Venice Film Festival welcomes 'Babygirl,' 'Maria,' 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' and 'Joker: Folie à Deux'
The 81st Venice Film Festival kicked off this week with the world premiere of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" and rolled out the red carpet for a series of Oscar hopefuls.
A-list movie stars, top-tier auteur filmmakers and a battalion of Hollywood publicists descended on the Italian island of Lido this week for the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival, one of the most prestigious celebrations of movie culture in the world — and the unofficial start of the Oscar season.
Yes, that’s right: Academy Award fever starts in August on the Venetian Lagoon, more than 6,000 miles away from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, where the Oscars will be held in March. Here’s a look at some of the buzziest screenings on the Venice marquee, including new work from masters (Pedro Almodóvar, Alfonso Cuarón) and at least two blockbusters in the making.
In alphabetical order, so no egos are bruised:
Nicole Kidman stars in this erotic thriller as a high-powered corporate executive who embarks on a risky affair with a much younger intern, played by Harris Dickinson. “Babygirl” promises to be a provocative exploration of power, consent and post-#MeToo sexual politics, though Kidman also hopes it will be “a very liberating story.”
Nicole Kidman arrives at the 81st Venice Film Festival on Friday.Marco Bertorello / AFP via Getty Images“It was told by a woman through her gaze,” Kidman told The Associated Press. (“Babygirl” was directed by Halina Reijn, who previously helmed the bloody black comedy “Bodies Bodies Bodies.”)
Rating: 5