User reviews

This movie criticizes movie actors and directors, but from a funny perspective where satire dominates the entire movie.

This story reflects in a funny way two different types of actors, although they seem caricatured, in reality they can have that personality, it also portrays how ridiculous and pretentious some directors can be, adding some exaggerated ways of directing the actors. The story also tells how to prepare the actors to make a movie, which is interesting and works as a starting point to create an unfriendly environment between the characters. The performances are spectacular, and the script doesn't ramble into unnecessary situations, although at the beginning it may be difficult to connect with the story, the rest of the time it is very enjoyable and funny.

It's a good movie that not only serves as a distraction, but also takes us a little deeper into the process it takes to make a movie, specifically the relationship between the actors and with their characters.

Greetings again from the darkness. Satire is one of the most challenging cinematic genres to get right. The script and performances are crucial, and the director must walk a fine line between too subtle and over-the-top. The long-time collaborative filmmaking team of co-writers and co-directors Mariano Cohn and Gaston Duprat, along with co-writer Andres Duprat, strike just the right chord and deliver a gem that is funny, insightful, and quite entertaining. The film was well received at last year's Venice Film Festival, but is only now getting distribution.

We open on Don Umberto Suarez (Jose Luis Gomez), a wealthy pharmaceutical businessman, as he peruses the many gifts that have arrived for his 80th birthday. He's in a reflective mood and wonders what he can do to secure his legacy so as not to be forgotten. Suarez debates between building a bridge or financing a "great" movie, one that will stand the test of time. He knows nothing of the film industry, and doesn't bother to read the best-seller book he secures the rights to. He then meets with eccentric film director Lola Cuevas (Oscar winner Penelope Cruz, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, 2008), yet seems oblivious to what we see - her vision runs contrary to his, as evidenced by her production notebook that looks like a teenager's scrapbook from summer camp. She buys in to his "best cast" demands and leaves him believing "his" film is in good hands.

Ms. Cruz is so perfect in this role that even her giant frizzy flame-red wig is simpatico with director Lola's intense personality as an auteur. Things really take off when rehearsal begins and her two lead actors arrive. Antonio Banderas plays Felix Rivero, a global movie star who lives the rock star life with women and sports cars. He's the personality antithesis of his co-star Ivan Torres, played by Oscar Martinez, a self-absorbed stage actor who views his world as prestigious, while mocking the glitz, glamor, and money that rules Felix's world. An architecturally stunning art institute funded by Suarez serves as the rehearsal site, since it sits empty and unused.

Felix and Ivan are to play rival brothers, and the tension that develops between the two men is hilarious ... and further spurred by Lola's acting exercises. She prods Ivan on the simple line, "Good evening", forcing him to repeat it multiple times, just as she toys with Felix on his level of intoxication (a range of 1 to 10). To increase the tension, Lola has the men rehearse underneath a giant boulder dangling overhead by crane. As the two actors battle it out for respect from the other and favoritism from Lola, the humor escalates at the same pace as egos are wounded. After scoffing at the mention of Felix's awards, Ivan secretly practices his Oscar-acceptance speech in his dressing room. It becomes clear that each of the men want what the other has: Felix wants prestige, while Ivan wants recognition.

There are so many terrific scenes and moments here, including a foreshadowed twist and a sequence that combines industry awards, an industrial shredder, and the strength of Saran Wrap. All three lead actors are having a blast, and the supporting cast lends authenticity to this skewering of wealth, ego, art, and the film industry. Especially effective in support are Irene Escolar as Suarez's daughter who has been cast in the film, and Pilar Castro as Violetta, Ivan's equally pretentious wife. This is satire at it's finest, and the filmmakers (and Ms. Cruz) even nail the ending. Kudos to one of my favorite movies of the year.

This movie is marketed as black comedy (it could be blacker for my taste) but it is basically a vehicle for great actors to overact, making fun of their profession but also show facets of their craft (there are many ways to say "Good Day"). On the other hand the movie draws attention to some facets of filmmaking that is usually neglectet, e. G. the importance of how sound is recorded.

We've seen many films about filmmaking and art, and this is definitely not one of the worst of its kind.

It starts with a not so original theme, a movie about making a movie, but with the quality of the participants you expect something well done and this movie is up to par. It has a good pace with lots of jokes and little twists. It makes fun of everything and everyone without taking itself too seriously.

Good Almodovar Film.

Oh hang on its not one of his.

Could have fooled me.

