The Palermo director Luca Guadagnino (much appreciated in the United States) with his latest film “Challengers” was supposed to inaugurate the latest Venice film exhibition, but for well-known reasons linked to the strike of the Hollywood actors’ unions he was unable to ” disembark” in the lagoon and we only see his work these days in our cinemas. Honestly, we saw some excellent films in Venice last September and perhaps Guadagnino’s absence didn’t weigh too much on the success of the event. Having said this, “Challengers” is a good film but not Guadagnino’s best, of which we still remember “I Am Love” with a splendid Tilda Swinton and “Call Me by Your Name” which was also in the running for the Oscar for best movie. The last one in 2002 was “Bones and All” which won the Silver Lion in Venice.
Challengers to the love triangle
The plot of “Challengers” unfolds through a strange love triangle which sees the game of tennis as the “supreme” protagonist, seen with great attention, especially in the violent exchanges, both between male and female players. Even the shots, given the force with which they are carried out, reverberate like bullets fired from a 44 caliber and luckily Inspector Callaghan is not on the scene. The story goes back and forth in time starting from 2006 when the two best friends, Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson, won the important junior doubles title at the US Open. On that occasion they will meet the young and contemporary tennis player Tashi Duncan, launched towards the upper echelons of world tennis. Both will be fascinated by the young woman and will fall in love with her, to the point that in a hotel room they will begin a “threesome” with kisses and effusions without reaching a real “conclusion”.
Challengers and tennis
We move forward and Tashi will live a relationship with Patrick, but it ends quickly due to the very lively character of the young tennis player. She will suffer a serious knee injury which will preclude her career but not her life in the world of tennis. She will become a coach and among other things also for her husband Art, who over time has become a champion. After a few years a sporting crisis will take over for Art and to recover he will have to participate in a “challenger” tournament in order to regain the points necessary to aim to enter the US Open and try to win it, as the only slam missing from his amazing career. In this challenger tournament, she will face her ex-friend Patrick, Tashi’s former boyfriend, in the final. The past and the present find themselves incredibly opposite and Tashi seems to hold the “balance of the balance” of this triangle. And as always we don’t reveal the ending.
Lots of advertising during these two hours and fifteen minutes (a little too long). Adidas, Fila, Nike, Coca-Cola, Chanel and UNIQLO brand linked to Roger Federer and the camera that lingers a little too much on the male nudes inside the locker room. There is a bit of Bernardo Bertolucci but also the gestural and fashionable elegance of Luchino Visconti, but in our opinion “Challengers” is closer to Woody Allen (in the detective story version) and not only for the film “Match point”, but precisely for narration and above all for photography. The close-ups at three hundred and sixty degrees on the rackets, the calves and above all the drops of sweat. Difficult relationships remain the “daily bread” for Luca Guadagnino.
DIRECTOR: Luca Guadagnino. Cast: Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor, Nada Despotovich, AJ Lister, Connor Aulson. Production: USA. Year: 2023. Genre: sports/drama. Duration: 2h15 minutes
What’s new at Candiani
From May 1st
THE FALL GUY: From Richard Leitch director of Bullet Train the new explosive action movie with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. The story of a stuntman who finds himself investigating a missing person (https://tinyurl.com/FallGuy-IMG)
GARFIELD: A TASTY MISSION:A new animated adventure of Garfield, the famous cat who loves lasagna and hates Mondays. (https://tinyurl.com/Garfield-IMG)
From Wednesday 8 May
THE KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: A film by Wes Ball, the new chapter of the saga. Monkeys are now the dominant species on Earth and humans are increasingly forced to live in the shadows. Also in the original version and in Dolby Atmos (https://tinyurl.com/PianetaScimmie-IMG)
The events at Candiani
