Red Carpet: Mildred vs. Veda, Madonna vs. World

With world luminaries hitting the red carpet from here until, oh, late February, it's time for the high season of Red Carpet Convos. Once again I'm chatting with Jose from Movies Kick Ass. This week we travel to Venice with a brief layover in China.

Nathaniel: ‪Shall we start with Madonna or the "Pierces"?‬ ‪
Jose: ‬ As you wish‬. I was just so happy to see Madge in a pretty dress that all the awful things people have been saying about "W.E" slipped my mind.
Nathaniel: Then that's where we start.

MADONNA, VALERIA, ABBIE, ASIA, and MARISA

Nathaniel: Of all the things people could fault her for, I hope this look isn't one of them. Every thing about it is working.‬ It's memorable. The glasses are a fun diva choice.
Jose: They so are. She looks so happy.
Nathaniel: If this look were a single I'd say it's definitely "Take a Bow"
‪Jose: ‬ The dress actually reminds me of "Love Profusion" now that you bring up her singles.
Nathaniel: You've just named the single that describes me looking at her in this.

Jose: The gown also reminds me of this ...which makes sense because the dress is Vionett as well‬. 
Nathaniel:  I never care about "who" people are wearing but I'm glad you always know. I care only about "who" they are presenting themselves as while they're wearing it, you know?
Jose: Don't make me do Meryl's cerulean monologue...‬   Do you think Madonna was on meds. She looks TOO happy given the reviews earlier in the day.
Nathaniel: ‪I'm guessing no celebrity has a thicker skin at this point.‬
 Jose: ‬ ‪Cher maybe but for all the wrong reasons.

Did you see the slutty Catholic librarian thing Madonna had been doing earlier that day? She looked fantastic.  ‪
Nathaniel: I'm a huge fan of slutty librarians; promote literacy however you can!
‪Jose: ‬ ‪Now I'm thinking of "Spanish Lesson"...but sigh Madge can spank me whenever she wants‬ and FYI dear Madge lovers, almost everything she says in that song is inaccurately translated.  ‪
Nathaniel: ‪This is an Italian lesson, actually. I threw two actual Italians in so this Venice red carpet lineup would feel more at home. But the Italians just aren't trying as hard this time. Valeria Golina looks classy but it's so black sheath plain.
Jose: Maybe she's trying to go for "I'm a serious actress, stop staring at my boobs"?
Nathaniel: And Asia Argento is a crazy person so why is she wearing such a normal dress... and black too!
Jose: Maybe Madonna stole her happy meds?

Nathaniel: And I can't even start on Monica Bellucci (not pictured, but obvs one of the most beautiful women in the world) who just wore a black pantsuit to her photocall.‬ She better turn it out when she hits her premiere tonight.
 ‪Jose: ‬ Although Ms. Ciccone is representing Italy quite well, I think.
Nathaniel: Oh right. Madonna Ciccone. We keep coming back to her because she wiped the floor with the other divas the dress is so great. I'm glad we're back to her because she's distracting me anyway. ‪Now I'm remembering those doves exploding from her gown in "Bedtime Stories"... translated to butterflies here. Though now I'm lamenting AGAIN that she isn't desperate enough for attention to walk the Venice red carpet in a wedding dress with a lion by her side. Because that would be... I would die. Dead. Do not resuscitate.

Jose: I'd make her perform an exorcism to "Like a Prayer" to bring you back to life‬  
Nathaniel: Cruel! But this is the only time I've ever wished "has-been" status on Madonna  because only an attention starved diva would attempt to relive their über iconic breakthrough in its original locale you know?
Jose: Ha. But "Madge" and "has-been" will never go together.
Nathaniel: True. Moving on. ‪I think Abbie Cornish looks fab. Great styling choice with her hair and the dress has so much texture and structure. And I'm thrilled that she looks womanly in it and not stick-like the way so many young rising stars try for.
Jose: ‬When I first saw Abbie's pic I thought to myself "my does Jennifer Coolidge look fantastic". What is wrong with her makeup people? They overdo her ALL the time. Dress is fab I agree, love the curves.

Nathaniel: I learned a new word on Project Runway... "ombré"  It's the color gradation how it changes as it goes along. I love the ombré on this dress but the only problem with this new favorite word o' mine is the other night I mispronounced it as "Hombre" and my friends all laughed at me.
Jose: ‬ ‪lol‬.
Nathaniel: ‪‪Abbie has no trouble attracting beautiful hombre, either.‬  ‪Please note Oscar Isaac on her arm.
Jose: ‬ ‪In my mind she will always belong to John Keats...  ‪
Nathaniel: As well she should.‬ 

Anyway... I keep wanting peope to go ALL OUT with the color but the trending in Venice so far is definitely "classy"... lots of whites, blacks, creams, and such. Tasteful.
Jose: And this is freaking Venice! God knows what people will wear to the Oscars...muumuus?‬
Nathaniel: But we do have some color. What do we think of the mustard on Marisa Tomei?
Jose: It reminds me of Sandy Powell's costumes for Cate as Kate in "The Aviator" kinda has that retro thing going for it, no?

