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a14 people & arts
Monday 20 June 2022

Cruz and Banderas united by humor in ‘Official Competition’

By BERENICE BAUTISTA worth it," said the actor, tors like his character in real another in which the di- to resume it in September
Associated Press who recently was recog- life. rector is alone on the floor of that year.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — What nized with Spain's 2022 Na- "My career was built little talking to herself through a "The nice thing about this
is art? Do awards make you tional Film Award for her by little," said Banderas. plastic tube, insulting her- is that I see the movie now
a better artist? Are block- contributions to the art. "I basically started in the- self. and I don't remember what
buster movies only for pseu- In "Official Competition", ater, which is very help- "I think it's a very funny and was shot in March and
do-actors? These are some Lola summons two equally ful, because theater con- pathetic moment, where what was shot in Septem-
questions unleashed in "Of- ber. I think we recovered
ficial Competition," a com- the tone that we had when
edy starring Penélope Cruz, we left the movie ... and
Antonio Banderas and Os- luckily we didn't lose inspi-
car Martínez in a battle of ration," said Banderas.Play-
egos. ing a director has only fu-
Throughout the film, direct- eled a spark that Cruz has
ed by Argentinians Mariano since she was 16. The actor
Cohn and Gastón Duprat, directed a documentary,
the deadly sin of vanity is 2016's "Yo Soy Uno Entre
experienced with great in- Cien Mil," as well as two
tensity. It is felt from the be- short films for Agent Provo-
ginning, when an old busi- cateur, a lingerie brand.
nessman (José Luis Gómez) "It is something that I want
seeks to leave his mark on to do for sure in my life,"
history by financing a film Cruz said. "I am preparing
about two brothers fight- a documentary now that
ing to the death directed is gonna take me a few
by a renowned filmmaker years, because it's com-
— even though he never plicated and requires dif-
read the novel in which it is ferent treatments, differ-
based. ent locations. It's not an
The director is Lola Cuevas easy subject to approach.
(Cruz), a relentless woman This image released by IFC Films shows Antonio Banderas, left, and Penelope Cruz in a scene from I need time to do it right,"
with no filter, passionate "Official Competition." she added, without reveal-
about film down to the Associated Press ing any details.
smallest detail, but with a Although they have known
rather unconventional ap- each other for about
proach. recognized but diametri- fronts you with yourself very you also see the lost girl 30 years and consider
"She believes that her ac- cally opposed actors: Iván strongly every day, you she has inside," said Cruz, themselves friends, "Of-
tors must suffer to get a Torres (Martínez), a very ex- have an audience that whose character sports big ficial Competition" is the
better result," Cruz said in a perienced Argentine who responds, or not, to what- red, curly hair. first film in which Cruz and
recent interview from New has his own school, does ever you're doing, and you "It was a big statement," Banderas have numerous
York, where the film was theater and hates the de- start analyzing yourself in a she said of of Lola's ap- scenes and dialogues to-
shown at the Tribeca Festi- ceptive glitter of fame; and completely different way pearance. "She's not trying gether. Before, they had
val ahead of its theatrical Félix Rivero (Banderas), a that cinema actors do. ... to hide herself, she wants shared small scenes in Pe-
release on Friday in the US. star of international stat- I think it's sometimes very people to see her, to look dro Almodóvar's "Pain and
"She's a very peculiar char- ure with many awards and dangerous when you have at her. She thinks she al- Glory" and "I'm So Excited!"
acter, very quirky, but that's blockbuster films, but who a very successful career ways has the most inter- "It was a pleasure and es-
why she's so fascinating. tends to be late for rehears- very early." esting things to say in the pecially in a comedy world,
When I read it (I said) 'how als. The tension is present In "Official Competition", room. She is such an ego- although deep down it is a
wonderful, how lucky to be from the first script reading Lola acts as a referee, but maniac." very thoughtful and com-
able to play a person like and increases but, secretly, also as a sparring partner, Coupled with the great plex film," Banderas said.
that, a being with no filters little by little, Iván and Félix inciting confrontation be- personalities of the three "Seeing her create a char-
who says everything she begin to do things that they tween the two actors — if main characters, the film, acter ... that has nothing to
feels and thinks and doesn't learn from the other, while the tension is real, her film shot in San Lorenzo de El Es- do with her, that is so differ-
care what people think of trying to demonstrate their will be better, she thinks. corial, Spain, takes place in ent from who she is, it was
her'", the Academy Award- superiority. One of the tests she puts a cultural complex whose very beautiful."q
winning actress added. "They are dangerous ani- them through to combat gloomy and modern archi-
One of Lola's first jaw-drop- mals. They can destroy their egos is the destruction tecture contrasts with the ARUBA
ping comments on the film themselves in order to ob- of their awards, including absurdity of the scenes, but
is that "an artist without chil- tain the predominant po- her own Palm d'Or and Sil- also makes it feel like a con-
dren has a great advan- sition in that production," ver Lion. ceptual art performance. CLEAN
tage, he can create freely, said Banderas in a video "You can take that very se- "Being in those spaces
without fear. When there call from New York. riously, you can just think brings up so many ques-
are children, there is panic." For the Spanish actor, one that is a very real exercise tions about art — What is
Cruz, who is a mother of of the points of the film is to any human being just wrong? What is right?," said
two, disagrees with her that "you can see how easy to break that kind of at- Cruz. "Being in that space is
character's statement. it is for people to become tachment that we have to like all that information was
"You can take (mother- what they criticize." He has objects, and those objects floating everywhere in the
hood) into your work, for avoided falling into the that they represent things room".
sure it's a big injection to mistakes that Félix makes, that we obtain in life," said The shooting began in early
creativity. Even if you are despite having a world-re- Banderas. 2020 and was cut short in IS MORE
much more tired all the nowned career, precisely That was one of Cruz's fa- March by the coronavirus DUSHI
time, it doesn't matter, it's as a result of meeting ac- vorite scenes, along with pandemic. They were able