Venice gets serious with films on war, brutality

VENICE, Aug 28 (Reuters) The Venice Film Festival gets serious this year with movies about the Iraq war, police brutality in Egypt, economic migration in Europe, corporate corruption in the United States and the Italian mafia.

Twenty-two movies are vying for the Golden Lion award at the 11-day celebration of cinema, famous for its red carpet glamour, late night parties along the canals of Venice and status as the world's oldest film contest.

Director Marco Mueller has assembled a Hollywood-heavy lineup for this year's festival, which opens tomorrow with ''Atonement'', the screen adaptation of Ian McEwan's acclaimed novel, starring Keira Knightley.

Two competition films are about Iraq, among a spate of movies on the conflict due to hit theatres in the coming months.

''In the Valley of Elah'' by Paul Haggis, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon, is an eagerly anticipated film based on the real-life murder of a young soldier who returned to the United States from Iraq.

It is up against Brian De Palma's ''Redacted'', which tells the story of a US army unit that persecutes an Iraqi family and examines the way the media cover the conflict.

There will be comedy too, notably Wes Anderson's ''The Darjeeling Limited'' starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Anjelica Huston and Bill Murray.

But its launch on the Lido waterfront is likely to be overshadowed by news of Wilson's hospitalisation this weekend.

The 38-year-old had been expected in Venice for the premiere, but that now looks unlikely. His spokeswoman has declined to discuss Wilson's medical condition after media reports that he attempted suicide.

CORRUPTION, BRUTALITY Also tackling topical issues in Venice are ''Michael Clayton'', starring George Clooney as a ''fixer'' who does a major corporation's dirty work, Italy's ''Il Dolce e L'Amaro'' about the mafia, and Egypt's ''Heya Fawda'' investigating police brutality.

The annual festival, which ends on September 8, is both a key showcase of art house cinema and an early marker ahead of the Oscars in February.

Ang Lee's ''Brokeback Mountain'' won the Golden Lion for best film in 2005, and went on to garner eight Oscar nominations. The long list of stars expected this year will be hoping to generate similar early buzz.

Critics have questioned Mueller's decision to choose so many Hollywood productions this year, but some see it as the result of growing competition from film festivals like Toronto or Rome.

''It (Venice) is very expensive, and there is no film market,'' said Jay Weissberg, a critic with the Variety trade publication. ''I think there is a calculation on Marco's part that if you appease the real powers, more people will come.'' Mueller defended his selection. ''We don't select a movie because a certain star plays in it, we select movies because they are beautiful. Full stop,'' he told Reuters on Tuesday.

Other highlights in the competition include Brad Pitt in ''The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'' and ''I'm Not There,'' in which Cate Blanchett is an unusual choice to play singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.

REUTERS MS BST2221