[VIFF 2021] REVIEW: 'Official Competition' produces a worthy competitor but not a winner
Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz in Official Competition, directed by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn.
Sometimes, a film executes its message so flawlessly it works against itself. The film becomes an example of what it is trying to satirize, and I think that’s what ultimately makes Official Competition grating when the credits roll. Directed by frequent collaborators Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn, this Spanish comedy pokes fun at the movie industry and the constant clash of egos between two actors and an unorthodox and demanding director.
José Luis Gómez plays a businessman who has an epiphany on his 80th birthday, and instead of being known for his vast wealth – I don’t know if it’s supposed to be a joke when the film says he has “millions” instead of, y’know, billions – he would like to leave behind an award-winning film adapted from a Nobel-winning novel as part of his legacy. He enlists acclaimed director Lola Cuevas (Penélope Cruz) to helm the film, who warns that her version will be loosely, loosely adapted because – of course – her creativity cannot be hindered. Lola then casts Félix Rivero (Antonio Banderas) and Iván Torres (Oscar Martínez) as two brothers whose fierce sibling rivalry mirrors Ivan and Felix’s own contempt for each other, and the constant political games and showmanship begin to take its toll during rehearsals.
The film makes a strong first impression as each of the characters are introduced – what makes them tick and to what lengths they can be pushed. These moments are funny, and Lola, Félix and Iván all take turns being the winner without the slightest bit of remorse. Their intense rivalries spill into their personal lives and begins to put the production of the film in jeopardy, but the businessman financing the film hesitates because he’s too terrified of their antics and deduces it as genius eccentricity.
The laughs start to stop, however, when you realize that the satire doesn’t seem to lead to any conclusions. It feels like watching a scripted reality show, and we start to really dislike Félix and Iván because we’re tired of being hit over the head with what we already know even before going into the film – egos clash very often in a very lucrative yet subjective form of artistry. By the end of the film, their pettiness becomes laborious and we are no closer to resolving their problems.
A foreshadowed plot twist near the end of the film places the trio on a path of no return, but it’s followed by an Adam McKay-esque sequence where Lola breaks the fourth wall and notes the conflict is far from over. It’s an unsatisfying conclusion that feels more like a set up for Official Competition 2: Tales from the Red Carpet, and at the end you feel like you’ve been greased up for something promised but may never be delivered.
Official Competition gets three stars out of four.
