The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • A7

LATIMES.COM THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018 A7 jury, givinghimthe chance tohelp anoint anewawards- seasonGoliath fromthe titles announcedWednes- daymorningby festival artistic directorAlberto Barbera. Themain competition slate includesnewworksby directorLucaGuadagnino (a remakeof for (the semi-autobiographical family drama and, in thebiggest surprise, Joel andEthanCoen.Thebroth- latest, thewestern began life as a limitedan- thology series buthasbeen reconceivedas a feature film andwill receive aU.S. theat- rical release later this year. from Netflix, as does another competition entry, dramatic reconstructionof the 2011 terrorist attacks inNorway. WhileCannes tooka firm standagainstNetflix this year, Venicehaswelcomed six of the titles with openarms.

Among the competition entries, anticipation is runninghigh for an18th century British costumedrama fromthegiftedGreek sati- ristYorgosLanthimos a comic western starring JohnC. Reilly andJoaquinPhoenix JacquesAudiard and the grisly remakeofDarioAr- horror classic from Italian filmmaker Guadagnino. Asalreadyannounced space- racedrama starringRyanGosling as offi- cially open the festival in competition. (Chazelle also kickedoff the festival two years andwent on towin thedirectingOscar.) Also competing are an epic re-cre- ationof abloody1819massa- cre fromBritishdirector the GoldenLion in 2004 for a JulietteBinoche-starring dramaset in theParis pub- lishingworld; and apre-WorldWar Idrama fromOscar-winningHun- garian Nemes Oneof the hotly anticipated titles evenplaying in the competi- Is the latest iterationof thatwell-wornHollywood touchstone, casts the first- time filmmaker opposite six-timeGrammywinner andone-timeOscarnomi- neeLadyGaga.Alsoplaying out of competition: theMel Gibson-VinceVaughncop thriller fromthe rising grindhouse auteurS.Craig inCell Block enliv- enedVenice last year. Despite its established role in kickingoff the awards-season ecosystem importantly, the consistently highquality of its typically remains oneof the destinations on the festival calendar.

It canoften seem likeCannesminus themad- ness, anopportunity to experience someofworld best andbrightest withouthaving topushyour way through lines and crowds. Asusual, the festivalwill inherit anumber of among and that eitherwerenot ready in time forCannes (which is held inMay) orwere re- jectedbyCannesoutright. Notably, however, a number of films, including and are known to havebypassedCannes altogether in favor of amore strategicVeniceberth, likely because themotionpicture academyandother awards- givingbodies increasingly favor films thatpremiere in the fall or later. for this apparent loss in star power andauteurprestige, washoping topremiere at least twoNetflix titles, Side of a long- gestating, painstakingly restored versionof aproject OrsonWelles shot in the 1970s.ButCannes programmers alienated Netflix bybanning the titles fromcom- petition, in accordancewith thedemandsofFrench exhibitorswho feel threat- enedby the ever-growing streamingmarket. Venicehasno such re- strictions againstNetflix and, indeed, put the stream- ing service on the festival mapbypremieringCary Joji ofNo in competition in 2015.

In addition to slotting and in competition, the festivalwill premiere of as a special event. Further representing the streaming documenta- ry, LoveMeWhen also is screening as a special event.And ItaliandirectorAlessio open theHorizons sidebar. BygivingNetflix per- haps itsmost robust, high- profile festival showing, Venice is sendingahard-to- miss the youngerbutmorehide- boundCannes, this festival will gladly breakwith tradi- tionandembrace anew cinematic reality of less rigidly defineddistribution methods. But if Venice is stealing a bitmore thunder thanusual, it also stands to reap someof the samescru- Canneshasweatheredover the years.Only oneof this competition titles is directedbyawoman: a re- venge thriller fromAustral- iandirector JenniferKent, who scoredamajor critical success years agowith film- makers arebetter repre- sentedoutside the competi- tion, includingMaryHar- bringher CharlesMansondrama and the ItalianFrench filmmaker will premiereher family drama LatinAmerican cinema will have adecent competi- tion showingwith from and fromArgen- thoughonly one competi- tion title, samurai thriller is directedbyan Asian filmmaker. Outside the competition, however, the festivalwill featurenewAsian-directed titles suchas anonfiction work Ming-liang; and Without adocu- mentaryportrait of life under theKhmerRouge Panh ThatVenice, like other festivals, so often is domi- natedbyawardshype is bothablessing anda curse: It draws the requisite star wattage and somemedia attention to theLido each fall, butworthy, under-the- radar titles are inevitably overshadowed.

Among thepossible competitionhighlights: the latest fromthegiftedRey- gadas amusical drama starringNataliePortman andJudeLaw, fromactor- turned-directorBrady Corbet a andRickAlver- starring JeffGoldblumasadoctor whopioneered the loboto- my. JulianSchnabel, last on theLidowith (2010), returns to theGoldenLion racewith starringWillem Dafoe asVincentVanGogh. Andwhile theOscar- winning triumphof Lives (2006)may seem likedistanthistory, Germanwriter-director FlorianHenckel vonDon- nersmarck is back in com- petitionwith sounds like a promisingdramatic return to the traumasof life under theGermanDemocratic Republic. Apotential comebackat this particular festival wouldbe especiallymean- ingful: This isVonDon- first feature since the 2010 JohnnyDepp- Angelina Jolie vehicle amoviewhose many sins includedmaking Venice seemboring. justin.chang@latimes.com Strong lineup boosts Venice festival from GREEK satirist Yorgos starring Emma Stone, takes on 18th century England.

