27/07/2007

Joe Wright’s keenly awaited Atonement [+see also:
trailer
film profile] will lead the star-studded British charge at the 64th Venice Film Festival. Atonement, which was chosen as this year’s festival opening film and is also in competition, stars Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and Vanessa Redgrave and is based on a Christopher Hampton adaptation of Ian McEwan’s acclaimed romantic novel.

The 75th anniversary of the festival (with nine years off because of WW2 and student protests) features a preponderance of English language films. In the competition section Kenneth Branagh returns to the Lido with his remake of Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s cat and mouse thriller Sleuth. Interestingly in a role reversal, this time around Michael Caine plays the role Laurence Olivier played in the original while Jude Law takes on the Michael Caine part from the 1972 version.

Also in competition is Peter Greenaway’s Rembrandt biopic Nightwatching [+see also:
trailer
film profile] with Martin Freeman playing the great painter and Ken Loach’s follow up to his Cannes winning The Wind That Shakes The Barley [+see also:
film review
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interview: Ken Loach
interview: Rebecca O’Brien
film profile] – It’s A Free World… starring Juliet Ellis.

Woody Allen has made London his second home after abandoning his beloved Manhattan and his out of competition Cassandra’s Dream [+see also:
trailer
film profile] sees south London brothers Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor turn to a life of crime and rivalry over a woman. BAFTA winning director Asif Kapadia (The Warrior) turns to bleak Arctic climes with Far North, starring Michelle Yeoh and Sean Bean.

In the Orizzonti section The Principles of Lust director Penny Woolcock bows with Exodus. Also in this section, cinematographers Laura Amelia Guzman and Israel Cardenas make their joint directorial debuts with the UK/Mexican co-production Cochochi.

“American films and films from Great Britain are still spawned by diverse and dynamic production structures which allow them to take the most risks and be continuously innovative,” said Venice festival director Marco Müller while announcing the line-up.