Venice Film Festival: From ‘Joker 2’ to ‘Queer,’ here are 10 movies to get excited about

VENICE, Italy (AP) — A few of Hollywood’s greatest stars are on the point of descend on the Venice Movie Competition this week, from George Clooney and Angelina Jolie to Girl Gaga and Brad Pitt.

However whereas the attract of A-listers on these picturesque docks is a welcome return to kind after final 12 months’s lower-wattage version amid the strikes, the highlight that issues most will likely be on their movies. Alongside with Cannes, Venice — which runs from Aug. 28 via Sept. 7 — is among the most glamorous launching pads for awards season. The movies that do properly on the Lido will likely be dominating the dialog till the Oscars in March.

On this 12 months’s lineup, there’s each large Hollywood fare (“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 2” to “Wolfs”) and an enormous array of intriguing movies from auteurs world wide. At festivals, the very best factor is to maintain an open thoughts and see as a lot as potential — you by no means know what may hit. Within the meantime, although, listed below are 10 movies to get enthusiastic about at Venice.

“Joker: Folie à Deux” (Sept. 4)

Regardless of which aspect of the “Joker” discourse you have been on 5 years in the past, the truth that all concerned would convey the sequel again to Venice to play in competitors is promising. “Joker: Folie à Deux” doesn’t want the competition buzz, in any case. The primary movie remodeled $1 billion and was nominated for 11 Oscars. Venice chief Alberto Barbera advised Deadline that it’s fully totally different from the primary, a dystopian musical that’s “probably the most daring, courageous and artistic movies in current American cinema” and “confirms Todd Phillips as probably the most artistic administrators working for the time being.” It’ll be in theaters Oct. 4.

“Maria” (Aug. 29)

Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín is to not be ignored when he makes a movie a few well-known lady with a tragic narrative (see: “Spencer,” “Jackie”). This time he’s teamed with screenwriter Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”) and Jolie to convey opera singer Maria Callas again to life in “Maria.” The soprano was a tabloid fixture, maybe most well-known for her affair with Aristotle Onassis, who would find yourself leaving her for one more of Larraín’s tragic girls: Jacqueline Kennedy. Callas died in 1977, at age 53, however stays one among classical music’s bestselling artists. “Maria” is taking part in in competitors and in search of distribution.

“Queer” (Sept. 3)

Luca Guadagnino returns to Venice with “Queer,” an adaptation of the William S. Burroughs novel, starring Daniel Craig in a efficiency that Barbera has known as “profession defining.” It follows an American expat to Mexico Metropolis on a quest for a drug. There, he encounters all types of characters and develops an obsession with a younger man. The novel was written within the early Nineteen Fifties, a type of companion piece to “Junkie,” however not revealed till 1985. Others have tried to adapt it earlier than, together with Steve Buscemi and Oren Moverman. “Queer” can also be in search of distribution.

“The Room Subsequent Door” (Sept. 2)

Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language debut, with Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton starring? We barely even want an outline to get enthusiastic about that, which might be good as a result of particulars are obscure. He’s mentioned that it’s about an imperfect mom and a resentful daughter who’re estranged due to a “profound misunderstanding.” Along with tackling topics like warfare, demise, friendship and sexual pleasure, Almodóvar mentioned, “it additionally talks in regards to the pleasure of waking as much as birds bringing a brand new day at a home constructed on a pure reserve in New England.” It’ll additionally make a cease on the New York Movie Competition earlier than a December launch.

“Babygirl” (Aug. 30)

Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn made the wildly enjoyable “Our bodies Our bodies Our bodies,” so we’re particularly curious what “Babygirl” holds. The erotic thriller stars Nicole Kidman (who 25 years in the past got here to Venice with “Eyes Extensive Shut”) as a strong CEO who begins an affair with a youthful intern performed by Harris Dickinson (“Triangle of Disappointment,” “The Iron Claw”). Antonio Banderas additionally co-stars. A24 plans a December theatrical launch.

“The Brutalist” (Sept. 1)

This 3 1/2-hour drama from filmmaker Brady Corbet follows architect László Toth (Adrien Brody) and his spouse Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) on a decadeslong journey as they flee Europe following World Warfare II and try and arrange a life in America. There, Toth meets industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Man Pearce), who commissions him to design a modernist monument, altering their lives for higher and worse. Corbet (“Vox Lux”) is just not all the time going to be a filmmaker for everybody, however he’s by no means not attention-grabbing. Focus Options and Common are distributing, however the film doesn’t but have a launch date.

“Youth (Homecoming)” (Sept. 6)

There are fairly a couple of revolutionary choices within the nonfiction area: Errol Morris’ “Separated,” in regards to the Trump administration’s border coverage; Asif Kapadia’s future-looking “2073”; “Pavements,” Alex Ross Perry’s hybrid doc in regards to the Stephen Malkmus band; and Andres Veiel’s “Riefenstahl.” However just one made it to the principle competitors: Wang Bing’s “Youth (Homecoming),” the conclusion to his verité documentary trilogy by which he adopted migrant staff in Zhili, China’s textile factories throughout 5 years. It’s in search of distribution.

“April” (Sept. 5)

Georgian filmmaker Dea Kulumbegashvili’s sophomore movie is about Nina, an OB-GYN working in rural Georgia who additionally performs abortions, regardless of the legal guidelines of the nation. When a new child dies in her care, an investigation fuels rumors about her morality and professionalism. Three years after the abortion drama “Taking place” snagged the highest prize at Venice, the thrill is that this will likely be one of many breakouts. Kulumbegashvili’s debut, “Starting,” in regards to the bombing of a Jehovah’s Witnesses church, made waves on the competition circuit in 2020. “April,” which is in search of a U.S. distributor, can also be set to play at TIFF and the New York Movie Competition.

“The Order” (Aug. 31)

Jude Regulation produced and stars on this Eighties-set crime thriller a few white supremacist group who his FBI agent character suspects is tied to a sequence of crimes within the Pacific Northwest. Nicholas Hoult performs the group’s charismatic chief within the Justin Kurzel-directed movie, to be launched in theaters in December.

“Harvest” (Sept. 3)

“Attenberg” and “Chevalier” filmmaker Athina Rachel Tsangari returns to the principle competitors with “Harvest,” an adaptation of the Jim Crace novel set in a medieval English village the place the locals use three newcomers as scapegoats for financial turmoil. It’s apparently the rationale star Caleb Landry Jones did his “Dogman” press with a Scottish accent final 12 months. Mubi has distribution rights in a number of European territories, however no dates or U.S. plans have been introduced.

BONUS: “Disclaimer” (Aug. 29)

This isn’t a movie, however this sequence coming to AppleTV+ on Oct. 11 is from Alfonso Cuarón, who wrote and directed the seven-episode psychological thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline. Blanchett performs a journalist who discovers she’s a personality in a novel that reveals her darkish secret.

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