Culture

A Wrap-Up Of The Most Batshit Moments From The Venice Film Festival So Far

From Timothée Chalamet musing on societal collapse, to 'Don't Worry Darling's supporting cast acting as human bollards.

by Reena Gupta  7 September 2022

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I don’t think I have ever been so intensely aware of the Venice Film Festival, have you?

In Australia at least, it usually comes and goes without fanfare. But this year we have Brendan Fraser’s long-awaited comeback, Timothée Chalamet meditating on societal collapse, and yes, the endless theatrics around Don’t Worry Darling.

“The internet feeds itself,” Wilde reportedly said on the panel at the festival in response to a question about the rumours circling the film. “I don’t feel the need to contribute. I think it’s sufficiently well-nourished.”

In that spirit, let us nourish ourselves once more and reflect on some of the funniest moments from the Venice Film Festival so far.

#1. Olivia Wilde, Florence Pugh, and Harry Styles Use Their Supporting Cast As Bollards

The supporting cast of Don’t Worry Darling had their work cut out for them at this festival. Thanks to the barrage of rumours regarding supposed beefs happening between Wilde and Pugh, and Wilde and Styles’ rumoured romance, some publicists thought it would be best to just keep everyone separate.

So instead of taking in the Venetian air and downing plates of chichetti, Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll, and Sydney Chandler were on duty as human bollards to ensure that Wilde, Pugh, and Styles were never at any moment sitting next to one another or making direct eye contact. Our thoughts go out to them.

#2.  Harry Styles Possibly Dumps A Goat On Chris Pine’s Lap

Wow. We don’t want to come to any conclusions here, but from what we’ve seen on social media, it looks like Harry Styles may have dropped a live goat on his co-star Chris Pine’s lap.

I’ve watched this video a bunch of times now, and sorry, but I’m pretty sure that I see a goat! Some people think it’s a stunt, but others say that the two men may actually be beefing. In any case, Chris does NOT look impressed!

Come to your own conclusion below.

#3.  The Supporting Actors For Don’t Worry Darling Roll Up To An Underwhelmed Crowd

Once again, can someone spare a thought for the beleaguered supporting cast of Don’t Worry Darling? Actor Nick Kroll shared an incredible clip where he and fellow actor Sydney Chandler roll up to the Venice Film Festival to a very underwhelmed-looking crowd peering through their car windows.

“Not Harry, not Olivia, not Florence,” Kroll deadpans. “But hey, Nick instead,” adds Chandler.

#4. Timothée Chalamet Gets A Whiff Of “Societal Collapse”

A clip of indie darling Timothée Chalamet is presently doing the rounds where the actor states, “I think it’s tough to be alive now. I think societal collapse is in the air. It smells like it”. Stinky!

The actor was promoting his new 1980s cannibal romance, Bones and All, and was musing on how social media is making it hard to be a young person in 2022.

“To be young now, and to be young whenever — I can only speak for my generation — is to be intensely judged,” he told reporters at the festival presser, according to E! News. “I can’t imagine what it is to grow up without the onslaught of social media, and it was a relief to play characters who are wrestling with an internal dilemma absent the ability to go on Reddit, or Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok and figure out where they fit in.”

#5. Harry Styles Muses On Movies That Feel Like Movies

Sorry — we’re not over it! Harry Styles reciting the words “my favourite thing about the movie is it feels like a movie, it feels like a real go-to-the-theatre film movie” is now etched into my brain forever.

According to Vulture, Styles also noted: “It’s fun to play in worlds that aren’t necessarily your own,” adding, “this world is supposedly so perfect; it was fun to play pretend in it. It’s like driving fun cars. A lot of fun stuff as well”.

The festival is still on until Saturday, so we only hope there’s more of this gold to come.