Venice Diary #08 - "The Son", "Beyond the Wall", and "Dreamin' Wild"

by Elisa Giudici

Today on the menu in Venice, there is only one option: crying your heart out. You can choose which missing son and worried parent will tear your heart in pieces, though.

THE SON by Florian Zeller
Who is 'the son' of the title? That's debatable. There is the troubled teenager Nicholas (Zen McGrath) that Peter (Hugh Jackman) had with his ex-wife Kate (Laura Dern). Peter also has a newborn son he is raising with his new partner Beth (Vanessa Kirby). Maybe Peter himself is the titular character? He's learning some hard lessons in being a father while struggling with what it means to be the son of Anthony (Sir Anthony Hopkins). I would say the latter, considering how this movie works best as a reminder of Hugh Jackman’s considerable acting skill...

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Venice Diary #7 - All rise, maestros are back in the courtrooms

by Elisa Giudici

SAINT OMER could be a prize winner!

Have you missed courtroom dramas? Today Venice heard you, providing two strong movies about remarkable trials (one based on a true story, one fictional), plus an old school western. Also, have you heard? France now has a major contender for the Golden Lion (as usual)...

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Emmy Category Analysis: Drama Series

By Abe Friedtanzer 

BETTER CALL SAUL

This category feels to me like one of the most interesting since there isn’t an undeniable frontrunner -- all the nominees  offer something truly captivating. While it’s possible that Succession takes it again, which I think would be disappointing since it already swept a lot the last time it was eligible, there’s legitimate buzz to be considered for at least half the slate. Let’s take a look at the series in contention, their awards history, and the episodes they submitted (links to reviews with spoilers)… 

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Venice at Home – Day 8: Who Are We?

by Cláudio Alves

Before either film had been screened to the public or press, there was already buzz surrounding Alice Diop and Florian Zeller's newest films. Many called Saint-Omer, Diop's first narrative feature after many documentaries, a likely contender for the Golden Lion. Lo and behold, the picture has receiving glowing reviews, which is unsurprising. In contrast, this eighth day of competition at the Lido saw a shocking development with Florian Zeller's follow-up to The Father. Defying expectations The Son has received mixed reviews, some of which lambast it unsparingly. Not even the cast is above reproach to the naysayers. Even so, Hugh Jackman remains mostly unscathed, keeping those Best Actor dreams alive.  Let's not forget that Zeller directed Anthony Hopkins to his second Academy Award. So let's take a look back at The Father and Alice Diop's last documentary before Saint-Omer…

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Emmy Category Analysis: Limited or Anthology Series

By Abe Friedtanzer

Inventing Anna

This was a crowded year for limited and anthology series. A number of buzzy programs earned little to no Emmy attention, like Scenes from a Marriage, Under the Banner of Heaven, Gaslit, and The Offer. Two shows, Maid and Station Eleven, surely just missed given their presence in some top categories. The Staircase and Impeachment: American Crime Story might have come close to more nominations but we'll never know. Instead we’re left with an interesting list of five shows, four based on real events and one based on people that likely do exist, maybe not always in quite as exaggerated form. Let’s look at the competition…

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