Academy Award-winning
Mexican director Guillermo del Toro presented the teaser of his latest film, “Nightmare
Alley,” on Twitter yesterday, with over 3 million views - the trailer went viral in a matter of hours. The Hollywood “A” cast of this, his most recent production includes Oscar-winning
actress Cate Blanchett, Willem
Dafoe (“My Hindu Friend”), Bradley Cooper, Toni Collette,
Ron Perlman, Clifton Collins Jr., and Richard Jenkins, among other renowned performers. This film is bound to be a winter hit.
According to the laureate filmmaker, “Nightmare Alley” is not
a remake. It is a new adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham’s novel and has nothing to
do with the 1947 version featuring Tyrone Power in the lead. The screenplay is co-written by Guillermo del
Toro himself and young writer Kim Morgan.
The story was introduced to Guillermo by his longtime collaborator
Ron Perlman (“Cronos,” “Hellboy,” “Pacific Rim”) in the 1990s. At that time, it was challenging to secure the rights of the novel. This Mexican, Canadian, American production was filmed in Ontario, Canada. The post-production got interrupted right in the middle due to the
pandemic's shutdown elevating the budget considerably. In the end, it is worth
the effort to have such a magnificent work finished and ready to hit the movie theaters.
This is the first “Noir Thriller” film Guillermo del Toro ever
made. His body of work fluctuates from fantasy to horror. The maker of “The Shape of Water” mentioned that his latest film has no monsters, yet, those have
to be discovered by the public, because the real monsters are within the
characters of this fascinating story.
Guillermo del Toro's accomplished films, The Shape of Water, Pan's Labyrinth, Crimson Peak
The poster and first images revealed yesterday have critics
and fans raving about the auteur’s mastery, naming the suspenseful venture a strong
candidate for the Academy Awards in most categories. The teaser looks so
intense and beautiful that it has people commenting they are planning to go
back to the theaters for the first time since the pandemic started.
“Nightmare Alley” will be released in theaters by Searchlight
Pictures on December 17th, and we cannot wait any longer to witness
the work of the genius Mexican director.
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With a landslide of awards, women
auteurs took the hefty prizes of Venice Film Festival 2021.
Jury’s President Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”) announced
that by unanimous decision, the Golden Lion award went to the French woman
director Andrey Diwan for her well-crafted and controversial film “Happening/L'événement.” The film is set in 1963, tackles the story
of a woman going through an abortion experience in France while the procedure
was still illegal.
Golden Lion winner film “Happening/ L'événement.”
Best Director award went to Jane Campion, the
first female director who won Best Picture or Palme d’Or in Cannes for “The Piano,” in 1992. In her speech, Campion
mentioned her gratitude to the people of New Zealand for helping under
challenging times during the pandemic in the making of the highly praised “The Power of the Dog.” The modern Western is a strong
candidate to be nominated for Best Picture for the Oscars, 2022.
The Copa Volpi
for Best Actress went to Penélope Crúz for “Parallel Mothers/Madres paralelas.” This film marks Crúz's most recent collaboration
with Pedro Almodovar. The story of two single mothers giving birth ignites the dialogue
on motherhood, women’s repression during the Spanish dictatorship, and above
all, survival.
Another big revelation of the
night was the distinction to the American actress/writer/director Maggie
Gyllenhaal (“Crazy Heart,” “The Dark Knight,”), who won for Best Screenplay for
her film “The Lost Daughter.”
In the parallel section, Orizzonti
Awards, women took center stage, winning the top prize Laurvnas Bareisa for the
film “Pilgrims.” The suspenseful movie made in Lithuania talks about two women
witnessing a gruesome crime.
Roberto Benigni wins the Lifetime
Achievement at Venice 2021
The Lifetime
Achievement went to the legendary Italian performer, writer, and director Roberto Benigni, who won an Oscar for “Life
is Beautiful.” He also worked in both of the live-action Italian versions of "Pinocchio." In 2002, he directed and played Pinocchio, and in 2019, directed by Matteo Garrone, Benigni is Geppetto.
Many of these award-winning
films can capitalize their prizes in an early campaign running for the Oscars 2022 .
THE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL 2021 AWARDS:
Golden Lion for Best Film: “Happening,”
Audrey Diwan
Grand Jury Prize: “The Hand of
God,” Paolo Sorrentino
Best Director: “The
Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion
Best Actress: “Parallel Mothers,” Penélope Cruz
Best Actor: “On the Job: The Missing 8,” John
Arcilla
Best Screenplay: “The Lost Daughter,” Maggie
Gyllenhaal
Special Jury Prize: “Il Buco,”
Michelangelo Frammartino
Marcello Mastroianni Award, Best Young Actor: “The
Hand of God,” Filippo Scotti.
