Italian opening
Alberto Barbera called and everyone came. Once again, the director of the Venice Film Festival managed to bring an impressive number of international stars to the red carpet this year. It started with Paolo Sorrentino and his leading actor Toni Servillo, then it was one after another: Emma Stone, George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Christoph Waltz. First up were Paolo Sorrentino and his leading actor Toni Servillo, followed in quick succession by Emma Stone, George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Christoph Waltz. Jude Law and Paul Dano, not to mention Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and, last but not least, Cate Blanchett. They were all seen at the defilee in front of the Palazzo del Cinema.
But let's go back to the beginning. Alberto Barbera got off to a splendid start with "La Grazia". Paolo Sorrentino tells the story of a fictional Italian president who is confronted with a series of moral dilemmas in the final months of his term in office. Toni Servillo plays him as an extremely controlled jurist who writes standard works on criminal law and has never gotten over the death of his wife. He is advised by his daughter (Andrea Ferzetti), who presents him with two petitions for clemency and a law on euthanasia – an extremely controversial topic in Catholic Italy. In the end, he will make some surprising decisions, but first he is tormented by the question of who his wife cheated on him with 40 years ago.
"La grazia é la bellezza del dubbio" (Grace is the beauty of doubt) is one of the central phrases of this film, which explores the entire spectrum of the concept of grace and ultimately finds reconciliation and love. "Sorrentino is back", writes Paolo Mereghetti in Corriere della Sera, summing it up perfectly. Paolo Sorrentino, who disappointed with his most recent films, has returned to the cinematic level of his best works; ‘La Grazia’ remains one of the critics’ favourites.
Another film Made in Italy, “Il Maestro” by Andrea di Stefano, was screened out of competition. Pierfrancesco Favino, who impresses in every film he appears in, plays the washed-up tennis pro Raul Gatti, who is hired as a personal trainer by the hyper-ambitious father of 13-year-old Felice, brilliantly portrayed by Tiziano Menichelli. What begins as a light-hearted comedy increasingly gains dramatic depth as the film progresses, with the former tennis star turning out to be a down-and-out whose severe depression is interrupted by occasional manic episodes. In the end, it is the boy who takes care of his coach and develops a father-son relationship with him.
"Il Maestro" is a witty coming-of-age story set in Italy in the late 1980s. „É un viaggio attraverso il dolore della crescita, la potenza dell’insegnamento e la bellezza dei legami umani; una commedia all’italiana per chiunque creda ancora che il mondo possa essere migliore, una lezione alla volta“ (It is a journey through the pain of growing up, the power of teaching and the beauty of human bonds; an Italian comedy for anyone who still believes that the world can be a better place, one lesson at a time) as the director describes his film. Two years ago, di Stefano, who started out as an actor and only established himself as a director in his early 50s, made a strong impression at the Berlinale with "L'ultima notte di Amore" (Last Night of Amore, Italy 2022).
American Stars
No other event brings more media attention to a festival than the appearance of American stars. What could be more spectacular than George Clooney's presence in Venice? Although he cancelled all his appointments due to illness and did not appear at the press conference, he bravely came to the red carpet so as not to disappoint his fans. In "Jay Kelly", he plays a fictional version of himself, a film star who is suddenly confronted with his past. During an audition as a young acting student, he had outshone a fellow student who was his friend. For Jay, it was the beginning; for Timothy, it was the end of his career. When they meet again by chance decades later, frustration and anger resurface in his former friend (Billy Crudup), and the evening ends in a brawl. When a video of the incident surfaces and Jay Kelly is reported to the police, his manager and agent Ron (Adam Sandler) has his hands full trying to settle the matter quietly. His press officer Liz (Laura Dern) also does everything she can to avert any form of negative publicity.
Instead of preparing for his next film project, Jay suddenly wants to go to Tuscany, supposedly to accept an award at a film festival, but in reality to spy on his daughter. Of course, his entire entourage has to travel with him. The journey from France to Italy is fraught with bizarre and comical situations when the famous film star suddenly appears in the train compartment. Eventually, Liz and the rest of the escort grow tired of Jay's whims and decide to leave. At the tribute ceremony, where we also see a compilation of scenes from George Clooney's filmography, only loyal Ron remains at Kelly's side. ‘Jay Kelly’ is an entertaining tale of the existential dilemma of a star and womaniser who suddenly realises that he has neglected his daughters, friends and colleagues over the course of his career to such an extent that he ends up alone.
Julia Roberts plays a philosophy professor of German descent in Luca Guadagnino's new film, which caused a stir at the Lido and even made it into the New York Times. "After the Hunt" is set in the academic milieu of an American Ivy League university. A student claims to have been raped by a professor (Andrew Garfield), who vehemently denies the accusation. The student seeks the support of Julia Roberts, who – like the viewer – tries to find out the truth. At the press conference, emotions ran high when Guadagnino was accused of setting back the #MeToo debate by years with his ‘anti-feminist’ film. A graphic homage to Woody Allen in the opening credits further heated up the atmosphere
Julia Roberts received high praise for her convincing portrayal of an intellectual woman 35 years after 'Pretty Woman', and she is already being touted as an Oscar contender. "Not everything is supposed to make you feel comfortable", her character says to the student who reports her professor, summing up the film's intention. ‘After the Hunt’ presents us with an absorbing moral dilemma from which there is no easy escape.