Official Competition

Even great actors couldn’t save this cinematic nightmare.

I have great admiration for both Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz. He has been in a large number of good films, while Penelope Cruz is the only Spanish actress to have won an Oscar. (Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona – 2008). That made this disaster all the more difficult to watch. Though the dialogue is in Spanish, I was left wishing that they would have removed the subtitles.

In summary fashion, a billionaire in his 80s, seeking a legacy, buys a praised novel and hires a famous director (Ms. Cruz) and two well-known actors played by Banderas and Oscar Martinez. The entire film is nothing more than their boring rehearsals.

Ms. Cruz’s only contribution was appearing with the largest head of hair ever seen in the history of the film. Banderas and Martinez did little but hate one another. It took every ounce of energy to resist leaving the theater.

Let me close by saying this film was as awful as last year’s Power of the Dog. But given that Power received 12 Oscar nominations, Official Competition will probably win a Foreign Film nomination.

But it won’t win the Oscar. Trust me – it won’t win the Oscar!