Film Festival Coverage

Review: Standing Ovation for Michael Mann’s Highly Anticipated ‘Ferrari’ at the Venice Film Festival

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I am sure we have all heard of Ferrari. We can picture the red cars. The sounds of the engines. Despite growing up seeing those cars race for the win, I never really paid much attention to their inventor. Nor did I know it was a two-man job between Enzo Ferrari and his wife, Laura Ferrari.  After gracing us with films like Heat (1995) and Collateral (2004), director Michael Mann introduces us to the life of the Ferraris. While the film is mostly centered around Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver), we get to see a good look into the lives of the people surrounding him as well.  The Film is a biopic, though it tries to back away from its clichés. We know very little about Enzo Ferrari’s childhood and dive into the story 10 years after he and Laura Ferrari (Penelope Cruz) built up their business and became well known figures. Nevertheless, the film at its core thematizes the topic of family. Which is why this turned out to be a positive surprise. Considering this is a movie centered around perhaps the most well-known race cars in the world, one might think the film won’t back away to be exactly that, without deep plot devices or interesting characters. But Michael Mann’s Ferraricares deeply about its source material and the story behind the Ferrari Family.  After seeing films at the Venice Film Festival that offer very poor characterizations of female characters, Mann’s film shines with two very powerful women in the forefront. Penelope Cruz is a force in this. Her scenes, although little, are captivating. She is truly a show stealer, and this may be one of her best performances in a long time.  Shailene Woodley, portraying Enzo Ferrari’s late partner Lina Lardi, gives this dynamic the heart it needs. And for those expecting to see a car race, ‘Ferrari’ does not disappoint either. A very huge event in this film is the Mille Miglia race, that is known to have a huge tragedy on its way. Although the audience can feel that something is about to go wrong, the tension and the feeling it causes in the end, is something one cannot foresee. The Scenes are graphic and seem rather surreal, which makes the fact that this actually really happened even more tragic. When seeing this at the Palabiennale in Venice with a crowded audience, the room turned completely silent. The film manages to explore its characters and offers a compelling storyline. However, one aspect deserving critique is the attempt to talk English with an Italian Accent, executed effectively and subtly by Penelope Cruz, but seemed rather distracting with Adam Driver’s role. Despite that, the cast offers stellar performances.  A film worth seeing on the big screen. From us, ‘Ferrari’ will receive 3 ½ of 5 Stars.

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Review: De Angelis’ ‘Comandante’: lacking pace while drawing out a captivating story

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Edoardo De Angelis’ ‘COMANDANTE‘ tells the story of the Italian Royal Navy Submarine ‘Cappellini’, or more like tries to give a glimpse into the life of Commander Salvadore Todaro (Pierfrancesco Favino), who sinks an armed merchant ship but then decides to help the shipwrecked Belgians who otherwise would have drowned in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the Opener of the 80th Venice Film Festival.  De Angelis’ 16th film is a war movie and recalls a true story. It definitely offers a premise that has everything laid out for an interesting story. The plot already offers something interesting to look at: A commander who dismisses military laws and helps a group of people who also stated that they wouldn’t have done the same thing for him. We have a conflict that could showcase interesting dynamics. Sadly, it didn’t. Although the Film is gorgeous to look at – the pictures are captivating, there’s a scene underwater where we see a lot of jellyfish passing through while seeing multiple bombs going off in the distance, making war look awfully senseless. There is an ongoing narrative that war is turning humans into vessels and questioning the existence of war in general as an ongoing theme in this. It just wasn’t well executed.   While the characters we got a tiny glimpse of sparked interest, it didn’t quite feel like they dove into their lives deep enough for the audience to truly care. When characters would end up dying, I just didn’t really feel affected by their loss.  I left the theatre feeling not quite satisfied. In my opinion, what didn’t really work was the screenplay and the overall pace in this. The film tried to be so many things at once: an anti-war film, a biopic, a look into the cruel face of war. A Story of hope? It didn’t really know what it wanted to be. I also may need to state that this film mostly laid out that the Italians were the good guys during WWII. There is a scene where Salvadore justifies his good-hearted actions as something he did, because (and this is something the character really said) he is Italian. It feels like this narrative just doesn’t really work, when the audience is aware of the cruelty that has also been going on under Mussolini’s regime.  Pierfrancesco Favino’s performance saves a lot of parts in this movie. Salvadores dialogues feel very patriotic or flat at times, it did the film a huge favor in having a good actor portraying that character.  From us the De Angelis film merits a rating of 2 Stars. Regrettably, it fails to effectively translate the potential of its story to captivate its audience.

