ROME -- With more than a third of this year's features made in the U.S. or U.K., the 75th anniversary edition of the Venice Film Festival will have a stronger English-language flavor than it's had in years, organizers revealed as they took the wraps off the full lineup Thursday.
Fifteen U.S. films, including Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited and George Clooney starrer Michael Clayton, and seven Brit titles are among the 57 features screening at the festival. But artistic director Marco Mueller's well-known taste for Asian cinema remains in evidence and the festival boasts a strong presence of homegrown Italian fare.
"There are a lot of films in English, but that is because those countries continue to be willing to risk everything when that's needed," explained Mueller, who said more than 3,000 films were considered before selecting the final lineup. "The films we selected are very innovative works with casts of really big stars, and we continue to look for surprising and innovative films, wherever they come from."
Among the U.S. films joining Anderson's Darjeeling Limited and the Tony Gilroy-helmed Clayton in competition are Redacted from Brian De Palma, a story about the war in Iraq; Andrew Dominik's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford starring Brad Pitt as Jesse James; In the Valley of Elah from Paul Haggis, about a soldier who returns from Iraq to a family crisis; Todd Haynes' I'm Not There, on the life of folk icon Bob Dylan; and the China-U.S. co-production Se, jie (Lust, Caution) from Golden Lion winner Ang Lee, a thriller set in World War II-era Shanghai.
Lee's film is just the tip of the iceberg for Asia-produced or co-produced films in competition, joining with China-Hong Kong co-production The Sun Also Rises from Jiang Wen; Japan's Sukiyaki Western Django from Takashi Miike; and Taiwan's Bangbang wo aishen (Help me Eros) from Lee Kang Sheg.
Other noteworthy competition titles include Kenneth Branagh's Sleuth -- marking the second consecutive year a Branagh film has screened in Venice, following last year's adaptation of The Magic Flute; Ken Loach's It's a Free World; and Andrea Porporati's Italian drama Il Dolce e l'amaro (The Sweet and the Bitter).
The festival's opening night film, Atonement, from Joe Wright and starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, and Vanessa Redgrave also will be in competition.
Fifteen U.S. films, including Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited and George Clooney starrer Michael Clayton, and seven Brit titles are among the 57 features screening at the festival. But artistic director Marco Mueller's well-known taste for Asian cinema remains in evidence and the festival boasts a strong presence of homegrown Italian fare.
"There are a lot of films in English, but that is because those countries continue to be willing to risk everything when that's needed," explained Mueller, who said more than 3,000 films were considered before selecting the final lineup. "The films we selected are very innovative works with casts of really big stars, and we continue to look for surprising and innovative films, wherever they come from."
Among the U.S. films joining Anderson's Darjeeling Limited and the Tony Gilroy-helmed Clayton in competition are Redacted from Brian De Palma, a story about the war in Iraq; Andrew Dominik's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford starring Brad Pitt as Jesse James; In the Valley of Elah from Paul Haggis, about a soldier who returns from Iraq to a family crisis; Todd Haynes' I'm Not There, on the life of folk icon Bob Dylan; and the China-U.S. co-production Se, jie (Lust, Caution) from Golden Lion winner Ang Lee, a thriller set in World War II-era Shanghai.
Lee's film is just the tip of the iceberg for Asia-produced or co-produced films in competition, joining with China-Hong Kong co-production The Sun Also Rises from Jiang Wen; Japan's Sukiyaki Western Django from Takashi Miike; and Taiwan's Bangbang wo aishen (Help me Eros) from Lee Kang Sheg.
Other noteworthy competition titles include Kenneth Branagh's Sleuth -- marking the second consecutive year a Branagh film has screened in Venice, following last year's adaptation of The Magic Flute; Ken Loach's It's a Free World; and Andrea Porporati's Italian drama Il Dolce e l'amaro (The Sweet and the Bitter).
The festival's opening night film, Atonement, from Joe Wright and starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, and Vanessa Redgrave also will be in competition.
- 7/27/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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