In Pre-Production, Two Actors Can’t See Eye to Eye

Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz, and
Oscar Martínez in "Official Competition"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

While it’s always fun to see movies and television shows chronicle the process of moviemaking, it’s not often that we get to see a story that focus on the pre-production aspect.  The steps that go into everything that must happen before the cameras start rolling can be just as daunting, making sure all bases are covered to see that the actual production process goes as smoothly as possible to achieve the vision that the director is trying to convey.

This is an intriguing angle of the entertainment industry that’s examined in Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn’s comedy, “Official Competition,” a movie that explores the laughs and tension when two egos collide early in the creative process.

When a wealthy businessman, Humberto Suárez (José Luis Gómez), wishes to leave behind a lasting legacy, he chooses to finance a movie directed by renowned filmmaker Lola Cuevas (Penélope Cruz), which is based upon an award-winning novel.  When stage actor Iván Torres (Oscar Martínez) and movie star Félix Rivero (Antonio Banderas) are chosen to star in the movie, their different approaches to acting cause several problems that Lola has to face.

Cruz offers a terrific performance as a director who has some eccentricity, but is also headstrong in her methods to get the results that she desires.  She displays Lola’s artistic command as she attempts to wrangle Iván and Félix into getting along with each other, but always shows a sense of calm as she navigates their troublesome personas, exhibiting the confidence of a director who has years of work under her belt and knows how to get through to her muses.

Banderas is very entertaining as the overconfident movie star who loves to flaunt his fame.  He presents someone who’s in love with himself and the popularity that has been bestowed upon him throughout his career.  Banderas has his character be someone who could be friendly to you, but won’t let you forget that he’s more beloved than you, showing us an individual who values his profession more for the money and awards than the artistry.

Just as Banderas makes you annoyed with his character’s persona, Martínez adopts something similar for his character.  While Félix never misses a chance to brag about his global superstardom, Iván does the same in never letting an opportunity go by to mention how much more of a serious actor he is.  Martínez elicits Iván’s understated pompousness in a way that shows he’s just as difficult to work with as Félix, and is also as immovable in what he sees as the best way to tackle acting.

Although the screenplay by Andrés Duprat, Gastón Duprat, and Mariano Cohn doesn’t really say much that’s new about the movie-making process, it nevertheless offers a fun and humorous view into the battle of acting wits between two performers who couldn’t be at more odds with each other.  With most of the movie taking place at the film’s pre-production rehearsal space, the narrative gives us a chance to see everything that happens among Lola, Félix, and Iván as they establish their on-set relationships and prep for the film shoot.  Between the initial table read, scenes displaying Lola’s unconventional work methods, and actual rehearsals, we see how the characters engage in these situations and keep us wondering how or if they’ll be able to put their qualms aside long enough to make the early pieces of their movie come together.

As directors, Duprat and Cohn are able to capture the simmering tension beneath the two actors as they lock horns.  The cinematography by Arnau Vallis Colomer, has several scenes unfold in long takes as we see the pre-production rehearsals happen in real time, ensuring that we focus on Félix and Iván as they try to get through a day’s work and overcome the contrasts of their acting methods.  And, with the lack of a score or any other music throughout the movie, this helps heighten the rigidity as we sit in on the rehearsals and only hear what’s happening in that space, focusing on the sounds of just the dialogue and the rehearsal environment.  All of these factors make this a competition for which you’ll want front row seats.

Grade: A-