Venice Film Festival's 2011 Competition Titles Revealed… What's Left for Toronto?

I've got a few guesses to make

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Monday, July 25th 2011 at 2:35 PM

Ryan Gosling in The Ides of March
Photo: Columbia Pictures

Tomorrow morning the Toronto International Film Festival will hold its first press conference announcing a selection of its 2011 line-up, but today Variety has revealed a slew of highly anticipated films that will be premiering at the 68th Venice Film Festival leaving me to wonder just how many of them will make the leap to Canada as is typically the move, but this line-up is extensive and I have to assume not all of them will play in both fests.

Here's a selection of the titles Variety lists that will be in competition in Venice:

• Killer Joe [dir. William Friedkin]
• Last Day on Earth [dir. Abel Ferrara]
• Texas Killing Fields [dir. Ami Canaan Mann]
• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy [dir. Tomas Alfredson]
• Wuthering Heights [dir. Andrea Arnold]
• Shame [dir. Steve McQueen]
• Carnage [dir. Roman Polanski]
• Poulet aux prunes (Chicken With Plums) [dir. Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud]
• Alps [dir. Yorgos Lanthimos]
• The Ides of March* [dir. George Clooney]
• A Dangerous Method [dir. David Cronenberg]
• Dark Horse [dir. Todd Solondz]
• W.E. [dir. Madonna]

* Opening night film.

An impressive line-up to be sure, but this now has me wondering just how many of these will also find their way to Toronto. The Venice Film Festival runs from August 31 – September 10 with Toronto running from September 8-18. While I expect many of the films above to be in Toronto, especially Canadian native David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method, Alfrendson's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Polanski's Carnage, it makes me wonder just what else will be announced during tomorrow's press conference.

Last year a few September releases were included in the festival such as Ben Affleck's The Town and Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go, so looking at this year's potential September inclusions you have Marc Forster's Machine Gun Preacher, Bennett Miller's Moneyball and 50/50 from Jonathan Levine.

I expect Clooney's Ides of March will play at both fests and the Weinstein's have a whole crop of films that could potentially find their way up north including Coriolanus, The Iron Lady, My Week with Marilyn and The Wettest County.

Alexander Payne's The Descendants stands a good chance and it will be interesting to see if Warner Bros. returns to Toronto with Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar following the luke warm reception Hereafter received last year.

Keeping my eye on Twitter I have seen a few titles listed. Bel Ami starring Robert Pattinson and Uma Thurman is expected to play at the fest, as is Wim Wender's 3D dance documentary Pina. Speculation is high on Walter Salles' adaptation of Jack Kerouac's On the Road starring Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley and Kristen Stewart, though that is one of the titles Variety listed as not being ready for Venice. Is it possible it only needed two weeks to be finished?

The Canadian hockey comedy Goon starring Seann William Scott is also rumored along with Jennifer Westfeldt's Friends with Kids starring Jon Hamm, Megan Fox and Kristen Wiig and Sarah Polley's Take this Waltz starring Seth Rogen, Michelle Williams and Sarah Silverman.

A lot of rumors. A lot of ifs. A lot will be solved tomorrow morning and I can't wait as my flight and hotel are booked for my second trip to the Toronto International Film Festival. Stay tuned for complete coverage.

Links from Other Sites You May Like