Venice Dispatch – That’s a Wrap

Well, in defense of Izzy, The Room Next Door IS a very fine film. I fell happily under its spell and loved what it has to say about life, death, self-determination. And who can ever begrudge seeing the one and only Pedro Almodóvar be given golden things? It’s just that…

Considering I do have a few things to say about the jury’s decisions at the 81st Venice Film Festival, announced earlier tonight, let’s better get into it.

Best Young Performer: Paul Kircher (And Their Children After Them)

Granted, this lineup didn’t really offer any standout performance by young actors, but I’m still disappointed by this pick. I like Kircher a lot as a performer and singled out his work on the riveting, moving thriller-drama The Animal Kingdom. But his new film didn’t do it for me at all. And Their Children After Them is a teenage romance/coming-of-age story told across the span of six years and Kircher is to be seen in almost every scene. So you get to see him portray the character through different stages of life. Whether that transformation says something truthful, meaningful, however, is another question.

While one may still understand this choice for the sheer lack of alternatives, you can’t say the same about…

Best Actor: Vincent Lindon (The Quiet Son)

See, I like Lindon as an actor too (see Titane, for example). But this movie? The Quiet Son is a cautionary tale about the corrosive effects of far-right extremism on the youth, in which Lindon plays the father of two misguided sons. I appreciate the message and the performance itself is technically irreproachable. But 1) it’s not anything we haven’t seen him do; 2) this film is so heavy-handed it’s at times hard to watch; 3) Daniel Craig is RIGHT THERE.

Honestly, the choice of Lindon over Craig would not have felt so pointed if the latter’s performance isn’t so much better, deeper, more surprising. This really tells you, maybe even more so than the film’s complete no-show tonight, that this jury hated Queer. I obviously underestimated how divisive Luca Guadagnino’s film is but do hope a wide audience will discover it nonetheless. To me, it’s a rare adaptation that manages to stay faithful to the source material while finding its own voice and soul. Both Craig and Guadagnino took a huge swing. They didn’t deserve this.

Best Actress: Nicole Kidman (Babygirl)

Of course the only winner I correctly predicted is Best Actress. As I said, this just seems inevitable. I could even imagine Huppert compromising in other categories to secure this win for Kidman. It would not have been my personal pick in such a strong year, but no complaints here. Great, fearless performance in an electrifying, proudly sex-positive film.

Best Screenplay: I’m Still Here

I had a hunch Walter Salles’ important, incredibly moving film would win something, just didn’t think it would be for screenplay. From my experience, festival juries tend to favor original screenplays. And this year we have such gorgeous writing with Dag Johan Haugerud’s Love and Emmanuel Mouret’s Three Friends. Also, if we are going to recognize the art of adapted writing, again, Queer is right there. This is not to say the writing of I’m Still Here is subpar. As touched as I was by the film, however, I don’t think it’s the very solid if somewhat old-fashioned screenplay that made it work so well.

Best Director: Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)

This would have been my personal choice but it’s still disappointing to see Corbet’s mad masterpiece “settle” for the directing prize. His direction is obviously next-level and worthy of all the accolades, but how is this film not among the very best of the lineup? Which also brings me to…

Special Jury Prize: April

Again, an absolutely deserved win, if sadly underserved. With minimal resources, Dea Kulumbegashvili made a beast of a film that’s unlike anything else in competition. For such a young filmmaker, her assuredness and singular point of view are nothing short of extraordinary. Especially in view of the eventual winners of the top prizes, I think Isabelle either messed up the order or perhaps she just got mellowed, because…

Grand Jury Prize: Vermiglio

Maura Delpero’s period family drama is a lovely, lovely film. It vividly portrays a big, religious family and how the tragic end of one marriage affects every member. Through tender, stunt-free storytelling, Delpero draws you into the life of this group of people, by the end of which you feel like you know their joys, worries and sorrows intimately. It’s an all-around exquisite piece of work if also decidedly unadventurous compared to some of the films it triumphed over. It’s not the type of film I’d assume someone with Huppert’s filmography (and famously wanted to give Antichrist the Palme d’Or) would feel passionate about.

Golden Lion: The Room Next Door

That brings us to the final award of the evening. See, I love Pedro and I have the receipts. I also think it’s intolerable that Pedro Almodóvar had never won the top prize in Berlin, Cannes or Venice. So I am very glad that this mistake has been corrected. On the other hand, I did expect a more daring Golden Lion winner from this jury. It’s a bit of a let-down, too, that the most acclaimed and influential contemporary queer filmmaker was recognized on this historic night for a non-queer film.

Having said all that, on its own terms, The Room Next Door is a beautiful film. It’s compassionate, wise and, like the best films about euthanasia, life-affirming. I heartily recommend everyone to seek it out.

That’s it for my coverage of the 81st Venice Film Festival. I hope some of you have enjoyed following along!