Venice-2025. Results

The jury almost quarreled because of the Gaza film. And the director's prize was taken by the drama about a fighter of mixed martial arts with Duin "Rock" Johnson

The 82nd Venice Film Festival ended. The main prize was received by the film“Father Mother Sister Brother” by Jim Jarmusha, a large jury award - the painting “Voice of Hind Rajab” by the Tunisian director Kauter Ben Hanya, and the “Silver Leo” for directing - Benny Safdi for the work “Driving Machine”. The film critic Anton Dolin summarizes the unexpected results of the festival and talks about the sports drama “Drowning Machine”, in which the duin “Scala” Johnson and Ukrainian boxer Alexander Usyk starred.

A couple of weeks ago, the “Drowning Machine” seemed to be an unobviable project by the standards of the industry and the American Academy. Hollywood knows the paintings about athletes, fighters and boxers, the “frantic bull” and “Rocky” have long set the gold standard of the genre. Why is one more such Bayopic, and even with Dwayin's Rock Johnson in the first serious dramatic role for him? But now Benny Safdi’s “destructive car” has received a prestigious directorial trophy in Venice, and its actors are already called the front -line “Oscar” race.

The Venetian festival of 2025 and generally ended unexpectedly. According to rumors, the jury quarreled in the last discussion. The closing ceremony nearly broke - the Brazilian actress Fernand Torres (“I am still here”) threatened to return to her homeland ahead of schedule, the jury chairman Alexander Payne (“On the side of the road”, “abandoned”) solidarized her. Both opposed the inevitable, seemed to the triumph of the spectacular, but through the manipulative missing drama, Kauter Ben Hanya, Voice Hind Rajab.

The solemn presentation was put off for a long time, the main jury could not go on stage. The presenter entertained the audience with ill-wing jokes, and even announced a break, after which a certain middle-aged pop singer performed an old hat for a perplexing audience. It seemed as if the jury continued to argue fiercely right during the ceremony, and the organizers were taking time from despair. But then the "Lviv" nevertheless distributed. The Tuniska Document Filter was in second place, receiving a Grand Prix, a “silver lion”. And Payne knocked out “bronze” and “gold” for brothers in independent cinema with emphasized apolitical paintings.

The Golden Leo went to Jim Dzharmush, who began thanks to the bewildered “OH Shit”. His “Father Mother Sister Brother” is an exemplary and poetic visual poem in three chapters, with remarkable acting works and an outstanding script. “Silver Leo” for directing was departed by Benny Safdi, for whom the “Drowning Machine” is an independent debut. Safdi who brought the glory “Good Time” and “Unfilled Jewels” were shot in equal co-authorship with his brother Josh, who now also first shot a solo film, and also sports-“Marty Magnificent” is dedicated to a ping-pong.

Safdi is younger and inexperienced that Payne, that jarmusha, but it is not by chance with them shoulder to shoulder. They and their brother sensual films with wild humor and expressive energy are always in demand at festivals, although not one was knocked out into the rental leaders. The “Drowning Machine” takes a confident step towards the mainstream, but does not cross this border completely.

The hero of the film is not only a superstar, but also a pioneer of mixed martial arts Mark Kerr. His fate, told in sufficient detail from the screen, is full of dramatic turns, victories and defeats, but more the plot of Safdi is interested in the human phenomenon of the chosen hero, his personality and character. Together with the transformed make -up Johnson, a popular artist of frivolous genres (he initiated the project and its producer), the director creates a complex voluminous portrait. Mark Kerr, who received the nickname “Driving Machine” on the stage and became famous throughout the globe with his cruel power in the ring, in everyday life is a vulnerable, polite and timid person. Just under an enthusiastic cry of the crowd with a wild cry, he brought the opponent to the ground, like an ancient titanium, and a minute later he was alarmed by the judge "everything is in order with him?"

We see Kerra with an invincible fighter inspiring horror and delight. And then we are amazed at what faithful friend he becomes for his colleague and competitor Mark Kolman (the role was remarkably played by the professional athlete Ryan Bader), what a gentle and attentive partner is trying to be for his girlfriend Douun (Emily Blunt in excessive makeup and vulgar clothes at first seems to be a parody of a boxer’s girlfriend). The internal conflict between the image and nature gradually makes itself felt. First, endless quarrels with loved ones, then the first in Kerra’s career is a humiliating defeat. As if a conscious desire to be a good person, no matter what happens, does not allow him to stay on Olympus-unlike his long-term opponent, impenetrable Ukrainian Igor Vovchanchin, who was ready to go to victories literally on his heads (in this role there is another professional athlete Alexander Usyk). Dependence on drugs, numerous injuries and especially exhausting household disassembly with Dounced still lament the one who seemed an impeccable car of muscles.

The script of the film goes through the beaten territory and does not avoid stamps, but the charm of the protagonist and the inspired Johnson game and the Bllant allowed to wave at this. Let Darren Aronofsky, who had once won in Venice in the “Drushing Machine”, and there is not enough innovative brilliance of Martin Scorsese, the “frantic bull”, the intonation of his own-touching without excessive sentimentality. Safdi is not trying to criticize toxic masculinity, as his fellow on Indo-Kino Sean Durkin did in the recent “steel grip” , also about wrestlers. He simply convincingly shows the humanity of his heroes through their weakness - the flip side of physical power.

Refusing to claim a global property, Benny Safdi gives the audience a living and bright experience, arouses sympathy and pulls indifference from a cocoon. This is the only one, but against the backdrop of a festival fight of political slogans - not such a small advantage over many other authors marked in Venice.

Anton Dolin