2019 Venice Film Festival Aug. 28-Sept. 9

[Chris Knipp]

More 2019 Venice


KARL LUKE BRUMMER (CENTER) IN MOFFIE

Moffie (Oliver Hermanus) is another new South African film about the country's rampant homophobia, this one by a black director but about the apartheid era whites in the army. "Moffie" means "faggot" in Afrikaans. It is the damning word the lead character, played by Karl Luke Brummer, comes in for. Guardian/Ian Brooks gives it 4/5 stars and calls it a "skilfully tense drama." Etienne Kallos' The Harvesters/Die Stropers, also on this theme which I previewed at the San Francisco Festival earlier, comes out in theaters next week and I'll be reviewing it in full then. Moffie is nominated for the Queer Lion award at Venice. These films show the country's homophobia is as bad as its racism.

[Chris Knipp]

Polanski does the Dreyfus Affair


JEAN DUJARDIN, LOUIS GARREL IN L'AFFAIRE DREYFUS

L'Affaire Dreyfus/An Officer and a Spy (Roman Polanski). In an anecdotal article on Roger Ebert, Glen Kenny explains that though he doesn't approve of Polanski, and we shouldn't either, this film is superb. Unfortunately as things stand now, Americans may not get to see it. It is a classic treatment of the Dreyfus case, with Jean Dujardin as Picquart, the prejudiced but upright man who revealed that the Jewish soldier, Druyfus, had been framed. Louis Garrel is Dreyfus, "very low key," and Polanski's wife Emmanuelle Seigner play Picquart's married mistress. Polanski even plays a small part as someone at a recital. Kenny describes Polanski as morally despicable but when "on his game," a cinematic master.

[Chris Knipp]

From Embrace of the Serpent director Ciro Guerra


JOHNNY DEPP IN WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS

Waiting for the Barbarians (Ciro Guerra) gets 3/5 stars from Guardian's Harry Windsor: "The arrival of merciless security officers shatters the peace in a remote colonial outpost in Ciro Guerra’s stately, horrific drama." This is an adaptation of JM Coetzee’s 1980 novel about colonialism and torture and stars Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson and Mary Rylance. Guerra is the Colombian director of Embrace of the Serpent. Variety calls this new film "uneven but stirring."

[Chris Knipp]

Todd Philips wins the Golden Lion for Joker. Polanski runner-up.



Also, military drama "An Officer and a Spy" (LAffaire Dreyfus)won the runner-up Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize. The film was released also in August and is directed by Roman Polanski.