ORIZZONTI AWARDS
Best Film: “Pilgrims/Il paradiso del pavone,” Laurynas Bareisa
Best Director: “Full Time,” Eric Gravel
Special
Jury Prize: “El Gran
Movimiento,” Kiro Russo
Best Actress: “Full Time,” Laure Calamy
Best Actor: “White Building,” Piseth Chhun
Best Screenplay: “107 Mothers,” Ivan Ostrochovský,
Peter Kerekes
Best Short Film: “Los Huesos,” Cristóbal León,
Joaquín Cociña
Best actor, Piseth Chhun, "White Building," Cambodia
LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS AWARD
Best First Feature: “Imaculat,” Monica Stan, George
Chiper-Lillemark
VENICE VR EXPANDED AWARDS
Grand Jury Prize for Best VR Work: “Goliath:
Playing With Reality,” Barry Gene Murphy, May Abdalla
Best VR Experience: “Le Bal de
Paris de Blanca Li,” Blanca Li Best
VR Story: “End of Night,” David Adler
Armani Beauty Audience Award: “The
Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic,” by Teemu Nikki.
Paolo Sorrentino Jury Prize winner, Venice Film Festival, THE HAND OF GOD/È stata la mano di Dio. Film critic Jose Alberto Hermosillo www.FestivalinLA.com.
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“Annette” is a sublime, evocative, and artistic avant-garde musical with many symbolic elements representing love, betrayal, misadventure, and vengeance.
“Annette’s” splashy, elaborate musical numbers, combined with fast-paced editing, showcase a clear, mature style in directing and experimental filmmaking. The narrative becomes existentialist when the main characters’ quest for self-realization begins. They desperately try to find the true meaning of their mundane lives.
The musical opens with an emblematic continuous shot from inside a recording studio to the busy streets of Santa Monica, California. We can start recognizing some familiar faces right from the lively opening of that magnificent, yet minimalist, overture. Along with the main characters, we see the fantastic duo of Sparks, the stylish chorus, and visionary director Leos Carax (“Holy Motors,” “Mister Lonely”), who introduces the film by playing himself as the music producer. “Annette” is Carax’s best work so far.
The romance between the well-known comedian Henry McHenry (Adam Driver) and the celebrated opera singer Ann Defrasnoux (Marion Cotillard) begins as casual dating in Los Angeles, where they start their love story.
From then on, all attention focuses on Henry. In his one-man show, he announces his engagement to Ann.
After Ann’s opera performance, paparazzi and journalists wait outside the theater, singing and huddling around the famous couple. Henry and Ann choose to hide their identities under motorcycle helmets. Hollywood life takes us to a red carpet where they exchange vows, symbolizing their marriage.Ann, the bride, throws the bouquet to the eager media as they exit the scene, while they express their love for each other musically in a more private setting.
Good taste prevails in all musical numbers, even with “We love each other so much” singing while having sex and not in the shower, precisely as ordinary people do.Nevertheless, the arrival of their first baby will change
their lives forever.
As their marriage continues, the dramatic music rises to a crescendo—suggesting an extramarital affair. As we mentioned, the story focuses on the distortion and deconstruction of Henry, the infamous and irreverent comedian with low self-esteem and many addictions. Henry’s stand-up shows are worth our full attention because he foreshadows his next moves in his intimate and outrageous monologues. Ann feels trapped in a toxic relationship. She and her innocent baby, Annette, plan to move out once and for all.
French-born Oscar-winning Marion Cotillard is exquisite, delicate, and gentle as her character becomes haunting. Adam Driver’s performance is mature, possibly his most challenging to date, surpassing his work in “Marriage Story.”
The music grows more obscure as everyone experiences a series of tragic events. The American pop and rock duo Sparks crafted complex lyrics and alluring music. The band previously recorded “The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman” for a tour, but the logistics of traveling with such a large cast were difficult. Once, Leos Carax used a Sparks song in “Holy Motors.”
After meeting in Cannes a few years ago, they decided to collaborate on this fantastic musical. Caroline Champetier is responsible for the sumptuous cinematography of “Annette.” She has also directed other luminous works in France, like “Of Gods and Men” and “The Innocents.”
“Annette” is either complacent or disappointing. Set in Los Angeles, the romance has nothing to do with “La La Land,” and its musical numbers are not comparable to the frenetic pace of “Moulin Rouge!” because “Annette” is sober and entirely unique in every sense.
“Annette’s” stunning visuals and originality keep our attention while we wonder, “What in the world are we watching?”
“Annette” is open to interpretation. When we reach its shocking, overwhelming, and beautiful grand finale, it’s breathtaking and prompts us to consider the importance of karma, since what goes around comes around.
After all, our lives are like lavish musicals where we meet fascinating people, fall in love, get married, have children, watch them grow, make mistakes, and learn from those wrong choices. As we regain control of our souls, we may find time to reflect deeply on how our actions affect others.
“Annette” was the opening film and won Best Director at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. The operatic musical is something we’ve never seen before—completely original!
As I finished watching “Annette,” I desperately wanted to rewind and watch it again, hoping my faithful readers would dare to do the same and see “Annette” at least twice.
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