Swirling through the waters of Venice Lagoon on the way to town.

Venice 74, the oldest of all film festivals (Launched under Il Duce, Benito Mussolini in 1936) opened two nights ago with the world premier of Alexander Payne's new sci-fi comedy "Downsizing", starring a beefier edition of Matt Damon and Saturday Night Live graduate, Kristen Wiig. Wiggy name, Norwegian background. 

Pic is described as "a social satire in which a guy realizes he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself down to six inch size".  Mister Damon, now 47, has come a  long way since his dazzling debut in 1997 as a juvenile delinquent with a math genius brain in "Good Will Hunting". Today Matt is the biggest star of his Hollywood generation. 

Hopefully we'll catch a repeat of this one later in the week.

A major highlight of the fest, another  nod to Hollywood, will be the tandem lifetime achievement award to be bestowed upon two major Hollywood old-timers, Robert Redford, 81, and One-time First Lady of Protest, Jane Fonda, still fairly well preserved at age 79.

Is eighty the new forty? -- or is it just that living the Good Life pays off?

Alex, Venice

September 1, 2017

with echoes of George Shearing