Banderas skewers his own craft in ‘Official Competition’

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

VENICE (AP) — Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz have brought some laughs to the Venice Film Festival. They’re in the comedy “Official Competition” that skewers their own craft, and apparently was as funny to make as it was to watch. Audiences chuckled throughout “Official Competition” on Saturday, bringing some levity to the world’s oldest film festival that is still vying with the pandemic. The film is in the main competition at Venice, which ends Sept. 11. “Official Competition” is about the pre-production of a film and the exaggerated rituals, tics and exercises that the director (Cruz) and actors (Banderas and Argentine actor Oscar Martinez) go through to prepare for their roles. Egos, envy and competition naturally come into play in this naval-gazing look at the art of making movies.