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This year marks the first time a major film festival has included a full-fledged section devoted to Virtual Reality as a proper cinematic form. The island of San Servolo – the city’s old “Lazzaretto”, where plague-stricken Venetians were once quarantined – has been put to a rather less ominous use.

Intense, funny, tragic and cathartic are the words that may best describe Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a story of desperation, revenge, and determination featuring a fierce Frances McDormand as a divorced Missouri mother who pursues justice for her murdered daughter with the steely resolve of Rosie the Riveter (if, that is, she was also Clint Eastwood’s daughter). A case of augmented dramatic reality, which skirts the edges of flat-out comedy, social critique, the film certainly minces no words in putting forth its rollicking narrative which somehow perfectly fits the times.

Some of our greatest actresses graced the red carpet in black and white, while newcomers continued the palette of pastels.

Hollywood capped off its historically slow summer with an already familiar tone, logging the worst Labor Day weekend since 1998. Four-day figures are being projected at a dismal $93 to $95 million.

Matt Damon is among those pulling double duty on the Lido this year. Just like Javier Bardem, who will be seen in both mother! and Loving Pablo – and, in the character role department, Udo Kier (Downsizing and Brawl in Cell Block 99), Damon is starring in two films: George Clooney’s Suburbicon and Alexander Payne’s Downsizing.

How many events can boast that they hosted not one but two notorious queens of the British Empire? Last night the HFPA welcomed Dame Helen Mirren AND Dame Judi Dench at its annual cocktail reception in the Excelsior Hotel. They were joined by mere Hollywood royalty when George and Amal Clooney arrived.

When George and Amal Clooney bring the glamour of yesteryear back to entertainment, everyone brings their A game. The pastels of Cannes continued.

Golden Globe winner George Clooney is in competition at the Venice Film Festival with his directorial project, Suburbicon, starring Julianne Moore, Matt Damon, and Oscar Isaac. The script is by the Clooney, longtime creative partner Grant Heslov and the Coen Brothers from a story they wrote right after Blood Simple, in 1984.

The Palazzo del Cinema crowd gave what seemed an endless standing ovation to Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, as they were called onto the stage by Festival Director Alberto Barbera to receive the Golden Lion. It was the first time in the festival’s history that the career prize was given to two artists at the same time, and never could it have been more appropriate.

A fresh wind blew into the Venice Film Festival. Pink, red and white popped while Chloe Sevigny caused heads to turn.