In Competition for the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival, A Bigger Splash from director Luca Guadagnino.
The Director
Luca Guadagnino has always been a favorite of mine ever since his film Io Sono L’Amore (I Am Love) was not chosen to represent Italy at the Oscars and he said, “I wish the Italian movie that they picked gets selected by the Academy because this would mean a good thing for the industry in Italy. Having said that, I have no embarrassment in saying that ‘I Am Love’ was probably a good bet for Italy. They didn’t pick the movie because I think they felt the choice for the Italian film was itself an award. So they decided to give this award to the movie they loved the most, and to the movie that was most recognized by the industry, the critics and the audience in Italy. But in reality, they maybe should have thought ‘what is the movie that would have the best chances at the Oscars.”
Sour grapes? I don’t think so. Guadagnino was being realistic, and it’s this kind of realistic thinking that is changing Italian cinema.
The Cast
The stars really shine in this one with Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts, Dakota Johnson and Corrado Guzzanti.
The Plot
A Bigger Splash is a thriller featuring the rock star Marianne Lane and her fiancé, the film director Paul, who are on holiday in the idyllic and remote island of Pantelleria.
The Details
It’s a remake of the French detective film La Piscine but it’s an English language film. Director Luca Guadagnino worked with Tilda Swinton before in an Italian Language Film, Io Sono Amore (I Am Love). It was filmed on Pantelleria Island, Sicily. Cate Blanchett was the original choice for Tilda Swinton’s part.
I Love Italian Everything 