Venezia83: Take care

The 83rd Venice Film Festival is crawling with celebrities, whom I'm only seeing from a distance if I happen to be walking near the Sala Grande during a red carpet moment. I haven't attended press conferences, simply due to time constraints (and they aren't a priority for my coverage). But I do have a few interviews set up with actors and directors. Watch this space. Meanwhile, here are notes on another eclectic set of five films... 

The Echo Chamber
dir Andrea Pallaoro; with Alicia Vikander, Luca Marinelli 26/It ***.
Eight years after the death of master filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci, his final screenplay has been made into a film. Director Andrea Pallaoro fully immerses the audience in this exploration of dependence and absence, as three characters swirl around each other in a fractured narrative. Much of it is darkly moving, even if many of the scenes feel rather random and meandering. And where it goes is painfully bleak. 

London
dir-scr Victor Di Marco, Marcio Picoli; with Victor Di Marco, Jessica Teixeira 26/Br ****
Beautifully shot in a style that mixes colourful textures with gritty reality, this Brazilian odyssey centres around an astonishing performance by Victor Di Marco, who also wrote and directed the film with Marcio Picoli. This is an involving exploration of how we long to define our identity, then worry about being put into a box once people think they know who we are. It's gorgeously messy and also deeply moving. 

Moonfish
dir-scr Daniel Zvereff; voices Morgan Spector, Lucy Liu 26/US *****
Simple but perfectly formed, this outer-space adventure resonates with big feelings about grief, isolation and a sense of purpose. Writer-director Daniel Zvereff animates this beautifully with hand-drawn imagery in glistening black and white. And the line art ripples with tiny details that add wit and emotion to the story, plus a remarkable sense of scale. It's beautiful to look at, and more powerfully involving than expected.

Diane in the Loop [Un Détour par Diane]
dir-scr Ann Sirot, Raphael Balboni; with Ninon Borsei, Sandrine Blancke 26/Bel ***.
Kicking off with a very cheeky dance number, and continuing with offbeat Wild West touches in present-day Belgium, this serious story is infused with an involving blast of black comedy. Filmmakers Ann Sirot and Raphael Balboni also use handheld cameras and freestyle editing to create a loose vibe, aside from the fantastical, artfully choreographed sex scenes. And the performances have a raw honesty. 

From Inside Out

dir Wim Wenders; with Peter Zumthor, Sophie Hunger 26/Ger ****
Continuing to push the possibilities of 3D filmmaking, Wim Wenders takes an immersive documentary look at the life and distinctively naturalistic work of Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. It's a strikingly intimate film that is packed with audacious artistic flourishes. While it feels overlong, it's also the kind of film in which we never know where we'll go next. And it becomes a remarkable ode to earthy creativity.

Full reviews will be linked eventually to Shadows' VENICE FILM FEST PAGE >