Venice Film Festival 2017 (La Biennale)
Monday the 4th
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
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The first day in week two at Venice this year saw British writer/director Martin McDonagh assemble his stars Sam Rockwell, Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson for a the premiere of his latest idesyncratic dark comedic crime story. A tale set in contemporary small town Missouri, where a mother clashes with local law enforcement when they fail to find the culprit in her daughter’s murder case, prompting her to take matters into her own hands and raise the tension to a new level.
‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ is out on the 10th of November in US cinemas and on the 12th of January 2018 in the UK.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri @ Venice 2017 (courtesy of BiennaleChannel)
Una Famiglia
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Monday also brought the director and cast of Italian ‘Orizzonti’ competition contender ‘Una Famiglia’, as Sebastiano Riso brought along his stars Micaela Ramazzotti, Patrick Bruel and Matilda De Angelis for a premiere of their contemporary drama—the story of a couple who live an isolated and regimented life in Rome, only for their relationship to be challenged by the spectre of creating a family and a hint of rebellion from the young woman. ‘Una Famiglia’ is out on the 28th of September in Italy, with no other dates yet.
Una Famiglia @ Venice 2017 (courtesy of BiennaleChannel)
Tuesday the 5th
Mother!
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Tuesday’s proceedings culminated with the stars aligning at the Lido as the cast of psychological horror/mystery ‘Mother!’ joined their writer/director Darren Aronofsky for an in-competition premiere. A film centred around couple’s relationship and idyllic suburban life which is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a couple of mysterious house guests.
Aronofsky was joined by his stars Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Pfeiffer and Javier Bardem to showcase their film and get a valuable late promotional push, for a film out in UK and US cinemas on the 15th of September.
Mother! @ Venice 2017 (courtesy of BiennaleChannel)
The Third Murder (Sandome No Satsujin)
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Celebrated Japanese writer director Hirokazu Koreeda also returned to Venice on Tuesday for the in-competition premier of his latest taught human drama ‘The Third Murder’. The story of a man with a criminal past who is accused of murder, and the prominent attorney trying to defend him in what seems an unwinnable case, made all the more complex when doubts over his guilt begin to arise as the case unfolds—despite his admission of guilt. Koreeda was joined at the Lido by stars Suzu Hirose, Koji Yakusho, Masaharu Fukuyama and composer Ludovico Einaudi, ‘The Third Murder’ is out on the 9th of September in Japan, with no other release dates.
The Third Murder @ Venice 2017 (courtesy of BiennaleChannel)
Wednesday the 6th
Sweet Country
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Wednesday at the Lido brought the Aussie in-competition entry to this year’s festival, as director Warwick Thornton brought along his stars Sam Neill, Matt Day and Bryan Brown for a gala screening of ‘Sweet Country’, a socially significant period crime drama with Western motifs. A story which begins in the Australian outback where an Aboriginal man and his wife are on the run after killing a white man in self-defence, and ends in the courtroom where the line between punishment and justice is blurred—all inspired by real events. ‘Sweet Country’ has no confirmed release dates.
Sweet Country @ Venice 2017 (courtesy of BiennaleChannel)
Ammore e Malavita
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Wednesday also saw the novelty of a musical in competition contention at Venice, and an Italian one at that, as the directors and stars of Neapolitan forbidden love romance and gangster comedy ‘Ammore e Malavita’ assembled at the Lido—a slightly farcical tale set in modern day Napoli where a Camorra hitman falls for a target after remembering his childhood connection with her.
Directors the Manetti brothers brought along their stars Serena Rossi, Claudia Gerini, Giampaolo Morelli, Raiz and Carlo Buccirosso, for a film scheduled for a 5th of October release in Italy, but with no other confirmed dates.
Ammore e Malavita @ Venice 2017 (courtesy of BiennaleChannel)
Loving Pablo
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Spanish star Javier Bardem returned to the Lido on Wednesday for his second screening in a week, as he joined wife and co-star Penélope Cruz and their director Fernando León de Aranoa for an out-of-competition screening of ‘Loving Pablo’—a dramatic portrait of infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, told through the prism of his enduring affair with Colombian journalist and star reporter Virginia Vallejo. ‘Loving Pablo’ has no current UK or US release dates yet.
