And the winner is...
The 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival has come to a close, with this year’s Competition jury, led by American filmmaker Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Babylon), awarding the coveted Best Film Golden Lion to Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things.
Poor Things was the highest rated feature of the Competition with an average of 4,24 / 5, followed closely by Evil Does Not Exist (3,80 / 5) and Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border (3,76 / 5).
Lanthimos, considered the leading Greek Weird Wave exponent, directs an adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s 1992 cult novel, a “diabolical fuckfest of a puzzle” (as one character says referring to the adventure that slips from his grasp) which uses the language of Gothic conventions – with clear parallels to 'Frankenstein' and 'Alice in Wonderland' – to talk about the role of men and women in society. The director’s usual mastery of tone is a joy to behold, as is Tony McNamara’s mordantly funny screenplay. Thematically layered, raunchy, stylistically executed and above all fun, it’s got it all and feels like a well deserved win for Lanthimos.
The runner-up prize went to Aku Wa Sonzai Shinai (Evil Does Not Exist) by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi.
