cuarón, inspired by the women from his childhood, delivers an artful ode to the matriarchy that shaped his world. A vivid portrayal of domestic strife and social hierarchy amidst political turmoil, ROMA follows a young domestic worker Cleo from Mixteco heritage descent and her co-worker Adela, also Mixteca, who work for a small family in the middle-class neighborhood of Roma. Mother of four, Sofia, copes with the extended absence of her husband, Cleo faces her own devastating news that threatens to distract her from caring for Sofia’s children, whom she loves as her own. While trying to construct a new sense of love and solidarity in a context of a social hierarchy where class and race are perversely intertwined, Cleo and Sofia quietly wrestle with changes infiltrating the family home in a country facing confrontation between a government-backed militia and student demonstrators. Filmed in luminous black and white, ROMA is an intimate, gut-wrenching and ultimately life-affirming portrait of the ways, small and large, one family maintains its balance in a time of personal, social and political strife.”

The Favourite – 91 (Very Positive)

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Screenplay: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
Cast: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn

“Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfill her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way.”

Vox Lux – 90 (Very Positive)

Director: Brady Corbet
Screenplay: Brady Corbet
Cast: Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Jennifer Ehle

“The film follows the rise of Celeste from the ashes of a major national tragedy to pop superstardom. The film spans 18 years and traces important cultural moments through her eyes, starting in 1999 and concluding in 2017.”

Non-Fiction (a.k.a. Doubles Vies) – 88 (Positive)

Director: Olivier Assayas
Screenplay: Olivier Assayas
Cast: Guillaume Canet, Juliette Binoche, Vincent Macaigne, Nora Hamzawi, Christa Théret, Pascal Greggory

“Alain, a successful Parisian publisher struggling to adapt to the digital revolution, has major doubts about the new manuscript of Léonard, one of his long-time authors – another work of auto-fiction recycling his love affair with a minor celebrity. Selena, Alain’s wife, a famous stage actress, is of the opposite opinion.”

A Star Is Born – 87 (Positive)

(Out of Competition)

Director: Bradley Cooper
Screenplay: Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper
Cast: Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle

“In this new take on the iconic love story, Bradley Cooper makes his directorial debut and portrays seasoned musician Jackson Maine, who discovers and falls in love with struggling artist Ally, played by Lady Gaga. Ally has given up on her dream to become a successful singer until she meets Jack, who immediately sees her raw talent. This intimate story takes us on a journey through the beauty and challenges of a relationship struggling to survive.”

The Other Side of the Wind – 82 (Positive)

(Special Event)

Director: Orson Welles
Screenplay: Oja Kodar and Orson Welles
Cast: John Huston, Peter Bogdanovich, Oja Kodar, Robert Random, Susan Strasberg

“In 1970, legendary director Orson Welles began filming what would ultimately be his final cinematic opus with a cast of luminaries that included John Huston, Peter Bogdanovich, Susan Strasberg and Welles’s partner during his later years, Oja Kodar. Beset by financial issues, the production ultimately stretched to 1976 and soon gained industry-wide notoriety, never to be completed or released. More than a thousand reels of film languished in a Paris vault until March 2017, when producers Frank Marshall (who served as a production manager on Wind during in its initial shooting) and Filip Jan Rymsza spearheaded efforts to have Welles’s vision completed more than 30 years after his death. Featuring a new score by Oscar-winning composer Michel Legrand and assembled by a technical team including Oscar- winning editor Bob Murawski, The Other Side of the Wind tells the story of famed filmmaker J.J. “Jake” Hannaford, who returns to Hollywood after years in self-exile in Europe with plans to complete work on his own innovative comeback movie. A satire of the classic studio system as well as the new establishment who were shaking things up at the time, Welles’s final film is both a fascinating time capsule of a now-distant era in moviemaking as well as the long-awaited “new” work from an indisputable master of his craft.”

