The Venice Film Festival is off and running with two big stars and potential hit movies.
Emma Stone has made yet another film with Yorgos Lanthimos. Their “Poor Things” got her her second Oscar, and now “Bugonia” seems to be setting her up for another nomination, if not win.
Jesse Plemons co-stars in what is described as another loony, off the wall tale of a kind of pleasant kook who kidnaps the head of a company. He believes she’s an alien and even shaves her head before she wakes up in captivity. From the trailer it doesn’t look like she does much to dissuage him.
Stone’s first Oscar came from “La La Land.” She makes daring choices and they pay off. “Bugona” sounds like big stuff. The first 12 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are all “fresh,” giving the movie a 100% score.
George Clooney did miss all the press for “Jay Kelly,” his Netflix film with Noah Baumbach. But he did return to the Lido for the red carpet premiere and looked swell in his tux with wife Amal on his arm. He had said he was suffering from a sinus condition, but apparently someone found some Claritin in time for the show to go on.
“Jay Kelly” so far as an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, what I’d call a B plus. It’s a very American film that may not play as well in Europe. Clooney plays, basically, himself, a movie star in his twilight years trying to find meaning in his life. There are a lot of enthusiastic reviews, and the mixed ones even sound good. As a Clooney fan, I’m intrigued to say the least.
