Coens head to Venice for a ‘Reading’

After utilizing the festival as an autumn showcase for such tentpole films as Brokeback Mountain and Lust, Caution, it didn’t take much foresight to see that Focus Features were looking to score a spot for a film that was unintentionally skipping out on Cannes. The first signs that the (Cannes regulars) Joel and Ethan Coen were skipping out thie croisette this year and instead heading for a double fall showcase (Toronto has yet to be confirmed but it is a given that it will show up for its North American premiere there too) was when the dark comedy was slated for a second week of September release.

Today’s confirmation that Burn After
Reading is opening the 65th edition, was perhaps triggered less by Focus wanting to implement a Venice strategy and more like the filmmakers needing the extra time to complete the picture in post-prod. The caper storyline about a CIA agent (John Malkovich) who is writing a book and he loses the disc and which accidentally falls into the hands of two unwise D.C. gym
employees intent on exploiting their find.

With Clooney considered an honorary Italian, fest head Marco Müller rolling out the red carpet invite a full 4-5 months ahead of time is sort of like the unwrapping of a Christmas present that is shaped like a baseball bat: everyone knows what is under the tree might as well make it official.

The 65th Venice Film Festival will be held from 27th August to 6th September. The Coens are looking towards working with Clooney once again on the dark comedy titled, Suburbicon.