Film Festival Assessments at Venice: 'The Shattering Apparatus,' 'Frankenstein Redux,' 'Post-Hunt Pursuits,' 'Bug's Kingdom,' 'A Powder Keg Home' and Associated Titles
The 82nd Venice Film Festival: A Star-Studded Lineup
The 82nd Venice Film Festival is currently underway, with a diverse and captivating lineup of films from some of the most renowned directors in the industry.
Olivier Assayas's "The Wizard of the Kremlin" is one of the highlights of the festival. The film delves into the political landscape of Russia, focusing on Vladimir Putin and his right-hand shadow.
Another anticipated film is Kathryn Bigelow's "A House of Dynamite," a nuclear thriller that promises to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Bigelow is joined by a stellar roster of directors, including Mona Fastvold, Paolo Sorrentino, Jim Jarmusch, Park Chan-wook, Gus Van Sant, Lucrezia Martel, László Nemes, and Kaouther Ben Hania.
Lucrecia Martel's "Landmarks" is a thought-provoking documentary that reflects on land theft and indigenous erasure, while Alexandre O. Philippe's "Kin Novak's Vertigo" is a documentary about a Hollywood legend.
Kaouther Ben Hania's "The Voice of Hind Rajab" is a docudrama about a young girl's death in Gaza, offering a poignant and powerful insight into the ongoing conflict.
Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard's film "Broken English" focuses on the life of the iconic singer Marianne Faithfull, promising an intimate and revealing look into her life and career.
Yorgos Lanthimos' "Bugonia" is a scaldingly topical kidnap thriller, while his "Frankenstein" offers a visually ravishing take on the classic story, although it falls short of expectations.
Paolo Strippoli's "The Holy Boy" is a clever Italian chiller, and Pietro Marcello's "Duse" is also being screened at the festival.
Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" and Luca Guadagnino's "After the Hunt" are among the films that play like a muddled version of other acclaimed works, such as "Tár" and "The Handmaid's Tale," respectively.
Sofia Coppola's "Marc by Sofia" is a documentary about fashion designer Marc Jacobs, and Julian Schnabel's "In the Hand of Dante" is another film being screened at the festival.
Gianfranco Rosi's "Below the Clouds" is a lyrical Vesuvius portrait, and Kent Jones's "Late Fame" stars Willem Dafoe as a lost poet.
Valérie Donzelli's "At Work" is a perceptive character study of the gig economy, and Vladlena Sandu's "Memory" is a haunting memorial collage of war-torn Grozny.
Benny Safdie's "The Smashing Machine" is a biopic about UFC fighter Mark Kerr, and Noah Baumbach's "Jay Kelly" stars George Clooney as a version of himself.
Alexander Payne is heading the jury for this year's Venice Film Festival, and the director of the film "Memory" is Michel Franco. Gus Van Sant's "Dead Man's Wire" is a movie based on a real-life hostage incident from 1977, and Laura Poitras' "Cover-Up" is an enthralling portrait of Seymour Hersh.
George MacKay and Callum Turner star in Mark Jenkin's film "Rose of Nevada," adding another layer of star power to the already impressive lineup of the 82nd Venice Film Festival.