Sunday 5 May
They continue the MATINE’ AT CANDIANI all films for only €5.50 (Anselm 3D at €6.50)
Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th May
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL: Exclusively the documentary winner of the 2024 Oscar Award: 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL a film by Mstyslav Chernov. The images of a group of journalists reporting on the atrocities of war, documenting death and destruction and debunking Russian disinformation. In the original Ukrainian version with Italian subtitles (https://tinyurl.com/Mariupol-IMG)
From 6 to 8 May
THE GARDEN OF THE VIRGIN SUICIDES: Sofia Coppola’s debut film returns in a restored 4K version: THE VIRGIN SUICIDE GARDEN, a poignant family portrait with five young sisters who live unhappily, tormented by parents who believe they are doing their best. In the original version with Italian subtitles (https://tinyurl.com/VerginiSuicide-IMG)
Tuesday 7 May
They return TUESDAYS OF THE VENETO REGION great films for only 3 euros. This week: A WORLD APART with Virginia Raffaele and Antonio Albanese, TATAMI presented at the Venice Film Festival, the story of a woman who fights for freedom, a film by Zar Amir, CIVIL WAR by Alex Garland, ZAMORA, a film directed and starring by Neri Marcorè
Wednesday 8 May
PERFECT BLUE: Satoshi Kon’s 1997 anime is back by popular demand in a restored version of PERFECT BLUE. A young singer chooses a career as an actress, triggering a series of murders by a fan of hers. (https://tinyurl.com/PerfectBlue-IMG)
The planning of:
ANSELM: An extraordinary documentary shot in 3D by Wim Wenders about the German artist Anselm Kiefer. A biography of Kiefer’s monumental and disruptive art, which remains human-scale, friendly and intimate (https://tinyurl.com/Anselm3D-IMG)
CHALLENGERS: Luca Guadagnino’s new masterpiece starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor arrives on screens. A love triangle set in the way of tennis. Guadagnino directs a wickedly seductive exploration of desire, which bounces like a tennis ball. In Dolby Atmos and also in the original version (https://tinyurl.com/Challengers-IMG)
CONFIDENCE: The new film by Daniele Luchetti with Elio Germano, Vittoria Puccini, Pilar Fogliati. Based on the novel by Domenico Starnone, it is the story of Pietro, a high school teacher who has a relationship with one of his former students. One day they confess a secret they have never told anyone and the tragedy begins (https://tinyurl.com/Confidenza-IMG)
CIVIL WAR: A film by Alex Garland. In the near future, the USA is torn apart by an exhausting civil war. A photojournalist documents the horror of journalists shot and civilians attacked, as two candidates battle for the presidency. (https://tinyurl.com/CivilWar-IMG)
BACK TO BLACK: a film by Sam Taylon Johnson with Marisa Abela. A respectful and romantic portrait of the British legend Amy Winehouse where music is the great protagonist. In Dolby Atmos and also in the original version (https://tinyurl.com/BackToBlack-IMG)
GHOSTBUSTERS GLOBAL THREAT: A film by Jason Reitman with Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray. the Spengler family returns to where it all began, the iconic New York firehouse, and joins the original Ghostbusters. In Dolby Atmos and also in the original version (https://tinyurl.com/GhostbustersMinacciaGlaciale-IMG)
At the Img Cinemas Palazzo
What’s new at the Palace:
From May 1st
SIX BROTHERS: A film by Simone Godano with Adriano Giannini, Riccardo Scamarcio, Gabriel Montesi. An ensemble comedy, with echoes of Monicelli and Scola, which explores the family tensions of six brothers born to the same father and different mothers (https://tinyurl.com/SeiFratelli-IMG)
The planning of:
A WORLD APART: A film by Riccardo Milani with Antonio Albanese and Virginia Raffaele. A small mountain school to be saved, a surprising tale of human solidarity (https://tinyurl.com/MondoAparte-IMG)
GLORY!: A film by Margherita Vicario presented at the Berlin Film Festival. The story of Teresa, a young woman with visionary talent who at the dawn of 1800 invents a light and modern rebellious music (https://tinyurl.com/Gloria-IMG)
KUNG FU PANDA 4: The new Dreamworks cartoon arrives: KUNG FU PANDA 4 Panda Po returns with his adventures in ancient China, his love for kung fu is only equal to his insatiable appetite (https://tinyurl.com/KunFuPanda4-IMG)
