"I would wait to pass judgment on that; cinema history is full of dismissive takes on festival lineups that later turned out to be filled with bangers. Anticipation can be a double-edged sword; a movie you've been dying to see will sometimes disappoint you simply for being different. All I can say is that I saw a number of pictures I loved, many of which were already on my most anticipated list, and some of which I'm sure will stand the test of time."
"Olivier Assayas's epic tale of Russia in the 21st century follows the efforts of a lightly fictionalized playwright, media man, and political guru (a creepily placid Paul Dano) who helps bring intelligence official Vladmir Putin (a very good Jude Law) to power and does all he can to keep him there. He manipulates the news, makes up stories, sows discontent, and partners with the most extreme elements of society to keep his man in office."
"Kathryn Bigelow's unbearably intense and riveting new thriller follows various levels of the United States national security apparatus as it springs into action when a mysterious nuclear missile headed for Chicago is launched from an unknown source. The story unfolds in three distinct chapters as the crisis goes up the chain of command, with each part of the film showing how all our systems and technology are ultimately meaningless in the face of such destructive power. The movie has a compelling action thriller surface -"
Critical consensus labeled this Venice lineup weak, but several standout films emerged. Olivier Assayas directs an epic tracing a media operative’s role in elevating and entrenching Vladimir Putin, depicting manipulation of news, manufactured stories, and alliances with extreme forces as post‑Soviet freedom collapses into murderous dictatorship under the guise of security. Kathryn Bigelow’s thriller stages a multilayered U.S. national security response to a mysterious nuclear missile aimed at Chicago, structured in three chapters that escalate the crisis and reveal how systems and technology can prove powerless against catastrophic destructive force. Several other admired pictures were also seen.
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