Venice Film Festival – Page 2 – This Had Oscar Buzz

180 – Birth

We’re finally talking about one of our most requested films, Johnathan Glazer’s 2004 sophomore feature Birth. Starring Nicole Kidman as a woman grappling with a young boy’s assertion that he is her reincarnated dead husband, the film was initially controversial and critically maligned upon release, even with stunning work from composer Alexandre Desplat and cinematographer Harris Savides. Undoubtedly a complex and confounding film, it is perhaps most notorious for the unbroken close-up of Kidman’s face that wordlessly conveys her belief in the impossible. But in the near two decade since, Birth has been reassessed as a major achievement for Glazer, but is also seen by many as one of Kidman’s finest performances.

This episode, we discuss the film’s meaning and the controversy over the bathtub scene that overshadowed its release. We also talk about the underrated Anne Heche, Kidman’s chances to win a second Oscar this year for Being The Ricardos, and Kidman’s balancing between star roles and working with auteurs.

Topics also include Lauren Bacall lovingly calling Kidman “a beginner,” our 2004 Best Actress picks, and the upcoming 20th anniversary of The Hours.

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170 – Holy Smoke (with Jourdain Searles)

We have two exciting returns this week! First, entertainment writer and Bad Romance co-host Jourdain Searles is joining us once again. Second, we return to the work of Jane Campion, this time for 1999′s divisive and sexually charged Holy Smoke. The film premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival with a high pedigree: Campion reuniting with her The Piano castmember Harvey Keitel, with Kate Winslet center stage two years after Titanic. But the film was Campion’s most subversive yet, and its sometimes farcical approach to the subject of one woman’s forced deprogramming from getting involved in a cult made for a poor critical reception in the very crowded movie landscape of 1999.

This episode, we talk about our excitement for The Power of the Dog and look back at our favorites in Campion’s filmography. We also discuss Winslet’s post-Titanic career of daring, interesting character roles that led up to an underwhelming Oscar win with The Reader and Pam Grier’s brief performance in the film after her Oscar snub for Jackie Brown.

Topics also include the 1999 Best Actress race, Neil Diamond needle drops, and Harvey Keitel’s butt.

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