What To Watch At The Venice Film Festival 2009

by Helen Earnshaw | 1 September 2009

Baaria

It's that time of year again when directors and stars of the big screen from all over the world descend on Venice for the oldest Film Festival on the calendar.

And after a rather lack-lustre showing last year, totally overshadowed by Toronto, a string of high profile movies have come to town twelve months on.

So here at FemaleFirst we take a look at some of the must see movies, in and out of competition at this year's festival.

The opening nigh sees the world premiere of Giuseppe Tornatore's Baarìa, the first of the in competition movies to be screened.

The film follows three generations in Tornatore's hometown of Bagheria in Sicily and it's the first time in twenty years that an Italian movie has headlined the Venice Film Festival.

There's always uproar and controversy surrounding a new Michael Moore release but Capitalism: A Love Story is competing for the coveted Golden Lion.

Capitalism: A Love Story will explore the root causes of the global economic meltdown and take a comical look at the corporate and political shenanigans that culminated in what Moore has described as "the biggest robbery in the history of this country" the massive transfer of U.S. taxpayer money to private financial institutions.

On this, the 20-year anniversary of his masterpiece Roger & Me, Moore returns to the issue that began his career: the disastrous impact that corporate dominance and out-of-control profit motives have on the lives of Americans and citizens of the world.

After the success of No Country For Old Men it was only a matter of time until more Cormac McCarthy adaptation would make it to the big screen.

And after a string of delays The Road, which stars Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron is finally here.

The Road is a post-apocalyptic dramatic thriller about a father and his son walking alone through burned America.

Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is grey.

The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there.

They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food, and each other.

A Single Man, which is Tom Ford's directorial debut also makes the In Competition line-up and boasts an impressive cast of Colin Firth, Julianne Moore and Matthew Goode.

The film follows George Falconer (Firth), a gay college professor, as he learns that his lover Jim (Goode) has died in a car wreck. Grief overwhelms him, and his 'invisible status' in society begins to close in again.

Suicide seems the best way out. But a mad night with Charley (Moore), his best girlfriend from England, and the unexpected attentions of another young man make George think twice.

Outside of the competition category there are a handful of films that are worth a look including Matt Damon's return to the big screen The Informant.

What was Mark Whitacre thinking? A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Whitacre (Matt Damon) suddenly turns whistleblower.

Even as he exposes his company’s multi-national price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre envisions himself being hailed as a hero of the common man and handed a promotion.

But before all that can happen, the FBI needs evidence, so Whitacre eagerly agrees to wear a wire and carry a hidden tape recorder in his briefcase, imagining himself as a kind of de facto secret agent.

Also being screen during the festival include George Clooney's Men Who Star At Goats, Antoine Fuqua is back behind the camera with Brooklyn’s Finest. and Mr Nobody starring Jared Leto, Diane Kruger.

Full In Competition Line-Up

- 36 vues du Pic Saint Loup - Jacques Rivette (France)
- Accident - Cheang Pou-Soi (China-Hong Kong)
- Baaria - Giuseppe Tornatore (Italy) Opening Film
- Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - Werner Herzog (U.S.)
- Between Two Worlds - Vimukthi Jayasundara (Sri Lanka)
- Capitalism: A Love Story - Michael Moore (U.S.)
- La doppia ora - Giuseppe Capotondi (Italy)
- Il grande sogno - Michele Placido (Italy)
- Lebanon - Samuel Maoz (Israel)
- Life During Wartime - Todd Solondz (U.S.)
- Lo spazio bianco - Francesca Comencini (Italy)
- Lourdes - Jessica Hausner (Austria)
- Mr. Nobody - Jaco van Dormael (France)
- Persecution - Patrice Chereau (France)
- Prince of Tears - Yonfan (Hong Kong)
- The Road - John Hillcoat (U.S.)
- A Single Man - Tom Ford (U.S.)
- Soul Kitchen - Fatih Akin (Germany)
- Survival of the Dead - George Romero (U.S.)
- Tetsuo the Bullet Man - Shinya Tsukamoto (Japan)
- The Traveler - Ahmed Maher (Egypt)
- White Material - Claire Denis (France)
- Women Without Men - Shirin Neshat (Germany)