The Off The Wall 'Offical Competition' Trailer Showcases Oddball Performances By Penéope Cruz And Antonio Banderas.
Every now and again a trailer graces us with its sheer absurdity, only to tempt audiences to go all-in on the concept. Films like Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent have been the frontrunners in that department as of late. But who would have thought Penéope Cruz and Antonio Banderas' new film would join the pantheon of oddities we have seen so far this year?
The trailer for their new film Official Competition has dropped, and let us tell you, this Spanish-language movie seems to be something to behold.
The film, from the trailer, seems to be a satirical glimpse into the world of method acting, celebrity ego, and the absurd lengths creatives will go for their craft.
Argentinian filmmakers Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat, who made 4X4, a 2019 film about a car thief who becomes trapped and tortured when he is locked in a specially built theft-proof SUV (a definite recommend if you can find it), have put together a biting dramedy about the art of filmmaking.
The film stars Penéope Cruz as Lola Cuevas, a popular filmmaker who is hired by a billionaire to make the "greatest movie ever made." She casts two egotistical actors, a Hollywood icon named Félix Rivero (Antonio Banderas) and hardcore theater actor Iván Torres (Oscar Martínez) to play brothers. But when their fame gets the better of them, Lola makes them try less than typical acting exercises to prepare them to star opposite one another.
Entertainment Weekly, in association with both People and People en Espańol, was the first to report on this oddball trailer. In a statement, Gastón Duprat had this to say about the film,
"There are many films that show how a film is made, the production problems, the difficulties and issues of carrying out a project, but there's nothing exactly like the kind of stuff actors get up to, to make us cry, to make us laugh, to generate emotion.
"This film investigates this complex and extraordinary relationship, generally hidden from view of the general public."
Played in a heightened-reality sort of way, Official Competition has an almost surreal take on its comedy, while playing off the outlandishness of the characters. With Cruz's wild hair, Banderas' moments of method acting, and Martínez's deadpan demeanor, the trailer pushes the boundaries of the typical narrative.
Official Competition will hit theaters on June 17th.
