The 2019 Venice Film Festival has an opener in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “The Truth.” We won’t learn what the rest of this year’s competition slate is until later this week, but today we learned what will close the festival, Giuseppe Capotondi’s “The Burnt Orange Heresy.”
Adapted from Charles Willeford’s 1971 novel, the feature stars Claes Bang, Elizabeth Debicki, Mick Jagger and Donald Sutherland. The screenplay is by Scott Smith who is best known for his 1993 novel “A Simple Plan” which was adapted into an acclaimed 1998 film directed by Sam Raimi.
According to the festival, “Heresy” is set in contemporary Italy where an “irresistibly charismatic art critic James Figueras (Bang) hooks up with provocative and alluring fellow American, Berenice Hollis (Debicki). He’s a classic anti-hero in the making with a charm that masks his ambition, whilst she’s an innocent touring Europe, enjoying the freedom of being whoever she wishes. The new lovers travel to the lavish and opulent Lake Como estate of a powerful art collector, Cassidy (Jagger). Their host reveals he is the patron of Jerome Debney (Sutherland), the reclusive J.D. Salinger of the art world, and he has a simple request: for James to steal a Debney masterpiece from the artist’s studio, whatever the cost. As the couple spends time with the legendary Debney, they start to realize that nothing about the artist nor their mission is what it seems. But James is a man of deep, lurking ambition and he will do anything, from arson and burglary to murder, in order to further his career.”
“The Burnt Orange Heresy” will debut out of competition. A U.S.-Italian production, the film is currently without distribution in the states.
This is Captondi’s second feature after 2009’s “The Double Hour.” He’s spent a majority of his career directing music videos award-winning commercials. Most recently, he’s ventured into international television such as Epix’s “Berlin Station” and ITV’s “Endeavor.”
The 76th Venice International Film Festival runs from Aug. 28-Sept. 7.
