Venice 80, the best and worst films: what to watch in the cinema and what to avoid at all costs

“Venice 80” is coming to an end, and it’s time to take stock. The competition ended and we waited for the traditional Toto Leone game, in which you need to guess the winners of Palmares. It’s time to think about this edition of the exhibition.

How did it perform in terms of quality? The general impression is the level was lower than in previous years. Luckily, there was no shortage of great films, but only a few managed to conquer the average films. These are solid titles, not exceptional, but at least compelling and occasionally able to excite. In reverse order, there were many failures and even outright disappointments. In this edition, at least in the main competition, there seems to be no middle ground: you either encounter extraordinary films or you encounter real disasters.

a large group of Italian directors achieved relatively positive results. Luckily, Matteo Garrone’s I Am Captain managed to keep the Italian flag flying high, winning best national film in competition, followed by the ambitious and unconventional Enea and Comandante. However, despite its significant budget and international ambitions, Dawn At Last turned out to be one of the most disappointing films of the entire run.

Among the successful films there are already recognized names, some of whom reached a new peak or their consecration with this film. On the other hand, the losers often include very experienced directors and a few well-meaning but reckless first-time directors.

Here you are The best and worst films of the 2023 Venice Film Festival:

Venice on top: the best films of the publication

The Hitman, Richard Linklater

Knowledgeable people say that it was the production company that vetoed the participation of the film in the competition, which could have easily won the Golden Lion. It is a step up from everything else due to its unpredictable and phenomenal script. Plus, the audience in the theater will love it. In Italy, the film was acquired by BIM, perhaps because that distribution company had traditionally dealt with Linklater’s films. He may have a goose that lays golden eggs on his hands. Not forgetting that a star is born: Glen Powell is simply phenomenal here.. “The Hitman” could sanctify this.

Review of “Hitman”

Poor creatures! Yorgos Lanthimos

A one way ticket to the Oscars: Lanthimos made no mistakes in his visionary film about the female Frankenstein, giving The role of Emma Stone established her as an actress of the highest level. The forecast predicts a strong stream of technical nominations for the Oscars, which even adult audiences (given the numerous sex scenes) will be able to appreciate, leading to a sharp rise in box office receipts.

Review of “Poor Creatures!”

Bastarden by Nikolai Arcel

You laugh, you cry and you stay glued to your seat., watching the growth of a potato field in the Jutland marshes as if it were a matter of life and death. This. This Danish film-turned-western truly has everything a movie could want, starting with a giant Mads Mikkelsen as the title character. Perhaps he just lacks the extra edge to snag the most coveted prize, but who knows.

Review of “Bastarden”

The Devil Doesn’t Exist by Ryusuke Hamaguchi

The Japanese Hamaguchi never disappoints because he is, first of all, a great author. He could have written novels and would have won every possible award: fortunately for us, he devoted himself to screenwriting. It seems “The Devil does not exist” a quiet ecological fairy tale in a Japanese village, but when the Drive My Car director lays his cards on the table, the film becomes unstoppable, culminating in an ending that will leave many viewers in disbelief, but which confirms Hamaguchi’s ability to deliver a silent stab to the heart before you even know it. .

“Betta”, Bertrand Bonello

An experience dedicated to avid and pure film fans ready for any madness on the big screen. “Beth” is the most experimental and daring film in the competition. Bonello picks up Henry James, quoting liberally from Inland Empire’s David Lynch: remarkable ambitions are realized to near perfection, and Léa Seydoux establishes herself as a translator who fears nothing.

This is how a child becomes a poet Celine Sciamma

A 16-minute short film There are three stories inside: the story of the poet in whose house it was filmed, the story of the director who filmed and edited it on an iPad, and the story of the woman who invited him to do it. Incredibly, the more Sciamma steps away from films to pursue other pursuits, the more masterful his performances become. Now champion.

Venice failure: the worst films of the publication

Time order by Liliana Cavani

It hurts to see Cavani receive the Outstanding Achievement Award for presenting a film that will Only trash fans will appreciate it. The Order of Time is an apocalyptic and ensemble film that is unsettling with a series of bad dialogue and plot passages that seem good only to become memes. Contains at least a couple of the funniest scenes in the episode and the most unexpected cameo: the blue crab, whose invasion of the Mediterranean has been a hot topic this summer.

Palace of Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski may have never made such a bad film.. He wanted to make a Viennese comedy set on New Year’s Eve 2000, but it ends up looking eerily similar to a Christmas comedy from the golden era of Baldy and De Sica. Moreover, Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness has already handled the same theme much better. The film seems timeless in its themes and not very funny on the comedic side, with vague plot passages.

Finally the dawn Saverio Costanzo

A film with a promising first part, which he is completely lost in the secondSo much so that it risked winning the prize for worst film in the Lion category. Speaking of Leonids, the final scene is particularly ridiculous, hitting rock bottom before cutting to final black and then diving even deeper. The worst thing is that it is unclear how the budget of 28 million was spent,

a huge sum for an Italian film.

Holly by Fiena Troch

It seems this movie violator in the main collection: Why not put it in a less prestigious section (where it wouldn’t win Best Picture anyway)? The premise of this Flemish feature film is a fascinating one: a high school student with the gift of foresight and witch powers uses her gift to boost the morale of the families at her school after a tragedy. However, dull performance is characterless and never fully utilizes the girl’s abilities, which are the most intriguing aspect of the film, which also features uninteresting actors.

Bradley Cooper Master

Not a bad film in the traditional sense of the word, but overall it disappointed expectations. a film that seemed destined to triumph at the Oscars, with Spielberg and Scorsese as godfathers. Well made and competently played, but too polite and conventional. “Maestro” – a film that seems old and which struggles to offer anything interesting about the life of music giant Leonard Bernstein.

Review of “Maestro”