Day 4 #Venezia72

Today is a true crazy day in Venice as no festival programmer will burn three star-studded films in one day, except for La Mostra that in one single day has a parade of beautiful people, one after the other.

Yes today was the day of Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart that surprisingly enough up-to-this moment they haven't cross paths, as there is NO photo with the two together; but as you can imagine already there are hundreds of Binoche and thousands of Stewart photos from this afternoon in Venice. Then you have to add that Binoche is in a movie with Lou de Laâge plus Stewart is in a movie with very good looking Nicholas Hoult and you have four pretty good-looking people.

But that's not all as in another movie you will find Alicia Vikander, Eddie Redmayne, Amber Head and Matthias Schoenaerts. If Venice programmer put in one day films with all these good-looking people, the least he can do is to have ALL in one photo! Ah! Mr. Barbera perhaps in the future you do not accept three high-profile films in one day, better to distribute them to raise the profile of another days that according to screening schedule will need more pizzazz!

Official Selection

Venezia72

L'Atessa by Pierro Messina

Sorry but will stop reading reviews as most have significant story spoilers that I wish to forget now that I read them, so when I see movie I can be surprised. Of course film is must-be-seen for me just because I see everything with Juliette Binoche and yes, I'm curious about Lou de Laâge performance as imagine that film has to have an interesting Binoche- Laâge tête-à-tête or pas-de-deux.

Will watch a bit of the press conference live -will NOT skip a chance to see Juliette Binoche live; BUT if spoilers come, will stop. Last night started to see Juliette Binoche photos and this morning she looks fresh as has a lot less eye makeup than last night, which is good. At press conference Binoche speaks French -no voice over translation: THANKS!- Love Italian expressions "La divina Juliette Binoche"! Lou de Laâge looks tired and bored, don't blame her as questions come and go to Messina and Binoche. Laâge also speaks French, very nice answer she gave. It's over! Gosh that was fast, lol; not many spoilers but cut audio when director speaks.

Seems Italian press are divided, some like it , others don't; nevertheless is the first Italian film in the competition so local press is going wild with coverage. What follows is very little social and press coverage for this film as there are too many story spoilers going around.

Press Reactions
- The entire film is a game of cat and mouse in the emotional equivalent of slow-motion, made watchable by elegant compositions and De Laâge’s natural beauty. Lisa Nesselson-Screendaily, UK

Twittersphere
-limita i sorrentinismi a inizio e fine, riuscendo a costruire una densa tensione tra i personaggi e gli attori. Emanuele Rauco
-L'ATTESA is like Sicily itself - an ancient and modern mystery of mothers and sons. loved it. Filmuforia, UK
- L'attesa è un film difficile, lento nel carburare ma che si solleva nel finale. Francesca Druidi
- Gli applausi hanno accolto la fine della proiezione stampa de L'Attesa di Piero Messina. Notizie Italiane.

The Danish Girl by Tom Hooper

My first reaction when I saw film trailer was that film is truly awesome for the magnificent production values and the actors performances. Somehow today with viewers reactions believe that film will fulfill my expectations and even surpass them.

Venezia72 Check No. 4 was written with so much emphasis in the film story that left out something important that was reminded yesterday, how much I enjoy Alicia Vikander performances! I follow her career very close since she was in that movie with Mads Mikkelsen, The Royal Affair; have seen her mainstream and not so-commercial movies since then. Watching her in the trailer was as good as watching Redmayne more visible leading role. As a matter of fact yesterday there was someone reminding all how much she was responsible for carrying the whole Testament of Youth - of course I agree.

So, now you will understand that was NO surprise for me to find many first reactions talking about how good Vikander is and some believe that she's better than Redmayne. The most silly thing I found today is that Vikander is dating Michael Fassbender! LOL, had no idea.

Yes will watch the press conference live. Completely forgot that Amber Heard is in this movie! -she was in the red carpet last night with her husband and today she looks like she hasn't sleep much-; both Vikander and Redmayne got press ovations. Guess who is also in the press conference? None other than great Matthias Schoenaerts! Having fun with cast when questions are kind of silly. Now that I see them all together have to say that cast is VERY easy-on-the-eye. Gosh Vikander American English is as good as her British English, her Swedish, her Danish ... what else has she spoken in the big screen?

Movie seems to have gather mostly positive reactions from press and among those that have seen it in Venice; but there are some exceptions...

