Sometimes art imitates life. And sometimes, art imitates the most extreme version of art itself. Official competition is the latter, a film about a film being made by a director with unconventional methods and the drama between the actors that is created while the film is being made.
Artistic license is on full display in this movie. If anything, Official Competition highlights what happens when actors and directors are given carte Blanche in the filming process and coming up with the story. It mostly takes place all within one empty building where they’re doing table reads of a film, with a veteran actor who thinks his way is the only way and another award-winning actor who will do whatever it takes to get ahead.
Penelope Cruz seems to be in the stage in her career where she takes the more bizarre roles. And this is no different in Official Competition. Her portrayal of a director with unconventional methods is spot on, showing bizarre tactics to get the two actors to bond. She plays the role well, but it seems the extreme roles are calling to her.
This film is completely in Spanish with English Subtitles so will most likely have a limited release locally. Official Competition is now in theaters and currently showing at Livonia 20 and Emagine 18 within Metro-Detroit.
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About Official Competition:
When a billionaire entrepreneur impulsively decides to create an iconic movie, he demands the best. Renowned filmmaker Lola Cuevas (Penélope Cruz) is recruited to mastermind this ambitious endeavor. Completing the all-star team are two actors with enormous talent but even bigger egos: Hollywood heartthrob Félix Rivero (Antonio Banderas) and radical theater actor Iván Torres (Oscar Martínez). Both are legends, but not exactly best friends. Through a series of increasingly eccentric trials set by Lola, Félix and Iván must confront not only each other, but also their own legacies. Who will be left when the cameras finally start rolling?