It’s getting near to film festival season, and there is a tonne of fresh, exciting features that need your attention. One of the most talked about new releases from this year’s Venice Film Festival won’t even hit the 20-minute mark. Sally Potter’s newest film, Look at Me, is a 16-minute short film starring Chris Rock and Javier Bardem, with actor/dancer Savion Glover also in the cast. After originally being a part of his most recent feature film, The Roads Not Taken, which follows a writer experiencing the early stages of dementia, Orlando filmmaker Potter decided to make this scene its own thing and fans can watch a preview of the festival short here. While these scenes were shot for her recent feature, Potter stated in the festival’s promotional material that she felt this story had more resonance as a standalone story because it centres around a gala director (Rock, with bleached blonde hair) and a temperamental rock drummer (Bardem) engaging in intense, increasingly-escalating showdowns during rehearsals for a fundraising gala.
Though it was filmed and planned for another production, she insisted on telling this story on its own. The chemistry between Javier and Chris was palpable on set, and it was evident from the start that their segments would function best as a separate films. Seeing these two entertainment giants work together in the editing room was a revelation; their turbulent, furious on-screen interaction was perfectly counterbalanced by the rhythms of the outstanding tap-dancer Savion Glover. It was obvious where the tale was going; it was unrelated to the other endeavour.
A quick-paced portrayal of conflict and love had to be the focus of the film’s brief length. We get the phrase “Take a Look at Me.” Undoubtedly, Potter appreciated Rock’s contributions much. She said on Instagram that his act “brought [her] to tears” because she got to see a different side of the comic, one that was “thoughtful, calm, honest and polite.” Rock has been challenging himself as a serious actor in recent years, most notably with his main roles in Season 4 of Fargo on FX and Spiral: From the Book of Saw.
In addition to the forthcoming Bayard Rustin biopic Rustin (written and directed by George C. Wolfe), he will appear in David O. Russell’s Amsterdam. It looks like this short film will be another platform for Rock to display his developing dramatic potential, and it will be interesting to see the SNL alum square off against the Oscar-winning acting heavyweight.
Out of competition at the upcoming Venice Film Festival will be the world premiere of Look at Me.