Nathaniel: Yes. What do you think of the necklace being part of the dress? It feels like you're supposed to yank her towards you with it for a mad embrace? It's... weird.‬ But i'm not saying I don't like it.
 ‪Jose: ‬ It's a bit weird but I guess if you're going to go for pearls you might as well try to spice 'em up a bit?‬ maybe she was afraid of losing the necklace those festival parties are insane and that's her way of keeping it safe.
Nathaniel: Sure. I'm probs projecting anyway since I always want to yank Marisa into a mad embrace. LOVE HER.
Jose: ‪Haha. I want to drink with her!‬  ‪

Nathaniel: I want to leave Venice behind -- very briefly -- for China.  
‪Jose: ‬ ‪What were these awards?‬  ‪

TANG WEI, KARA HUI, ZHANG ZIYI, GONG LI

Nathaniel: ‪I included a lineup of Asian superstars since they were all at the Huabaiao Awards in Beijing earlier this week.  
‪Jose: ‬ ‪oh is that where the awesome Crouching Tiger reunion happened?‬  ‪
Nathaniel: ‬ ‪YES!‬  So I was reading up on these awards because I love three of these women muchly (not as familiar with Kara Hui) and I'm like how did they get ALL the superstars there? And it turns out it's a movie awards show that only happens once every other year.  
‪Jose: ‬ ‪like an eclipse‬  ‪

Nathaniel: like an abomination! A crime against cinematic nature. It has to be every year. So then i lost interest.  Biannual is just... I'm not sure it even exists. Like bisexuality.‬  ‪
Jose: ‬ ‪LOL‬.
Nathaniel: ‬ ‪So they all look lovely, agreed?‬
Jose: ‬ ‪Yes, I love how Asian women aren't afraid of bringing on the sparkles in dresses‬.

Nathaniel: Yes. though it's weirdly lacking in color.‬ Also check out this headline from the awards show. I sincerely hope that is just an English as a second language problem and not a joke cuz it's just so wrong.
‪Jose: ‬ ‪LMAO‬.
Nathaniel: All because he stepped on Gong Li's glamour train, poor thing.
Jose: Ugh she's too amazing and graceful for me to laugh but that headline is sick‬ and then the first picture with the statuette is just wrong  ‪
Nathaniel: Yes. This is neither here nor there but Andy Lau is a fox.‬ I've rarely enjoyed a bow tie more. He turns 50 this year. just saying. OKAY.... moving on. Back to Venice to wrap up.  ‪

Jose: ‬ ‪Veda and Mildred time‬.

Kate Winslet, Kate Winslet, Evan Rachel Wood, Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred, Mildred, Veda, Veda

Nathaniel: ‪Since both actresses had two premieres to attend I thought we should have a total throwdown here.‬ From left to right that's Kate representing CARNAGE and MILDRED PIERCE and then Evan representing MILDRED PIERCE and THE IDES OF MARCH.
Jose: ‬ ‪I'd no idea they were showing Mildred in theaters, but Venice does love Todd Haynes, right?‬ Not that I blame them.
Nathaniel: ‬ ‪Yes. and he's on the jury this year‬.
Jose: ‬ ‪Oh true! Hopefully Kate will get a Volpi Cup.
Nathaniel: I laughed at what Manolis wrote about his response when a journalist asked him if he could be impartial about judging Kate's performance in Carnage... "He answered politely and predictably and persuaded nobody."
 ‪Jose: ‬ Haha‬  ‪

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪So who wins the fashion sweepstakes for you here?
‪Jose: ‬ ‪I'll have to go with Evan this time.‬ I absolutely adore Kate but I'm sick, SICK I tell you, of her tight fitting "look how hot I am" looks.
Nathaniel: She's gone with very severe beauty lately, huh. It's always very structural, very stiff... I've forgotten what she looks like in something flowy and more girlish. Not that she ever totally favored that look exactly.
‪Jose: ‬ ‪I totally dig the Metropolic robot look Kate is doing in the first number but it bores me...I have had enough of her calves‬.‪I like movement, perhaps I'm just favoring her because Kate's dresses feel like tattoos and I love the way in which fabric moves‬. I've always loved how adventurous Evan is and the Alessandra Rich dress (the white shirty one) is just perfect‬.