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From Cannes to Berlin: a Closer Look at the History of the World’s Most Important Film Festivals

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Have you ever wondered how some of the films we end up talking about during award season find their way to the big screen? We are taking you on a little journey to discover the realms of film festivals and how they came to be. Especially with Venice coming up and the Berlinale being right around the corner. In this dive we embark on a captivating journey through time, exploring the history of three iconic film festivals: Venice, Cannes, and Berlin. Belonging to the big five (Sundance, the Berlinale, Cannes and TIFF) – although this article will concentrate on the beginnings and the “original three” as one could say.   These festivals have not only shaped the course of cinema but have also become cultural phenomena, attracting filmmakers, actors, and cinephiles from all around the globe. The Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia) is the world’s oldest film festival. Established in 1932 and founded by Giuseppe Volpi, actually a member of the National Fascist Party.  Maybe you have heard of the name ‘The Biennale’ in venice. A huge celebration of art that brings people from all over the world to venice.  The film festival is a relatively new-ish discipline at the Biennale.Considering that they started in 1983 as one of the world’s oldest exhibitions of art. The Biennale offers various disciplines such as architecture, dance, music, theater and cinema.  Each film is categorized in different sections. The well known section and the one some of you may have heard of Is the competition for the golden lion. The highest price a film can receive at the venice film festival. This year in competition we can await films like Bradley Coopers “Maestro”, David Finchers ‘the Killer’ Sofia Coppolas Priscilla or the new film by Hamaguchi Ryusuke who gained a lot of international attention with his recent oscar win for “drive my car”.  The festival is held annually in late August or early September on the tiny island of Lido in the Venice Lagoon. This year the city holds its 80th film festival. Starting from August 30th up until September 9. Berlinale The Berlin International Film Festival, or more commonly known as Berlinale, is not just another festival: after emerging in 1951 (amidst the Cold War tensions), it has transformed into one of the largest and most politically charged film festivals in the world. With a budget of approximately 32.3 million Euros, drawing in nearly 448,000 attendees from around the globe, the festival provides a rich platform for innovation. It also celebrates artistic expression and cultural diversity by pressing social issues through the lens of filmmaking. More than 200 films are showcased every year, covering a wide range of different genres and formats, from thought-provoking documentaries to experimental pieces. Through discussions, panels, and events, the Berlinale also encourages interaction and engagement between filmmakers and the audience. Looking forward, the Berlinale strives for a more sustainable path, aiming to optimize its impact by narrowing down its film selection.  The festival is held every February in Berlin. The next dates are set for February 15-25, 2024. Cannes Film Festival Established in 1946 (though its roots trace back to 1938), the Cannes Film Festival is known as “the world’s most prestigious, most media-covered and recognized” film competitions in the world. It originally was established as a response to the Venice Film Festival, to create a unique and apolitical space where filmmakers could freely showcase their cinematic creations to the world. Over the last 75 years, Cannes has grown into a symbol of cinematic excellence, reflecting on the evolution of the industry, its ever-changing narratives, styles and visions and with  staggering 80,000 visitors, 5,000 screenings, and representing almost 90 countries, the festival is a global phenomenon. While the red carpet and flashing cameras often steal the spotlight, it’s the Palme d’Or that is the crowning jewel of the festival, over which 200 films compete every year. This prestigious award is the crème de la crème of competing films, for example “Pulp Fiction” and “La Dolce Vita”.  The 77th edition of the festival will be held next year on the 14th-25th of May. 

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