Two wondrous filmmakers, two outstanding actors and one musical legend come together to recount an icon and set the record straight. In more ways than one.
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Toni Servillo in Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘La Grazia’, image courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia
The sign of a great man is elegance, and grace: a review of Paolo Sorrentino's 'La Grazia'
The Neapolitan Maestro’s perfect, awards-worthy Venice opener sees Toni Servillo playing an out-going Italian President of the Republic who, faced with several life-changing choices, allows us, the audience, to discover through him the true meaning of the word “grace”.
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A still from ‘Cotton Queen’ by Suzannah Mirghani, which will screen in Critics’ Week in Venice
Doha Film Institute Venice-bound films include the stunning 'Cotton Queen' by Suzannah Mirghani and Kaouther Ben Hania's Competition title 'The Voice of Hind Rajab'
Other titles supported by the respected Qatari cinematic organization include Jihan K’s personal doc on the disappearance of her father during the Qaddafi regime, Cyril Aris’ ‘A Sad and Beautiful World’ starring Mounia Akl, which will be screening in the Official Selection and Giornate degli Autori lineups, respectively, along with Sofia Alaoui’s sci-fi fable ‘Tarfaya’ which participates in the Venice Production Bridge.
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Paolo Sorrentino by © Michael Avedon, courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia
Paolo Sorrentino's 'La Grazia' (Grace) will open this year's Venice Film Fest
And I’ll tell you why I’m excited, plus reveal a bit of the story and where it will take place.
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Olmo Schnabel's 'Pet Shop Days', EP'd by Martin Scorsese to finally release in the US
Starting out limited, in NYC and LA, the film is a wonder to behold and Schnabel, a filmmaker to watch.
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Peace is a co-production: Amos Gitai, Irene Jacob and Micha Lescot talk 'Why War' in Venice
In his latest film, a crucial masterpiece titled ‘Why War’, Amos Gitai reminds us of an exchange of letters between Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychoanalysis, and Albert Einstein, the scientific genius. If only we’d listen to these brilliant men.
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Venice Orizzonti opening film 'Nonostante' by Valerio Mastandrea is an ode to love and loss
It’s not often that a film changes the chemistry of my beliefs. ‘Nonostante’ which in English is called ‘Feeling Better’ is one of those films and I’m better for watching it — also after interviewing its talented filmmaker and star.
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'Why War' may be Amos Gitai's most important film to date and will screen at this year's Venice Film Festival
For a man whose personal mission has been to “build bridges through cinema,” as he told La Repubblica newspaper in an interview just published this week, his latest film may prove the most important peace-making link yet.
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Sofia Coppola's 'Priscilla' to close the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival
The Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, which runs from October 27 to November 5, announced on Monday that this year’s Closing Night film will be Coppola’s film based on the 1985 memoir ‘Elvis and Me’ written by Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon.
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'Maestro' -- A personal review
Once the absurd discourse about Bradley Cooper’s nose will have finally quieted down, those who have been lucky enough to have watched ‘Maestro’ on the big screen will realize they’ve witnessed a masterpiece.
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Sci-fi reimagined: Talking to Moin Hussain about 'Sky Peals' in Venice
We often forget that some of the best films ever made didn’t come with colossal budgets and outrageous VFX, their brilliance established through a great story and very relatable characters. British-Pakistani filmmaker Moin Hussain’s debut feature, which premiered in Venice before being poised to screen at the upcoming London Film Festival, is just one of those films.
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'Backstage' - Venice review
At the start of ‘Backstage’, the first feature directorial collaboration between Moroccan filmmaker Khalil Benkirane and Tunisian star Afef Ben Mahmoud, the unthinkable happens. And we, the audience, are along for the ride of a lifetime.
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'Bye Bye Tiberias' review: A personal tribute to a global cause
Lina Soualem’s touchingly personal documentary should be required viewing for anyone who wants to understand the Palestinian struggle, and the true emotional toll of an entire people’s displacement.
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Filmmaker Karan Tejpal and producer/writer Gaurav Dhingra talk Venice title 'Stolen'
Screened as part of Orizzonti Extra in Venice, the Indian indie production featured an unrelenting heroine, one that though penned by male writers, ticked all the boxes of a perfectly female character for me.
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Reviewing David Fincher's 'The Killer' without giving too much away...
Starring the magnificently contained Michael Fassbender as the unnamed hitman, this is one film that must be viewed without any previous knowledge of its story and possibly on a cool Fall evening, with a shot of premium whiskey nearby. But you’ll have to see for yourself why that is.
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Olmo Schnabel talks directing 'Pet Shop Days', dual identities & laws of attraction
Olmo Schnabel’s directorial debut is everything you could wish for in a film, from a man with such an impressive background — artist and filmmaker Julian is his dad and mom is Spanish actress Olatz López Garmendia — but also someone who is perfectly at ease with both his American and Spanish sides. And refreshingly believes life is best when lived outside the boxes of convention.
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'Stane' by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović is the latest must-watch from Miu Miu Women's Tales
When the filmmaker of 2021 Cannes Camera d’Or winner ‘Murina’ becomes the latest in a line of wondrous women filmmakers to feature in the beloved fashion brand’s series, the result is definitely something worth writing about!
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The vampire wore sneakers: 'El Conde' Venice Review
Once again, Pablo Larrain proves he is one of the smartest filmmakers around, but never once does he talk down to us, his audience. And this dictator vampire romp in B&W is just what this writer needed to kick off the festival in style.
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'Nezouh' -- Venice 2022 review
Soudade Kaadan's film is a fable of two women and the men who love them (well, one man and one boy really) and the power and magic that love carries with it. From the MIME.news archives.
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Five indie films to watch at this year's Venice Film Festival
It may be a Netflix world and we’re just living in it, as the streaming giant is hot on the Lido this year with Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’, Pablo Larrain’s vampire dictator romp and Wes Anderson’s latest — but there are a couple of indie titles that you need to watch.
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