Touchdown in Venice

Greetings from the cavernous, marble-clad press room of the Venice Film Festival. After a more-frenzied-than-average day’s travelling (thanks to a domino set of transport delays resulting in the kind of mad airport dash usually reserved for rom-com heroes only), I have arrived in Venice in more or less one piece — and if ever a city was designed to melt away the stresses of a rough transit, it’s this one.

Even in sticky September heat, it’s as unremittingly, broodingly lovely as every postcard, photograph or film scene has ever suggested — as I navigated the shady labyrinth of criss-crossing bridges and canals to my hotel, it was hard not to expect a ghostly tyke in red to pop up a few paces ahead. Or Dirk Bogarde in a Panama hat. At least Helena Bonham-Carter in a carnival mask. But no. Such are the mild letdowns of initially meeting cities through the movies.

Unfortunately, my travel schedule meant I missed this morning’s press screening of Giuseppe Tornatore’s “Baaria,” which will formally open proceedings tonight on the Lido. (It’s quite nice to know, after years of casually using that phrase in connection with the festival, what and where “on the Lido” really is.) I’m waiting for the reviews for Tornatore’s film to roll in — and, I confess, slightly selfishly hoping that I haven’t missed the second coming of “Cinema Paradiso.”

While the red carpet rolls out for that tonight, however, I’ll be catching up with “The Road.” I know there’s a lot of anticipation on the site for this one, so I’ll do my best to offer you some thoughts as soon as embargoes permit. (The keen-eyed among you will have noticed Kris dropping a few hints this past week.)

Should I have the energy for another second screening after “The Road” tonight, it’s a lucky dip between such titles as “Barking Water,” “Scheherezade Tell Me A Story” and “Le Ombre Rosse” — if any of you have any leads or recommendations in that regard, speak up — though an early night might win out after all.

Tomorrow morning, it’s up bright and early for Todd Solondz’s “Life During Wartime,” hopefully followed (If I can make the venue dash quickly enough) by movie doc “Great Directors” — which would strike off two of my “most anticipated” titles in one fell swoop.

That takes me up to the press conference for “The Road” and lunchtime … and I think it’s foolhardy to plan too intricately beyond that. Festivals have a way of steering themselves, and besides, at some point I’ll have to sit down and write this all up for you.

Not that I’m trying to make this particular gig sound at all arduous … it’s hard to whimper with free champagne in your hand and and the smell of the Adriatic Sea wafting through the windows. Back to business tomorrow.