Loving Pablo on the Venice Red Carpet (courtesy of Rai)
Thursday the 7th
Angels Wear White (Jia Nian Hua)
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This sole Chinese entry into this year’s competition marked the culmination of Thursday’s proceedings at the festival, as writer/director Vivian Qu assembled the cast of her powerful and confronting contemporary drama ‘Angels Wear White’—a film which follows the fate of a 12-year old schoolgirl and her friend after they’re assaulted by a grown man in a small town motel, with only one unwilling witness to offer justice and a society which doesn’t seem to care.
The director was joined on the red carpet by her stars Jing Peng, Le Geng, Zhou Meijun, Shi Ke and Wang Yuexin, ‘Angels Wear White’ has no confirmed release dates.
Angels Wear White @ Venice 2017 (courtesy of BiennaleChannel)
Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno
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Thrusday also signalled a return for Venice regular Abdellatif Kechiche, as he assembled his young cast for an in-competition screening for his French-Tunisian coming-of-age drama ‘Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno’; the story of an aspiring young Parisian screenwiter’s summer return to southern coastal France, as he becomes intoxicated by youthful exuberance and the beautiful young women who flock to the seaside, using it for artistic inspiration while getting caught in a romantic conundrum in this adaptation of a François Bégaudeau novel.
Kechiche was joined by his young stars Lou Luttiau, Salim Kechiouche, Mel Einda El Asfour, Ophelie Bau, Hafsia Herzi, Shain Boumedine and Alexia Chardard, for a film with no current release date.
Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno @ Venice 2017 (courtesy of BiennaleChannel)
Friday the 8th
Custody (Jusqu’à la Garde)
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The second Friday and penultimate day at La Biennale this year culminated with the in-competition gala screening of Xavier Legrand’s French drama ‘Custody’—the story a French boy who gets emotionally (and physically) torn apart by his parents’ bitter divorce, becoming an unwilling pawn in their battle for custody.
Writer/director Legrand was joined on the Lido red carpet by his stars Saadia Bentaieb, Denis Menochet, Lea Drucker, Thomas Gioria and Mathilde Auneveux, ‘Custody’ has no current release dates.
Custody @ Venice 2017 (courtesy of BiennaleChannel)
Hannah
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Friday also saw an in-competition screening for writer/director Andrea Pallaoro’s Italo-French/Belgian drama ‘Hannah’; a film which follows the personal breakdown of a woman in her twilight years after the imprisonment of her husband, finding herself in an existential quagmire when she’s caught between loyalty and reality, while questioning her identity and place in society. Pallaoro was on hand with his star Charlotte Rampling, ‘Hannah’ is out on the 18th of January in Germany, with no other dates yet.
Hannah @ Venice 2017 (courtesy of BiennaleChannel)
Manhunt (Zhuibu)
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Acclaimed Chinese action director John Woo also graced the Lido red carpet on Friday, as he brought along the pan-Asian stars of his Japanese action/thriller for an out-of-competition gala screening of ‘Manhunt’. The story of an honourable lawyer who becomes a fugitive after being implicated in a murder, and the detective charged with bringing him in, but determined to uncover the truth about this seemingly simple case. Woo was accompanied by his stars Angeles Woo, Ha Ji-Won, Zhang Hanyu, Qi Wei and Tao Okamoto, ‘Manhunt’ is out on the 24th of November in China, with no UK release date yet.
Saturday the 9th
Outrage Coda
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As usual the festival closed with an out-of-competition gala screening, this year the honour went to legendary Japanese actor Takeshi Kitano who graced the red carpet in both star and director mode, for a screening of the third and final instalment of his ‘Outrage’ crime series. ‘Outrage Coda’ follows former yakuza boss Otomo as he crosses the sea to work for a powerful South Korean figure, only to get caught between his new employer and a power struggle within his former crime family, leaving him with the job of sweeping everything up once and for all.
Kitano brough along the film’s producer Masayuki Mori, ‘Outrage Coda’ is out on the 7th of October in Japan, with no other release dates yet.
Outrage Coda trailer (The Upcoming)
Venice Film Festival 2017 Awards (Next Page)–>
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