First Man – 81 (Positive)

Director: Damien Chazelle
Screenplay: Josh Singer
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Jason Clarke, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Ciaran Hinds, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Lukas Haas

“First Man is the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie explores the sacrifices and the cost – on Armstrong and on the nation – of one of the most dangerous missions in history.”

The Sisters Brothers – 80 (Positive)

Director: Jacques Audiard
Screenplay: Jacques Audiard and Thomas Bidegain
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – 77 (Positive)

Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast: Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Tom Waits, Bill Heck, Zoe Kazan, Tyne Daly, Brendan Gleeson

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a six-part Western anthology film, a series of tales about the American frontier told through the unique and incomparable voice of Joel and Ethan Coen. Each chapter tells a distinct story about the American West.”

Suspiria – 76 (Positive)

Director: Luca Guadagnino
Screenplay: David Kajganich
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Chloë Grace Moretz

“A darkness swirls at the centre of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the troupe’s artistic director, an ambitious young dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.”

Sunset (a.k.a. Napszállta) – 73 (Positive)

Director: László Nemes
Screenplay: László Nemes, Clara Royer, Matthieu Taponier
Cast: Juli Jakab, Vlad Ivanov

“1913, Budapest, in the heart of Europe. The young Irisz Leiter arrives in the Hungarian capital with high hopes to work as a milliner at the legendary hat store that belonged to her late parents. She is nonetheless sent away by the new owner, Oszkár Brill. While preparations are under way at the Leiter hat store, to host guests of uttermost importance, a man abruptly comes to Irisz, looking for a certain Kálmán Leiter. Refusing to leave the city, the young woman follows Kálmán’s tracks, her only link to a lost past. Her quest brings her through the dark streets of Budapest, where only the Leiter hat store shines, into the turmoil of a civilization on the eve of its downfall.”

At Eternity’s Gate – 71 (Mixed to Positive)

Director: Julian Schnabel
Screenplay: Jean-Claude Carrière, Julian Schnabel, and Louise Kugelberg
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac, Mads Mikkelsen, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Niels Arestrup

“This movie is an accumulation of scenes based on Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings, common agreement about events in his life that parade as facts, hearsay, and scenes that are just plain invented. The making of art gives an opportunity to make a palpable body that expresses a reason to live, if such a thing exists. Even with all the violence and tragedy that has been associated with Van Gogh’s life, there is no doubt, his was a life lived rich with magic, profound communication with nature and the wonder of being. Van Gogh’s work is ultimately optimistic. His unique perspective is one whose belief and vision make visible and physical the inexpressible. He seems to have transgressed death and encouraged others to do the same.”

Peterloo – 71 (Mixed to Positive)

Director: Mike Leigh
Screenplay: Mike Leigh
Cast: Rory Kinnear, Maxine Peake, Pearce Quigley, David Moorst, Rachel Finnegan, Tom Meredith

“An epic portrayal of the events surrounding the infamous 1819 Peterloo Massacre, where a peaceful pro-democracy rally at St Peter’s Field in Manchester turned into one of the bloodiest and most notorious episodes in British history. The massacre saw British government forces charge into a crowd of over 60,000 that had gathered to demand political reforms and protest against rising levels of poverty. Many protestors were killed and hundreds more injured, sparking a nationwide outcry but also further government suppression. The Peterloo Massacre was a defining moment in British democracy which also played a significant role in the founding of The Guardian newspaper.”

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Reviews to come:

The Mountain – TBD

Director: Rick Alverson
Screenplay: Rick Alverson, Dustin Guy Defa, and Colm O’Leary
Cast: Tye Sheridan, Jeff Goldblum, Hannah Gross, Denis Lavant, Udo Kier

“In 1950s America, an introverted young man joins a renowned lobotomist as he promotes his recently debunked procedure. As their tour of asylums progresses, the young man begins to identify with the patients, among them the daughter of a charismatic leader in the burgeoning New Age movement of the West.”