Nathaniel: ‬ Really?‬ ‪Maybe I'm just not a fan of her new hair. It's throwing me. Though I like it with the retro eye makeup like in her Mildred premiere dress.‬
‪Jose: ‬  I've gotten used to the hair by now and she's working it nicely.
Nathaniel: I'm a huge fan of Kate's fashion robot look myself. I think she looks utterly sensational and that color which should be boring is somehow perfect with what she's been aiming for so much lately. This fierce mature beauty.‬ So for me the winner of all of these is Kate's Carnage dress.  ‪
Jose: ‬She sure looks like she could cut a bitch with those heels, she's fierce, but I'm still siding with Veda‬.
Nathaniel:  ‪Split opinion. We'll have to let the readers decide.‬

poll by twiigs.com

Jose: ‬ ‪Or wait, if it was a fave of ALL, I'll go with Madge, just looking at her makes me smile.
Nathaniel: Oh, yup, Madonna wins it all. "Love Profusion" on loop.

A Dangerous Method: Frozen Surface, Dangerous Interior

[Editors Note: We have two correspondents from Venice this year. And I feel the need to remind everyone that these opinions do not reflect the opinion of management; Nathaniel is without opinion as he is not in Venice. But he is enjoying reading these reports. Here is Ferdi from Italy, critic for, offering us bite sized opinions again. Enjoy. - Nathaniel]

I love David Cronenberg unconditionally and I know from past experience that his movies are not what they seem at the very first. We have to recognize that they always need more viewings, they are so complex. A Dangerous Method is a beautifully shot period piece. It's wonderfully acted movie especially by Michael Fassbender (heartbreaking) and Viggo Mortensen (Brilliant and should be in the supporting actor race). It's about the relationship between Carl Jung, patient-psychotic Sabina Spielreinand Sigmund Freud. Cronenberg has directed period pieces before (M Butterfly, Spider, Naked Lunch) and he's not new to melodrama either (in many of his movies there's a deep melodramatic soul). The origin of psychoanalysis, which explores what is inside the body and invisible to the eye fits his radical cinematic world perfectly. Still, A Dangerous Method seems the least Cronenberg-esque of his movies. Although the score and the  visuals are stunning -- lighting, sets, costumes, all gorgeous and perfect -- there's something missing here. If this frozen, crystallized surface is marvelous, maybe the inside world must be a dangerous place, crowded with demons: sexual repression, animal instinct, guilt, death, desire. And this is the place where Croneberg wants to go. 

Viggo in Venice © Fabrizio SpinettaFassy as shot by our correspondent Ferdi himself!

The first section is the best, powerful and alarming, with Keira Knightley sadistically used by Cronenberg as a shouting beast; she vomits out all her inner demons in a physical acting style that's sometimes difficult to watch. When the therapy and the love affair take root, everything begins to slow down. The narrative style normalizes and the movie changes into a beautiful restrained drama packed with visual elegance. There are still some moments blessed with the typical, disturbing Cronenberg-touch but my first impression is that the auteur could have gone further and deeper with this material. 

Madonna uses the camera as a little girl who has just received a toy she wants so badly that she forgets to read the instructions. W.E., her second directorial effort, tries to emulate the flourishing visual style of Tom Ford's A Single Man (and even abuses the melodramatic violins of Abel Korzeniowski). It also too closely resembles the narrative structure of Julie & Julia insisting parallelism between two stories: the romance between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson and a never convincing contemporary story about a bored and depressed young woman who becomes obsessed with the American adventuress.

Let's be clear: W.E. is not a truly bad movie. Last night Un Eté Brulent by Philipp Garrell, which screened in the official selection, was much more awful. It's just that W.E. is very easy to attack. Abbie Cornish is beautiful to watch although her character is ridiculous and Andrea Riseborough is really very good as Wallis , but W.E. seems only a long commercial spot from start to finish. It's empty, superficial and naive and maybe also a little dishonest. It's all about Madonna's obsession with fashion, beauty, richness, music, and British Royals. That's it.

Evan Rachel Wood says "Hi"

"My glasses are cooler than yours," she adds dismissively, before strutting off into the paparazzi flashbulbs at the 68th annual Venice Film Festival.

Venice, Day 3: Keira's Confession, Kate's Challenge, Madonna's Stumble

Manolis, from the Greek site Cinema News, reporting from Venice for The Film Experience.

Madonna and her W.E. cast © the wonderful photographer Fabrizio Spinetta who is sending us great shots for TFE. 

Before today's report some thoughts about Madonna's W.E. which I had the privilege of seeing; there were so many people outside the cinema trying to find a ticket. It was difficult to turn your back to Madonna and her W.E. cast who were sitting on the Balcony behind the audience, but once the lights in the Sala Grande were off, you could focus on the openings shots of her film. 

ManolisW.E.