Yorgos Lanthimos Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. DAKOTA JOHNSON in the grisly remake from Luca Guadagnino. Amazon Studios Trump can be heard dis- cussing a financial arrange- ment that ensured the elec- tion-year silence of Karen McDougal, a formerPlayboy playmatewhosaysshehada nearly one-year affair with Trump more than a decade ago. Trump has denied both theaffairandknowingabout the payment to keep Mc- Dougal quiet during the presidential campaign. The recording seriously under- mined that first denial and countered the second.

Themanner inwhichCo- hen released the recording made clear he was twisting the knife. Cohenhas teamed up with Lanny Davis a lawyer and spokesperson who previously helped Bill andHillary Clinton navigate scandals over the years and provided the recording least favor- ite cable newsnetwork. Davis, without citing any specific evidence, has prom- ised new revelations from Cohen, who has been privy to personal and business secrets for more thanadecade. am telling you, we have truth, and they are Davis told CNN anchor ChrisCuomo. Trumpexploded inanger onWednesdaymorning.

kind of a lawyer would tape a he tweeted. sad! Is this a first, never heard of it be- Trump himself has long been said to have recorded conversations with people, as have others in his inner circle. MichaelCaputo, a former political advisor and aide to Trump, said the recording may not be evidence of legal wrongdoing, but it was to embarrass the bets are he said. The release fits a pattern for Davis, who has long urged clients to ag- gressivelypursuetheir cases publicly rather than shy away frommedia attention. it early, tell it all, tell it is the approach headvocates.

Davis rose toprominence two decades ago as a high- profile defender of the Clin- tons when they faced an in- dependent counsel investi- gation. After they left the White House, he positioned himself as a defender of all kinds of reputations per- sonal, corporate and politi- cal. His client list has in- was convicted of insider training, and Dan Snyder, the controversial owner of the Washington Redskins football team. When the sexual abuse scandal exploded at Penn- sylvania State, Davis pro- vided communications ad- vice to the university. Most controversially, he worked forTeodoroObiangNguema Mbasogo, dictator of the Af- rican nation of Equatorial Guinea.

Davis said the leader had promised demo- cratic reforms. NowDavis is spinning for Cohen, and providing a new narrative for him. The message, Davis told the news website Axios, is that his client is longer the previousMichael Cohen that you knew taking a bullet for Donald Trump, saying anything to defend him, beingagood is The recording of Cohen and Trump was seized in April when federal agents searched the home, officeandhotel room.Cohen has not been charged, but prosecutors have said in a court filing that he being investigated for criminal conduct that largely centers on his personal business After the search, a judge appointed a special master to oversee the weeks-long process of sorting through all of the documents, emails and other records seized to ensure prosecutors have access to anything that is shielded by attorney-cli- ent privilege. Among the materials were a dozen recordings. RudolphW.Giuliani, the for- mer New York City mayor and personal lawyer, said the one made public on Tuesday was the only one involvingTrump.

The recording is of poor quality, andmuchof thecon- versation is garbled. But clear Trump was familiar with the issue athand. need to open up a com- pany for the transfer of all of that info regarding our said. Trump responds, what do we got to pay for At this point, National Enquirer publisher Ameri- can Media owned by David Pecker, had pur- chased the rights to Mc- story for $150,000. But instead of running the salacious tale, the company kept it under wraps, essen- tially silencingMcDougal.

On the tape, Cohen and Trump discussed adding an additional level of security in case Pecker and American Media turned out not to be reliable custodians of Mc- they could buy the rights themselves. you never know starts to say. Trump interjects, behegetshit by a So, all over says. Before the recording abruptly ends, Trump and Cohen can be heard talking abouthow topayPecker. The meaning of the ex- change is hotly contested by both sides.

team insists that Trump was suggesting that they surreptitiously pay with cash. side ar- gues that hewanted to use a check and properly docu- ment the payment, which theynotewasnevermade. think anyone can suggest that this represents where thepresidentdidany- thing Giuliani told FoxNews on Tuesday night. He also said Trump did not knowabout theoriginalpay- ment from AmericanMedia Inc. to McDougal before it happened.

Davis has insisted the re- cording is evidence in a larger scandal. as Richard Nixon learned, tapes he tweeted Wednesday. Nixon was forced to resignaspresi- dent soon after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the WhiteHouse to turn over re- cordings of conversations in which the president talked about clampingdownon the investigation into the break- in of Democratic head- quarters at the Watergate complex. Davis also pointed to a morerecentscandal inan in- terviewwithNBCNews, say- ing the payment involving McDougal sounds like the JohnEdwards Edwardswas indicted for arranging to have wealthy friends make payments to a mistress while he ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 a scheme that prosecutors said violated campaign fi- nance laws.

The judge de- clared a mistrial after the jury acquitted Edwards on some charges and dead- lockedonothers. Earlier this month, Co- hen forecast what was com- ing during an interviewwith ABCNews.Askedabout loy- alty to the president, Cohen said, be crystal wife, my daughter and my son, and this country, have my first At that point, Davis and Cohen had already been talking to each other, and shortly afterward Davis an- nounced that Cohen would behis client. Cohendeserves to tell his side of the Davis said. chris.megerian new narrative, courtesy of Clinton ally from MICHAEL COHEN at one time was given to florid pronouncements of loyalty toward President Trump. Hector Retamal Images.