“The Son”
The star-studded Florian Zeller-directed film “The Son” is being released just in time for award season and the possibility of Hugh Jackman finishing his EGOT with an Oscar. The drama follows a family struggling to reunite and centers on Jackman’s character Peter. Peter’s hectic life with a new partner and a new infant becomes even more hectic when his ex-wife appears and drops their son Nicholas, who is a troubled, distant, and angry teenager, in Peter’s lap. “The Son” also stars Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, Zen McGrath, Anthony Hopkins, and Hugh Quarshie.
“Dead For A Dollar”
According to veteran writer/director Walter Hill (“48 Hours,” “The Warrior”), “Dead For A Dollar” is an attempt to deal with the modern issues of race and gender simultaneously and an attempt to assign validity to the tropes of nobility, honor, and courage of the traditional western. The story follows a veteran bounty hunter who finds himself on a mission deep in Mexico to find and return the hostage wife of a wealthy Santa Fe businessman. Starring Willem Dafoe, Christoph Waltz, and Rachel Brosnahan.
“Pearl”
Ti West’s film “Pearl,” a prequel to his 2022 sleazeploitation horror, “X,” is the story of a young woman who wishes she had a life more like the ones in the movies; a life without tragedy, isolation, the overbearing watch of her mother or having to tend to her ill father. “Pearl” stars Mia Goth, David Corenswet, as well as Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland, and Emma Jenkins-Purro.
“Saint Omer”
Inspired by a true story but fueled by imagination, director Alice Diop teamed up with Amrita David and Marie NDiaye to write the screenplay for “Saint Omer.” The film is the story of a young novelist who attends the trial of a mother who allegedly murdered her infant on a beach in northern France. While witnessing the trial, the woman starts to question her own judgments. The film stars Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanda, Valérie Dréville, and Aurélia Petit.
“Dreamin’ Wild”
“Dreamin’ Wild” tells the true story of Donnie Emerson, whose childhood dream of pop stardom suddenly came true as he approached 50 years old. The film follows the belated success of the self-recorded pop album that Donnie and his brother wrote as teenagers in the 1970s. The pair spent everything to produce the record, and the ghosts of the past haunt the family as they come to terms with their newly found fame. Directed by Bill Pohlad, “Dreamin’ Wild” stars Casey Affleck as Donnie, as well as Walton Goggins, Noah Jupe, Zooey Deschanel, Chris Messina, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Beau Bridges.
The full list of films playing at the Venice Film Festival can be seen here. Venice runs from August 31 to September 10. Look for our coverage of the festival then.
