Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas headline together for the first time in a comically critical satire of the film industry, Official Competition. From Argentine duo Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn, amusingly punctures the egos and pretensions of the privileged artist class with stand-out performances from its stars.
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 endeavour. Completing the all-star team are two actors with massive talent but even bigger egos: Hollywood heartthrob Félix Rivero (Antonio Banderas) and radical theatre 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.
Duprat and Cohn’s tightly controlled send-up of their own industry portrayal of its brash and colourfully farcical characters pitted against each other makes for the perfect cynical comedy. So, who will be left when the cameras finally start rolling?
"Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas are a blast in this riotous takedown of egotistical actors."
- TIME OUT
"A coy satire that makes welcome use of biting meta-commentary and self-reflexive critique."
- THE LA TIMES
"Two hours of sharp reflections deliciously wrapped in entertaining antics."
- HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
"All three actors are clearly having a blast with this satire of actorly egos and vanity projects."
- TIME
Thursday 21st July
114 min
M
Comedy
Spanish with English subtitles
Pentridge Cinema, Palace Balwyn, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, The Kino, Palace Westgarth, Palace Norton Street, Palace Central, Palace Verona, Palace Byron Bay, Palace James St, Palace Barracks, Palace Electric Cinema, Palace Raine Square
