“Venice” and “Netflix”: films that satisfy the audience are welcomed by the festival

  

Venice film festival and Netflix movies

Venice - Mohamad Hashem Abdelsalam

With every annual announcement of the  “Venice Film Festival” program, speculation begins about the extent of the American platform “Netflix”’s participation in it with its new program: How many Netflix Movies are there, in competition or outside of it? What are the titles offered? Who are its directors?

A few years ago, after the platform’s massive production expansion, the Venice Film Festival had no qualms in displaying its productions in its various programs, even as an opening film. Major international festivals took the same approach, such as the “Berlin Festival”, with the exception of the “Cannes” Festival, which cannot accept their films and programming, for legal reasons related to showing the films participating in its sessions in French halls, which removed them from the race to obtain the best films from the platform, thus allowing... The Venice Film Festival, specifically, won most of the important productions for Netflix , and for other broadcasting platforms in general. Note that “Netflix” is superior to other platforms, such as “Amazon”, “Apple”, “HBO Max” and “Sony”.

What is very interesting is that, when reviewing the platform’s participation in the “Venice Film Festival,” several things become clear, including the annual participation of at least three films. Although the platform produces various types of cinema, the films of this festival are dominated by one type: biographical films about public figures, or about the directors themselves. These are examples: “Roma” (2019) by Mexican Alfonso Cuarón, a biography of its director, or an important and influential part of his life; “The Hand of God” (2021) by Italian Paolo Sorrentino, based on some of the life of its director; “Blonde” (2022) by New Zealander Andrew Dominic, about some of Marilyn Monroe’s life; “Bardo” by Mexican Alejandro González Iñárritu, about the director’s personality and life. Recently, there is “Maestro” (2023) by American Bradley Cooper, about American musician Leonard Bernstein.

Also, the platform is significantly present thanks to suspense and suspense drama films: “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” (2018) by the American brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, “The Laundromat” (2019) by the American Steven Soderbergh, “The Power of the Dog” (2021) by the New Zealander Jane Campion, and “Athens” (2022) by Frenchman Romain Gavras, and “White Noise” (2022) by American Noah Baumbach. Finally, there is “The Killer” (2023) by American David Fincher: a strong crime and thriller film. It is also possible to add “The Count” (2023) by Chilean Pablo Larrain.

Among the films that combine artistic, commercial and entertainment, participating in the 80th session (August 30 - September 9, 2023) of the “Venice Film Festival”, there is “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” (2023), a short film (37 minutes) by the American Wes Anderson ; The closing film, “Society of Snow” (2023), by Spaniard Juan Antonio García Bayona.

The films mentioned are not all of the films shown at the festival in past sessions, although they are sufficient to raise several questions about the imposition of “Netflix” itself, and of course its conditions, in the global market. And the impact of this on festivals. Does the platform have a specific plan to produce specific films, especially for festivals first, before showing them later on its screen, so that its subscribed audience can watch them? Is the repetition of these types of cinema present at the festival, in successive years, just a coincidence, or does their repetition have a specific purpose? Of course, it is difficult to talk about the presence/absence of an agreement between  the “Venice Film Festival”  and the platform, to guarantee the presence of its films, annually, among the selected films, regardless of their level.

Questions also apply to the extent of freedom (complete? incomplete?) that directors enjoy, in the face of the temptation of funding, and perhaps participation in the festival. There is no doubt that some really do what they want, such as González Iñárritu (Pardo) and Cuaron (Roma). But this does not prevent others, even if in an unconscious way, from taking into account that the film is produced for an audience that prefers a specific genre over another, so it “satisfies” them.

The questions raised are not due to the platform’s annual presence at the festival and its main competition, nor to the repetition of the genre, but rather to the artistic level in this year’s edition. Something that seemed clear in Fincher’s “The Killer”, which Alberto Barbera, the artistic director, described as very violent and stunning from beginning to end, praising the wonderful performance of his main actor, Michael Fassbender. This raises a question mark about the opinion of an art director, who is basically a film critic, on a film like this, which is nothing new at all. Perhaps there is some suspense, nothing more, but without mystery or depth.

Of course, the film is well made, and the performances are okay. But, with its spirit, rhythm, length of time (118 minutes), and various other aspects, it fits perfectly into Netflix movies more than anything else: A hired assassin (Fassbender) fails to carry out an assigned sniping operation, which exposes his wife to the revenge of his superiors, because they are unable to get rid of him. He is forced to take revenge on all those who harmed her, including a murderer, played by Tilda Swinton, who plays in the film a small role that has no importance at all, and which could have been played by any other actress.

As for the talented Chilean Pablo Larraín, it seems that he is courting the Netflix audience, making a film that is compatible with the popular and beloved films of the platform’s subscribers. It is true that vampire films are an ancient genre in cinema, which has its importance, aesthetics, weight, and audience. However, Larraín’s formula, in presenting a political-social film, based on a mixture of philosophical, imaginative and fantasy, did not succeed, as we see the character of the fascist dictator Augusto Pinochet, known historically, as a time-traveling vampire, who lives for more than two centuries, and soars in the skies of the country to choose his victims whom he will kill and absorb. Their blood and devours their hearts, in repeated bloody scenes, sometimes exciting and often disturbing. Despite the novel idea and proposal, the film was somewhat substandard, even compared to previous films by the same director, especially since the idea exhausted itself from the first minutes of “The Count”.

Biographical films produced by Netflix“ are often good. In this cycle, “Maestro” surpasses everything it has previously produced. Perhaps thanks to Bradley Cooper's directorial and acting talent, and perhaps because the Americans Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg participated in its production, which means a lot on various levels: The life of Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990), one of the greatest and most important contemporary composers, orchestra conductor and pianist, and how The rise of his star and the emergence of his exceptional talent. Cooper's performance of the character easily qualifies him to compete for the Best Actor award, thanks to the skillful movement from Leonardo's youth in his early life, to his acquaintance with his lover, the talented and famous theater actress Felicia (Carey Mulligan), and their marriage, which lasted a quarter of a century, and the birth of three children, despite the difficulties, obstacles, and homosexuality. The nationality of Bernstein, who despite this loves his wife and is devoted to her, their home, and their family; Leading to a completely different performance in middle age, when he switched to color in half the film, instead of black and white, and reviewed the last period of his life, after the death of his wife.