Film weekly in Venice

Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell play brothers in Woody's affecting new film.

Film festivals are quite a test, demanding instant opinion and snap judgments. The temptation is to declare things either masterpieces or abominations when the truth is somewhere in between.

In Venice, you spend most of the time in darkened theatres, sometimes from 8:30am until after midnight, grabbing an espresso and a panini in brief intervals.

It's weird, because many of the films have deep resonances and you find yourself walking round in a funny mood, wondering why ... until you remember you've just been through an emotional experience. The concentration of critics, PRs and celebrities (and security guards everywhere) means there is little time to enjoy a film before you're being frisked and whisked into a press conference.

I found myself terribly sad last Sunday after seeing Woody Allen's latest London movie, Cassandra's Dream. It's a strange film and I think rather brilliant. But it is very moody, and tragic as two brothers (Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell) head towards the bleakest ending I can recall in Woody's work.

People here seemed, in the main, to think it was rotten, like an episode of EastEnders. It upsets me that people really don't like Woody anymore. This is a fascinating late work from a great artist. The direction may be a bit unflashy these days and the accents are ropey, but the score from Philip Glass is terrific, London is a stifling and foreboding backdrop and the tale is the stuff of Greek drama. You simply don't see this on film any more.

Certainly the actors enjoyed the experience. In this week's podcast, Ewan shares his memories and I meet the attractive new Woody star, Haley Atwell, whom you may remember from The Line of Beauty on the telly last year. I also talk to Kierston Wareing, star of Ken Loach's It's A Free World...

There's so much going on over the 12 days of Venice. I try to make sense of the films with Nick James, editor of the magazine Sight and Sound, and we transfer some late night arguments had over grappa into a more formal and reasoned chat. Nick is in robust critical form as we look at Brad Pitt as Jesse James; Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan; whimsy meister Wes Anderson's latest with Owen Wilson; Ang Lee's bonkfest Lust, Caution; and of course lots of other good stuff.

These are the first reviews of films that will be making headlines over the next few months as the Oscars approach. I think the winner of the Golden Lion will be La Graine et le Mulet (The Grains and the Mullet), which is about a French-Arab family opening a fish couscous restaurant on a dilapidated boat. It is a wonderful work, both heartbreaking and uplifting, and possibly the best food film ever. Tampopo, Big Night, Eat Drink Man Woman, or No Reservations (just kidding) - what are your favourite food films?