Starting its trek in Venice, the Spanish comedy Official Competition is playing the festival circuit as it awaits inevitable U.S. distribution. From directors Gaston Duprat and Mariano Cohn, Competition stars Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz, and Oliver Martinez.
A satire set in the movie business, the pic is generating pretty solid reviews so far. The Rotten Tomatoes, based on a small number at press time, is 100%. Yet the notices aren’t strong enough for me to think this would contend in Picture or International Feature Film.
As for the two leads, Banderas is coming off his first nod two years ago in Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory. Don’t look for him to be a factor in Actor. I do expect Cruz to be a player in Best Actress, but not for this. Her other Venice premiere was Parallel Mothers (directed by Almodovar) and she stands a good shot for it.
Bottom line: Official Competition sounds fun. However, I wouldn’t anticipate it being part of the Academy’s official competition. My Oscar Watch posts for the films of 2021 will continue…
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