It’s no secret that pandemic-era film critics have veered towards hyperbole and over-praising certain films. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case with Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, but I’m very excited to see it. Visually, it looks stunning and as a self-avowed “Coenhead,” this is easily one of my most anticipated films of the year.
With all that being said, I reported in late summer that the Venice Film Festival had rejected Coen’s ‘Macbeth,’ but I was very clear that it could have been due to politics and not the quality of the movie:
“Venice rejecting ‘Macbeth,’ but more importantly Coen, has some significance. You don’t just say no to one of great living directors out there. Venice boss Albert Barbera’s decision not to include Coen has some significance, especially in a year where many of the big name directors are skipping Venice (Del Toro, PTA, Eastwood, McKay, Spielberg). You’d think, despite not necessarily being fans of the film, Venice would still take the Coen. So, maybe there’s politics at play here as Venice may still be bitter about A24 not bringing “Uncut Gems” and “First Cow” at Venice in 2019.“
Right now both Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes are posting 89% approval ratings for Coen’s film.