The first time you glimpse Venice across the turquoise lagoon is hard to forget. Few cities on earth can claim to conjure quite the same feeling of journeying into the alien, exotic world of the past. In a place where the streets are paved with tranquil and twinkling H20 any thought could pop into your head. And yet despite the calming influence of the beautiful architecture and gently lapping waters, Venice can also drive you mad. In the summer sweaty tourists do their best to photograph the magic away and in winter the lonely onset of ice must surely leave some with little to think about, besides the fact that the ground beneath them is liable to sink suddenly into the mud. But all brilliance has its dark sides. The shadows hanging over alleys and elusive bridges are as beguiling as they are disturbing. The snobbish waiters in St. Mark’s are as charming as they are irritating. Whatever their faults (and smells) the Venetian canals remain the colourful jewels in the crown of the Adriatic. It’s a place of romance, dreaming, art and music where the imagination can riot in genuine splendour. Sadly I really can only imagine the added glamour, excitement and thought provoking creativity that glides into the lagoon with the Venice Film Festival.
I can, however, bring you snippets of what those lucky enough to be there have been saying. And I’ll start with a brief look at the fashion choices of two stunning British ladies, both in town to promote eagerly anticipated films. In The Telegraph the always skinny Keira Knightley is praised for her sartorial savvy, whilst the curvier Kate Winslet is blasted for daring to look casual in front of the paparazzi.
Kate stars in two big releases, Carnage and Contagion. Both feature all star casts, have well known directors at the helm and begin with the letter “C”. But there the similarities end. In Carnage, which Roman Polanski made whilst enduring controversy about an alleged rape, she plays the mother of a child who has hit another boy. She is partnered with Christoph Waltz against the parents of the victim, John C. Reilly and Jodie Foster. The film has garnered praise from virtually all corners for its theatre like intimacy and intensity. All the actors get to lose their tempers ferociously, with Winslet’s tantrum in particular hogging the headlines.
In her other Steven Soderbergh directed premiere, Contagion, she plays an expert in disease trying to deal with the outbreak of a virus. The critical reception has been more complex for this blockbuster. Reviewers, whilst generally positive, have been divided as to whether it’s a “cut about most Hollywood thrillers” as David Gritten says in The Telegraph or simply a well executed example of one. Jason Solomons believes Soderbergh handles the various narratives of the strong cast well and delivers simple entertainment but also that Contagion loses its momentum.
Keira was prowling the red carpet in style for David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, which tells the story of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud’s relationship as the fathers of psychoanalysis, as well as Jung’s affair with a Russian patient. Knightley plays the patient and most of the coverage of the film has focused on her getting spanked by Michael Fassbender, rather than her dodgy accent or the substance to the story. In an edition of Page and Screen earlier this year I worried whether this would be an issue for the film. The reaction at Venice suggests that it has, with a lukewarm response from most.
There are a handful of British films doing extremely well though, perhaps even heading for the top prize of the festival, the Golden Lion. Steve McQueen’s follow up to Hunger, Shame, again starring Michael Fassbender, about a sex obsessed man in Manhattan whose life is further complicated when his sister, Carey Mulligan, comes to stay, has met with a great deal of praise. Scripted by McQueen and Abi Morgan, writer of recent BBC 2 series The Hour, Shame tackles some big, modern themes and was extensively researched. It features sex of every kind and nudity from its two key stars but the director likens it to Hunger, when talking to The Guardian, calling it a film about “politics and freedom”.
Andrea Arnold, acclaimed director of Fish Tank and Wasps, which won an Oscar for short film a few years back, is bringing her adaptation of Wuthering Heights to Venice, too. Judging by her previous work it will be a grittier, fresh version of the much told story.
But the real British contender for the big prize is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. The cast is too packed with British talent to list in full but is spearheaded by Gary Oldman as George Smiley and John Hurt as “Control”. It debuted on Monday to unanimous four and five star reviews. It’s being praised for its tight and atmospheric adaptation of John le Carré's 1970s set novel. Revolving around the circus of the espionage world, it’s an appropriate film for the madness and mystery of Venice. It’s in cinemas later this month.
Honourable mentions go to opening night film The Ides of March, directed by and starring George Clooney, featuring rising star Ryan Gosling and W.E helmed by none other than pop legend Madonna. Clooney’s film is another Venice feature based on a play and is a timely look at cynicism, optimism and ruthlessness in US politics, with the energizing hope of Obama’s election all but withered away. Madonna’s first film is about that royal affair of the 20th century which featured briefly in The King’s Speech and led to an abdication. It’s been slated but some say that’s down to critical snobbery.
Which of the films showcased at Venice are you most looking forward to?
Liam Trim (follow me on Twitter)
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