Movies Update: Woody Allen and the Venice Film Festival

Plus, what will the strikes do to Oscar season?

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story September 8, 2023 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, film fans! So much is happening right now in movieland. Where to begin? How about with the Venice Film Festival, where my colleague Kyle Buchanan saw what a major festival looks like when the striking actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, prohibits stars from taking part. Photos of directors exiting vaporettos replaced the usual shots of glamorous performers exiting vaporettos, but the labor action loomed large in other ways. On Day 1, Buchanan wrote, "the jury president, the filmmaker Damien Chazelle ('La La Land'), dressed for maximum solidarity, donning a 'Writers Guild on Strike!' shirt and a similar button on the lapel of his sport coat." The next day Adam Driver, who was able to promote Michael Mann's "Ferrari" thanks to a waiver from the union, called out streamers that won't negotiate, asking why the smaller companies that backed his film "can meet the dream demands of what SAG is asking for — the dream version of SAG's wish list — but a big company like Netflix and Amazon can't?" That wasn't the only contentious moment on the Lido. Woody Allen's latest, "Coup de Chance," got a decidedly mixed reception at its premiere: a standing ovation in the theater, a protest outside. By and large, the films themselves sound fascinating. Buchanan was able to answer your questions about Bradley Cooper's "Maestro" (and his fake nose), give us a first look at "Poor Things," starring Emma Stone in Yorgos Lanthimos's take on the Frankenstein tale, and speak with Ava DuVernay about how she has made a big-screen feature, "Origin," out of the nonfiction best seller "Caste," about how societies around the world developed caste systems. More than 5,000 miles away, the Telluride Film Festival unspooled with several premieres of its own. On hand for The Times, the critic Lisa Kennedy wrote that the striking artists' "presence onscreen made such a strong argument for the gifts they have brought to what is fast becoming a vintage year in film." She called out notable performances by Andrew Scott in "All of Us Strangers" from Andrew Haigh; Paul Giamatti's "dyspeptic mood of a prep school instructor" in "The Holdovers"; and Colman Domingo's turn as the civil rights champion Bayard Rustin in "Rustin." She also cited "Emma Stone's meticulously wild embrace of her character" in "Poor Things." That feels like one of the films to see this fall. Strike or no, it's a great time to be a movie fan. Francois Duhamel/Netflix Fall Preview Amid Strikes, What Will This Year's Oscar Season Look Like? The delay of some big titles, like "Dune: Part Two," has ramifications for coming releases like "May December" and "Killers of the Flower Moon." By Kyle Buchanan Ser Baffo First Look: 'The Color Purple' Finds New Hues in Film Adaptation of Stage Musical The director Blitz Bazawule added magical realist elements to his adaptation. But convincing Fantasia Barrino to return after Broadway took some work. By Melena Ryzik Parisa Taghizadeh/Searchlight Pictures Critic's Notebook At Telluride, the Performances Speak Volumes Even if the Actors Can't In films like "All of Us Strangers," "Poor Things" and "Rustin," vivid turns kept audiences rapt even as the Hollywood strikes made it a less starry affair. By Lisa Kennedy Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS via Film Forum Critic's Pick 'Hello Dankness' Review: Through the Looking Glass The video artists known as Soda Jerk explore life in the United States from 2016 onward with an oddball assemblage of pop culture clips. By Ben Kenigsberg Icarus Films Critic's Pick 'The First Year' Review: Allende's Rule in Chile The French-language version of a 1971 documentary by Patricio Guzmán is an extraordinary document of a nation in transition. By Devika Girish MOVIE REVIEWS Bruno Calvo/Warner Bros. 'The Nun II' Review: Back in the Habit The latest installment in the "Conjuring" franchise continues a formula of frights with a splash of religious world building. By Claire Shaffer Yannis Drakoulidis/Focus Features 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3' Review: N'opa! Nia Vardalos is back in a noisy sequel that cedes the punchlines, and the plotlines, to the more cacophonous members of the Portokalos clan. By Amy Nicholson Greenwich Entertainment 'Joyce Carol Oates' Review: What's She Thinking? This generic documentary, subtitled "A Body in the Service of Mind," is so fixated on canonizing its subject that it skirts around what makes her so intriguing: her peculiar and provocative ideas. By Beatrice Loayza Mubi 'Rotting in the Sun' Review: Instagram, Real Sebastián Silva's satirical thriller blurs the line between reality and illusion that fuels social media. By Elisabeth Vincentelli Blue Fox Entertainment 'Aristotle and Dante' Review: Texas Hold Him The film "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe," a gay teen romance set in 1980s Texas and adapted from Benjamin Alire Sáenz's novel, is tenderhearted but meandering. By Erik Piepenburg CAMERA PRESS/Mark Stewart, via VMI Releasing 'Portrait of the Queen' Review: Seeking Fresh Angles on a Familiar Face This documentary attempts to give a unique look at Queen Elizabeth II by speaking to photographers who took portraits of her. By Brandon Yu Netflix 'Scouts Honor' Review: Uncovering a History of Abuse This documentary, subtitled "The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America," unveils the legacy organization's habit of covering up cases of sexual abuse. By Natalia Winkelman Quantrell Colbert/Comedy Central 'Office Race' Review: Slow and Not So Steady Beck Bennett stars in this funny, familiar Comedy Central sports movie, but Joel McHale steals the show. By Calum Marsh Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES Tiziana Fabi/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The Projectionist Woody Allen Finds a Decidedly Mixed Reception at the Venice Film Festival The director premiered his 50th film, "Coup de Chance." It won over critics but not protesters, who asked organizers to "turn the spotlight off of rapists." By Kyle Buchanan Ettore Ferrari/EPA, via Shutterstock The Projectionist How Ava DuVernay Made 'Origin' an Adaptation of the Best Seller 'Caste' The nonfiction best seller explores race and hierarchy but doesn't suggest a straightforward screen story. For her film, DuVernay got creative. By Kyle Buchanan Ettore Ferrari/EPA, via Shutterstock The Projectionist Priscilla Presley's Emotional Reaction to Sofia Coppola's New Elvis Film The story of her life with the rock star lacks major musical moments because the singer's estate wouldn't support the warts-and-all treatment. By Kyle Buchanan Yara Nardi/Reuters The Projectionist Venice Film Festival: Why David Fincher Wanted Michael Fassbender to Look 'Dorky' Movies are full of glamorous hit men. For "The Killer," the director put his star in a bucket hat: "The $3,000 suit seems like it's played out." By Kyle Buchanan Jason Mcdonald/Netflix, via Associated Press The Projectionist Venice Film Festival: All Your Questions About Bradley Cooper's 'Maestro' Answered After a teaser set off controversy over the nose of main character Leonard Bernstein, the film finally premieres in Italy. Here's what you need to know. By Kyle Buchanan STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Zac Popik/Fox for Tubi Five Action Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include films with complex schemes, vengeful spouses and plenty of brawling. By Robert Daniels Brooke Palmer/Prime Video TV Shows and Movies Streaming in September 2023: 'The Wheel of Time,' 'Gen V' and More Spinoffs and chillers abound in a month filled with tons of new television. Here's the best of what's coming to Amazon, Max, Apple TV+ and others. By Noel Murray Netflix Five Children's Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include a monkey's quest, a splashy version of a beloved Nintendo franchise and a Lego adventure packed with Disney princesses. By Dina Gachman Associated Press Stream These Great Movies Before They Leave Netflix in September This month's losses for U.S. subscribers include some of the most beloved titles and characters ever to grace a screen. By Jason Bailey Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT How are we doing? 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