FILM REVIEW: OFFICIAL COMPETITION (2022) DIR. GASTÓN DUPRAT AND MARIANO COH
Courtesy IFC Films
Written by Belle Mclntyre
This is a fantastic film which has the casting of Almodovar and the drollerie of Luis Buñuel, which proceeds to skewer the processs of film making while simultaneously elevating it with a superb cast, stunning cinematography, and a challenging, intelligent and unpredictable storyline. Not a surprise that it is a film about filmmaking. On the other hand, we see very little film being made. It is about process.
Courtesy IFC Films
The impetus for this film is a retiring uber-rich businessman, Humberto Suárez (José Luis Gomez) who is retiring at 80 and focused on his legacy. He has decided not to opt for something obvious like a bridge or a building with his name on it. Rather, he believes that his impact can be bigger and more meaningful if he can produce a blockbuster of a film. To that end, he has purchased the rights for a book called “Rivalry”, written by a Nobel laureate, which he has not read. He has hired the hottest, highly acclaimed director, Lola Cuevas (Penelope Cruz). The two main film characters are brothers so different that they might have had different mothers. Casting according to type, Cruz has hired Félix Rivero (Antonio Banderas), the most popular global film superstar, to play one brother. The other brother, Ivan Torres (Oscar Martinez), is played by a revered serious stage actor and acting teacher, who is overtly disdainful of film fame. He is the sort who would always choose Chekov. Clearly these two egos are going to be bruising each other constantly, which they do brilliantly.
But Lola, is the engine of all of the action. She has her own unique techniques and bizarre exercises which she requires her actors to endure before they even look at a line of dialog. It is some form of “method” involving trust and submission. It is quite outlandish, acted mostly straight, with nary a nod to the absurdity of it all. There is a dominatrix quality in Cruz’s portrayal, with some brief breaks in character, which reveal her to be the most human and definitely the most intelligent of the gargantuan egos.
There are notable competing elements which deserve mention. Lola’s massive explosion of flame-colored hair which almost has a life of its own is one. The film set which I am unable to identify, but which is a giant brutalist structure which appears almost embedded into its surroundings and calls to mind the work of Louis Kahn is a stunning backdrop. It looks as if all of the actors are having a great time and it feels absurdly funny without going for laughs. It is the essence of satire.
Courtesy IFC Films