Close Enemies (a.k.a. Frères ennemis) – TBD

Director: David Oelhoffen
Screenplay: David Oelhoffen and Jeanne Aptekman
Cast: Matthias Schoenaerts, Reda Kateb, Adel Bencherif, Sofiane Zermani, Nicolas Giraud, Marc Barbe, Sabrina Ouazani, Gwendolyn Gourvenec, Astrid Whettnall

“Born and raised in a suburb ridden by drug trafficking, Manuel and Driss were like brothers. As adults, they have gone down exactly the opposite path: Manuel chose to embrace this thug life, while Driss completely rejected it and became a cop. When Manuel’s biggest deal goes terribly wrong, the two men meet again and come to realize they both need each other to survive in their worlds. Between betrayals and resentments, and despite their hatred, they renew deep ties around the one thing they have left in common: their visceral commitment to the place of their childhood.”

What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire? – TBD

Director: Roberto Minervini
Screenplay: N/A
Cast: N/A

“Summer 2017, a string of brutal police killings of young African American men has sent shockwaves throughout the country. A Black community in the American South tries to cope with the lingering effects of the past and navigate their place in a country that is not on their side. Meanwhile, the Black Panthers prepare a large-scale protest against police brutality. A blistering meditation on the state of race in America.”

The Accused (a.k.a. Acusada) – TBD

Director: Gonzalo Tobal
Screenplay: Gonzalo Tobal and Ulises Porra Guardiola
Cast: Leonardo Sbaraglia, Lali Espósito, Inés Estevez, Daniel Fanego, Gerardo Romano, Gael García Bernal

“Dolores lived the life of a higher-class student until her best friend was found brutally murdered. Two years later, she’s the only indicted suspect for a crime that attracts a lot of media attention and has placed her in the center of the public eye. Dolores spends her days preparing for the trial, secluded in her house as her parents work as a team ready to do anything to defend their daughter. The best lawyer is not enough, they obsessively control around her: how she looks, what she does, eats and who she sees. But as the trial moves forward and pressure grows, suspicion and secrets emerge within the family. Cornered, increasingly isolated and just when any mistake could prove disastrous, Dolores puts the entire strategy at risk.”

Never Look Away (a.k.a. Werk ohne Autor) – TBD

Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Screenplay: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Cast: Tom Schilling, Paula Beer, Sebastian Koch, Saskia Rosendahl, Oliver Masucci

“Inspired by real events and spanning three eras of German history, Werk ohne Autor tells the story of Kurt, a young art student who falls in love with fellow student, Ellie. Ellie’s father, Professor Seeband, a famous doctor, is dismayed at his daughter’s choice of boyfriend, and vows to destroy the relationship. What neither of them knows is that their lives are already connected through a terrible crime Seeband committed decades ago.”

Our Time (a.k.a. Nuestro Tiempo) – TBD

Director: Carlos Reygadas
Screenplay: Carlos Reygadas
Cast: Carlos Reygadas, Natalia López, Eleazar Reygadas, Rut Reygadas, Phil Burgers

“A family lives in the Mexican countryside raising fighting bulls. Esther is in charge of running the ranch, while her husband Juan, a world-renowned poet, raises and selects the beasts. When Esther becomes infatuated with a horse trainer named Phil, the couple struggles to stride through the emotional crisis.”

The Nightingale – TBD

Director: Jennifer Kent
Screenplay: Jennifer Kent
Cast: Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Baykali Ganambarr, Damon Herriman, Harry Greenwood, Ewen Leslie, Michael Sheasby, Charlie Shotwell

“Set in 1825. Clare, a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family. On the way she enlists the services of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy, who is also marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.”

Capri-Revolution – TBD

Director: Mario Martone
Screenplay: Mario Martone and Ippolita di Majo
Cast: Marianna Fontana, Reinout Scholten van Aschat, Antonio Folletto, Gianluca Di Gennaro, Eduardo Scarpetta, Jenna Thiam, Ludovico Girardello, Lola Klamroth, Maximilian Dirr, Donatella Finocchiaro