The movie reminded me a lot of Julie and Julia. It has a similar structure but the bonding between the two Wallis’ (Cornish and Riseborough) is more vague and unfocused than that of Adams and Streep. And let’s face it, a Streep this film doesn't have. Andrea Riseborough has the showiest role, but the film doen’t help us connect her character or her motives, or help ups sympathize with her or even understand what she sacrificed for her relationship with Edward (which was Madonna’s aim as stated in the press conference). The love story of the modern day couple (Abbie Cornish and Oscar Isaac) proves more interesting than one of the most notorious love stories of all time. 

I think that the biggest mistake that Harvey Weinstein made with W.E. was leaking that it was an Oscar contender. Sure, the film has some chances in Costume Design, Music (a great score by Yann Tiersen and Abel Korzeniowski) and even Make Up (hello, Old Age!) but apart from that not much more. But the script which was co-written by Madonna is unfocused and full of cliches and predictable ‘twists’ . Madonna’s directing style fares slightly better but her visual choices are all over the place. The rich production values help make the viewing pleasant but this is not a serious oscar contender.

A Dangerous Method

This is already the third film of the competition (after The Ides of March and Carnage) that was based on a play. David Cronenberg's new film is drawn from true life events and the relationship of Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley). Fassbender and Mortensen are excellent giving restraint utterly believable performances of these famous figures. Vincent Cassell is also good in a very small role (six minutes?). The Art Direction of the movie may have also been impressive but I couldn't see the scenery; Keira Knightley was chewing on it. Knightley's performance has caused disputes between the critics here. Some are impressed other's believe it's the film’s fatal flaw. Sorry Keira fans, but I am with the ones who did not enjoy her overracting. She cycles through every facial expression known to human kind. Needless to say that a Best Actress Oscar nomination is not out of the question. Sabina is obvious Oscar Bait and people often confuse best acting with most acting. Other strong Oscar prospects include Supporting Actor (Viggo), Adapted Screenplay and Costumes. 

Cronenberg, Knightley, Mortensen, Fassy, Sarah Gadon, Cassel are all in Venice!

I am an actress so of course I'm crazy."

Keira Knightley confessed at the press conference for the film. Other highlights from the press conference included Michael Fassbender's research for the role of Jung which he said was reading "Jung for Children: The Idiot’s handbook" and Mortensen thanking a fan for giving him a mascot doll of his favorite team San Lorenzo. When asked what he learned about psychoanalysis while making the film, David Cronenberg replied "I found out that of all my actors that are here need psychoanalysis."

Mildred Pierce

At the Mildred Pierce press conference Winslet suprised most of the audience when she confessed how difficult the role was.

...without question, my most challenging job since Titanic. Working in a TV series is much more difficult than in a film." 

Tomorrow in Venice: the premieres of ALPS (Giorgos Lanthimos Dogtooth follow up), James Franco’s Sal Mineo biopic, Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion and Al Pacino’s Wild Salome.

Venice: A Second Take on "Carnage"

[Editor's Note: Ferdi, pictured left, is one of our two correspondents in Venice this year. Which affords us the rare pleasure of reading two pieces on the same movie back to back. I hope you're feeling appropriately spoiled since we're getting original photography and everything! Here's another opinion on Carnage. -Nathaniel R.]

Carnage (2011)

80 acid minutes of poison, screams, metaphorical scratches, literal vomits and memorable laughs. God, this movie rocks. Maybe it’s the original stage material which is so funny, clever and so well translated to the screen. Maybe it’s the eye of European mega-auteur Roman Polanski, who has rarely taken a misstep in his career. Maybe it’s just me: I love movies where all the focus is on the actors branch. The fact is I can’t stop thinking of Carnage since this early morning press screening.

What else can I say? You have to sit and watch and have fun. You're taken by the tension of the story without even taking a breath from start to finish. It’s a pitch-perfect arthouse movie, a little, subversive masterpiece about verbal violence and adult hypocrisies; a complex, powerful, crazy kammerspiel that begins, as many of you already know, as a polished comedy of manners and ends as a cruel psychological massacre. 

Christoph and Kate are "best in show" says Ferdi

The pleasure of seeing these incredible actors going so over the top has no price. John C Reilly is surprisingly right for the part, hilarious and totally convincing. Christoph Waltz is once again genius and effortless as in Inglorious Basterds. Maybe the weak link is Jodie Foster who has some great moments that prove she can be very funny but she is too tight and anxious from the very beginning. (She is a great straight-forward physical actress but the part required something more subtle.) In fact, Foster doesn’t really seem to catch the satirical tone of the pochade; she goes more and more hysterical from one scene to the next instead of being multi-dimensional. This is were Kate Winslet excels. She’s the real standout, absolutely exhilarating without even doing too much.

All that said, I don’t see any Oscar play for anyone (Winslet aside, maybe, as supporting actress, but it would be a category fraud, because they all are leads), neither for the movie, which is possible too cynical, dark, weird and beautiful by Academy standards.

Kate Winslet in Venice © Fabrizio Spinetta

Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz in Venice © Fabrizio Spinetta