I liked it. Pedro would be proud of his acolytes.

Good cinematography. The full face close ups are exactly like an Almodovar film

The mise en scene exactly like an Almodovar film.

The colour palette, the set design, the location choices, the humour, all exactly like an Almodovar film.

The casting...you know what.

All that being said, it's nice to watch an almost Almodovar film. Beats most other films made at the moment.

Come on, maybe the final joke of this film is the two directors are actually fictional characters, and really the director is Pedro Almodovar?

Thoroughly enjoyed this...lots of light comedy, dueling egos, accurate portrayal of actors' world. Great performs by the 3 lead characters...also a twist at end, so rather profound. I pretty much ONLY watch indie arty movies and this was a light delight! Highly recco!

OFFICIAL COMPETITION offers a satirical look into the making of a movie involving all its egos and eccentricities. A wealthy businessman at the twilight of his life and career decides to leave his legacy by producing a film. He hires well known director Lola Cuevas (Penelope Cruz), known for her eccentric filmmaking style, to direct his movie. Lola chooses 2 leading men to headline the movie, the famous, pretentious film actor Felix Rivero (Antonio Banderas) and seasoned theater actor and acting teacher Ivan Torres (Oscar Martinez). What follows are funny, satirical pokes at the trials, tribulations, quirky rehearsals and ever looming egos involved in the world of cinema and filmmaking. OFFICIAL COMPETITION is an intelligent film, offers smooth comedic timing with masterful performances and great chemistry between actors Cruz, Banderas and Martinez.

Official Competition is a great satire that has a lot of fun with the stereotypical archetype of self-obsessed artists who love the sound of their own voice. It escalates in an unexpectedly dark fashion whilst laying the hints throughout so the ending comes naturally and definitely feels earned. Everything from the awards/festival circuit to the difference between acting for the stage and screen is lambasted with a blasé attitude.

Penélope Cruz is eternally stylish as she grills her two main actors and is clearly enjoying it. Oscar Martínez and Antonio Banderas spend the whole film at odds which is where the biggest laughs come from. Their characters have completely different acting styles with Martínez always acting morally superior to everyone else despite being the very thing he criticises whereas Banderas is more open and comfortable in his vanity.

Directors Gastón Duprat & Mariano Cohn eschew non-diegetic audio for the most part so the natural sounds and witty dialogue take centre stage with both of them being strong enough to draw attention to this in a way that makes it noticeable but never distracting. Arnau Valls Colomer's cinematography uses reflections to create interesting frames without losing any of the smaller nuances of the three big performances.

Humor packed into small, life realistic boxes. Great acting, interesting details and sequences. Worth watching and time. The final impression is good with the remark that excessive strain to create and finalize a work of art diminishes the significance of the work of art. All recommendations.

Perfect acting, incredible picture and sets, flawless pace and story. Everything you can expect from a movie.

Yes it is subtle and smart and some people would need to watch it more than once to get it. But thanks a lot to the directors for betting on the intelligence and taste of the audience.

Penelope Cruz plays a pretentious film-maker in 'Offical Competition', a dryly amusing movie made by real-life directors Mariano Cohhn and Gaston Duprat. In the film-within-a-film, she casts two egotistical, male actors (played Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martinez) who, it's fair to say, do not get along. The interactions of this threesome are absurd but played deadpan; the movies of Peter Greenaway, whose work frequently and deliberately skated the edge of preposterousness, came to my mind, while the aesthetic owes much to Amoldovar. The film may not be to everyone's taste, but I liked it, and found it engaging in spite of its provocative theatricality.

I just can't believe that a director could abuse her two internationally famed actors as her wish. Actors signed on to play roles they think good for them to play, but if the actors are well-known or even award winning ones, usually, the directors might have to humble themselves to accommodate with those actors, unlike what the female director who would and could abuse, insult or abuse the ego, the dignity and the vanity of such famous actors like what we saw in it. This movie somehow actually delivers and shows us something about the people who involve in a movie production. There are several moments that I laughed, they are actually quite funny. A movie with limited participants and limited settings, all based upon a bare-bone skeleton-like hollow script, and it's obviously not easy to hold the interest of the audiences, yet it works by recruiting several great actors of our time. It's a very good analysis on peoples' egos, especially on those famous actors who sometimes have to compete with each other in the same movie as opponents to each other for better and greater performance. This linear going simple yet also complicated long movie indeed needs your patience and sense of humor to to through it.