The Venice Film Festival kicked off on August 30 with the thrilling Italian World War II drama, “Comandante,” setting the stage for an exciting lineup of films for the festival’s 80th edition. This year, we can expect world premieres from renowned directors such as Michael Mann with “Ferrari,” Bradley Cooper with “Maestro,” Sofia Coppola with “Priscilla,” Yorgos Lanthimos with “Poor Things,” David Fincher with “The Killer,” Ava DuVernay with “Origins,” and new films from controversial directors Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, and Luc Besson. FilmmakerFocus is on the ground to watch all the key films and bring you the latest updates.
Below, you’ll find a compilation of our reviews from the festival. Last year, Laura Poitras’ documentary “All The Beauty and the Bloodshed” took home the prestigious Golden Lion for best film.
Click on the film titles below to read the full reviews, and make sure to check back as we continue to add more movies throughout the festival, which runs until September 9th.
Section: Competition (Opening Night)
Director: Edoardo De Angelis
Cast: Pierfrancesco Favino, Massimiliano Rossi, Johan Heldenbergh, Silvia D’Amico, Arturo Muselli, Giuseppe Brunetti, Gianluca Di Gennaro, Johannes Wirix, Pietro Angelini, Mario Russo, Cecilia Bertozzi, Paolo Bonacelli
FilmmakerFocus’s takeaway: “Comandante” is an adventure yarn about a local hero that is fitfully entertaining, but may struggle to find international audiences.