Press Reactions
- The film’s most obvious appeal is as a love story, with the interplay between Redmayne and Vikander centrally effective. Unfortunately, they don’t always seem to be acting together, or in the same film. Jonathan Romney-Screendaily, UK (Ouch!)
- Eddie Redmayne's swan neck is best thing in pain-free transgender melodrama. Jonathan Rommey-The Guardian, UK
A respectable if somewhat emotionally muted retelling of a remarkable life. David Rooney-THR, USA

Twittersphere
- The Danish Girl's transgender agenda is laudable but it is gorgeous weepy and monotonously tasteful. John Bleasdale
-Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl is so Oscar ready the acceptance speeches are included in the film. CineVue
- The Danish Girl (Hooper): Cried myself into a human raisin. Redmayne great, Vikander secret weapon. Beautiful, great and awardsy. Robbie Collin
- The Danish Girl: Classy Scandi transgender biopic. Eddie Redmayne is good: Alicia Vikander even better. Jill Lawles.
- De blikvanger in #TheDanishGirl is ongetwijfeld Swedish girl Alicia Vikander. Schitterende vertolking van haar. #Oscarmateriaal. Raf Geusens.
- The Danish Girl: A swooning, elegant & weepy pirouette around transgender. Vikander (& those dressing gowns) stole the show. Corrina Antrobus

Equals by Drake Doremus

Seems that among those that have seen the film the consensus is that resembles Gattaca and some even go a bit far to compare film to 1989. Have to see movie to really understand what they are saying but in principle comparing film to Gattaca and/or 1989 is not bad in my book. Nowadays there are quite a few stories set in a dystopian future but most are based on teen novels, so when critics compare Equlas to those 2 films, it tells me that is not like those teen stories adaptations, but more adult oriented. Am I right? Let's be positive and hope I am.

Nevertheless press is warm about movie, with some being subtle to describe how much they dislike it while others praise actors performances. So my take is that press is divided. But there is something I tend to notice more and more, seems like non-English Europeans enjoy -more than English-speaking Europeans and Americans- Stewart performances. When reading non-English comments realized that they mention what I like most of French cinema: when actors perform without words and you understand everything they are "saying", just because their performance with body-language and facial expressions.

No need to say that got more curious about movie and yes, hope is as good as today I imagine it could be. Be careful what you read as there are many KStew haters -including among those that write about films and get paid for writing.

Watching press conference and Stewart looks magnificent, fresh and beautiful, as well as Nicholas Hoult! (lol). Stewart tends to speak SO similar to Jesse Eisenberg... fast, very fast. Nice press conference, some good questions -general not story spoilers- watch video if you wish to see them as there is nothing that will spoil movie for you.

What follows are a few press and social reactions from those that saw movie.

Press Reactions
- Kristen Stewart is a master of subtlety ... in this stylish if simplistic... Peter Debruge-Variety, USA
- Equals just about passes muster as a solid vignette of love against the odds, but when it comes to futurism, its vision is dustily archaic. Jonathan Romney-Screendaily, UK
- The future looks pretty but dull. David Rooney-THR, USA
- Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult fail to compute in moribund sci-fi parable. Andrew Pulver-The Guardian, UK

Twittersphere
- No doubt Kirsten Steward is a stayer after SILS MARIA and now even better EQUALS. Øystein Egge
- Equals (Doremus): forbidden love in a flat-pack dystopia where feelings are illegal. Honestly. Dear oh dear. Robbie Collin

Out of Competition

СОБЫТИЕ Sobytie (The Event) by Sergei Loznitsa

When I think about Loznitsa I do not think about his documentaries, I think about his outstanding feature-films. But then his docs are as good as his feature films. I consider Loznitsa as one of my favorite contemporary directors, no surprise when I say that everything by him is must be seen for me.

Twittersphere
SOBYTIE, a found-footage portrait of the 1991 Moscow coup is solid and evocative. But when is Loznitsa not good?

Orizzonti
The Childhood of a Leader by Brady Corbet
Was the day that Robert Pattinson had to be in Venice but he wasn't, so film came and went with not much buzz.

Krigen by Tobias Lindholm
I watch everything by Tobias Lindholm, so I'm really looking forward to watch this drama that has high possibilities to be the Danish Oscar entry.

Tribute to Wes Craven
A Nightmare on Elm's Street by Wes Craven. Not a horror genre fan, but have seen my share, besides here you have a very young Johnny Depp that looks completely different to what we have seen in the last two days.

The following are also in Venice today but will only make a list.

Venezia Classici
A Flickering Truth by Petra Brettkelly (documentary)
Restored Films
Amacord by Federico Fellini, 1973
Leon Morin, Petre by Jean-Pierre Melville, 1961

Venice Days
A Peine J'Ouvre les Yeux (As I Open My Eyes) by Leyla Bouzid
International Critics'Week
Khalo Pothi (The Black Hen) by Min BAhadur Bham
Biennale College - Cinema
Blanka by Kohki Hasei
Il Cinema nel Giardino
Today Talk is with Giuseppe Tornatore and many will have the chance to what I imagine quite bizarre experience of watching Fellini's Amacord outdoors, in a garden. Wish I was there.

News
- Today at the Venice film market there was a panel organized by ArtCinema CICAE to discuss "Bringing Art House Films to The Public", interesting. Will try to find the conclusions or points made.

Photos

Kristen Stewart at last night Equals private dinner