The new film from Quentin Dupieux, also known as Mr Oizo, an electronic musician turned absurdist filmmaker, looks appropriately bizarre, even from just a 5 second glance. Announced this morning as part of the Out of Competion lineup of the forthcoming 77th edition of the Venice Film Festival, all that can be said of Dupieux’s latest film “Mandibules” is that it’ll feature a giant, disgusting fly drinking from a swimming pool, and that it’ll be released on December 2 later this year in his native France.
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It’s an enigmatic first look, sure, but if this one teaser trailer is any indication, it’s that the programme of this year’s Venice Film Festival promises to be broader and weirder than ever before, let alone compared to last year’s edition, a mixture of blockbusters and awards season favourites.
“Mandibules” will be the director’s eighth feature, and also his third premiere in three consecutive years. Produced by Hugo Selignac and Vincent Mazel, Dupieux has concocted a fascinating cast, for his latest work, with Gregoire Ludig and David Marsais (the comedy duo known as Palmashow) starring alongside celebrated actors like Adèle Exarchopoulos, Anaïs Demoustier and India Hair. Dupieux became a cult figure following his 2010 sophomore film “Rubber”, which played in the Critics’ Week at Cannes. His 2018 film “Keep an Eye Out” won the Best Screenplay prize at Sitges. In 2019, Dupieux opened the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar in Cannes with the completely wild “Deerskin”.
It’s almost funny to think of a “surreal and grotesque” new work from the director of “Rubber” being part of the worldwide effort to kickstart the next awards season and revitalize European cinema following the global pandemic, but whatever works. The rather frank synopsis can be seen below:
Jean-Gab and Manu, two simple-minded friends, find a giant fly stuck in the trunk of a car and decide to train it to earn money with it.
The film will star David Marsais, Grégoire Ludig, Adèle Exarchopoulos, India Hair, Roméo Elvis, Coralie Russier. No U.S. release date has been confirmed.
