Official Competition Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Official Competition Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 4, 2023

Two titans of the Spanish film industry, Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas haven’t spent much time together in front of a camera. In fact, in 2019’s “Pain and Glory,” writer/director Pedro Almodovar used time to keep them apart, creating a divide as generations worked out the troubles in their lives. For “Official Competition,” Banderas and Cruz are face-to-face, joined by co-star Oscar Martinez in this comedy about the insanity of movie actors and directors and their ludicrous requirements when it comes to preparing a feature for production. It’s a send-up of egos and irritation, but writer/directors Mariano Cohn and Gaston Duprat don’t go broad with the material, trying to be sneaky with their sense of humor, going sly when it comes to making fun of the process. “Official Competition” is hilarious and refreshingly simple, giving the cast room to play as they inhabit insufferable people trying to make magic for the camera, learning to loathe one another during the ramp-up to the first day of shooting.

A rich and powerful man, Humberto (Jose Luis Gomez) is celebrating his 80th birthday, realizing that he’s nearing the end of his life. He has everything, but he wants to be remembered in some way, passing on plans to build a lavish bridge to fund a major motion picture instead, hoping to make an important film to help support his legacy. Humberto buys the rights to “Rivalry,” a best-selling book, and he finds a director in Lola (Penelope Cruz), an eccentric helmer who hasn’t had a hit in some time, looking to make a triumphant return to the screen. To play brothers in the feature, Lola casts Felix (Antonio Banderas) and Ivan (Oscar Martinez), and the men immediately hate each other. As rehearsals begin, Felix and Ivan commence psychological games of ego, but Lola’s odd demands of concentration and emotional excavation challenge the actors in unusual ways as they whip the material into shape for principal photography.

Humberto faces a room full of gifts in the opening scene of “Official Competition,” staring at luxury items and birthday greetings he has no interest in. He wants something more after being reminded of his mortality, and he believes movie production is the way to leave something of extreme value behind, securing his legacy. He’s a pharmaceutical giant with cash to burn, deciding to fund an adaptation of “Rivalry,” paying big bucks for the book rights, and trusting Lola to bring a special vision to the big screen. It’s a Mel Brooks-esque set-up for silly disaster, but Cohn and Duprat treat the situation with a sense of exploration, eager to dive into the small battles and deceptive pleasantries of the rehearsal process, with Felix and Ivan subjected to Lola’s quest to discover “the truth” in the material, taking her actors on an adventure.

“Official Competition” examines these tense weeks of discovery, establishing Ivan as an older man who’s also a teacher of acting, committed to daily analysis of motivation and backstory, hoping to find his character. Felix is about instinct, dismissive of method, preferring a good menthol stick to the conjuring of real tears. They’re apart in age and experience, and the men have thinning patience for each other, looking to Lola to provide leadership. “Official Competition” enjoys the push-and-pull of the co-stars, but the writing favors Lola’s eccentric ways as she hunts for opportunities to challenge her actors, helping them to exercise their thespian muscles. This includes a few greatly comical situations, including time with Felix and Ivan as they sit under a massive boulder held over their heads by a crane, getting in touch with authentic fear to help their performances.

Official Competition Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Official Competition" delivers a good sense of detail throughout the viewing experience. Facial surfaces are textured, often emphasized in the feature, delivering an understanding of age and performance touches. Costuming is fibrous. Interiors are expansive, with a pleasing sense of depth and decoration, capturing the oddity of environments. Exteriors are also dimensional. Colors emerge as intended, with brighter primaries on clothing choices, and lighting offers varied hues, capturing a crisp sense of style. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory.

Official Competition Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Spanish language 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix handles a very playful listening experience for "Official Competition." The production uses sound in interesting ways, with the track offering compelling panning effects and channel separation, along with some stranger events, including a scene that employs a multitude of microphones to capture a kissing contest, replicating a headset sound for the characters. Surrounds are active, exploring room echo and atmospherics, especially with community events. Sound effects are also distinct, with subtle metal groans and prop work. Dialogue exchanges are crisp, with full emotionality and nuance. Music is used sparingly in the feature, but instrumentation is sharp and electro pop selections offer a heavier beat. Interestingly, a 2.0 DTS-HD MA English Audio Description Track is also included, which provides standard explanation for screen activity, but also acts as an English language track, with voice actors portraying the characters.

Official Competition Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this release.

Official Competition Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Official Competition" deals with lies and one-upmanship between Felix and Ivan, who jockey for Lola's approval, learning to work with her unusual needs, which includes a test of kissing ability while surrounded by microphones. The screenplay doesn't escalate to slapstick extremes, remaining sly and focused on secretive antagonisms, which builds to a more satisfying conclusion. "Official Competition" has peaks of comedy and a firm grasp on satire, also benefiting from marvelous performances from Cruz, Banderas, and Martinez, who share a rich chemistry and willingness to play with potentially sensitive areas of self-awareness. They make real magic here, keeping the endeavor light and funny, but also educational in the ways of actor egos and rivalries, making for a highly amusing viewing experience.