Official Competition Review: Cruz & Banderas Lead Fantastic, Absurd Dramedy
On the surface, Official Competition may not seem like a deep movie, but it is a layered character study that explores the ego behind the artist, as well as the indie filmmaking scene. Written and directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat (alongside co-writer Andrés Duprat), Official Competition is a satire that effectively employs dark comedy and absurdism to tell its story. Bolstered by an incredible cast, the film offers commentary on filmmaking as an art and the lengths the characters will go to outshine each other.
Millionaire businessman Humberto Suárez (José Luis Gómez) doesn’t think he will be remembered at all after he dies. Instead of simply starting a foundation, he decides to put a more permanent stamp on something by funding a movie adaptation of a book called Rivalry. He hires writer-director Lola Cuevas (Penélope Cruz), who brings together two well-known actors — openly beloved Félix Rivero (Antonio Banderas) and old-school actor-turned-professor Iván Torres (Oscar Martínez). Félix and Iván have never worked together before and their egos, as well as their contrasting acting methods, cause them to butt heads quite often, making rehearsals for the film quite difficult.
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Official Competition is openly funny and also dark. There are plenty of laughs to be had as Félix and Iván attempt to out-act each other by offering false compliments wrapped in sincere performances. They’re intensely competitive, which turns every action and conversation into a spectacle. While Félix is more obviously egotistical, Iván shows off his self-centeredness by constantly mentioning how humble he is (he even refuses to fly first-class and scoffs at those who do as he
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