The Venice International Film Festival selected Danny Boyle's Ink as the opening-night film for its 83rd edition on September 2 and placed it in competition for the Golden Lion, while the remaining competition slate was still expected the following week rather than settled by the July 16 publication cutoff [1].

The paper's July 14 account of reporters served with subpoenas at home described subpoenas delivered to reporters' homes while motions, testimony, privilege, and contempt remained unresolved, and this film likewise requires readers to separate a festival's choice from what an unseen adaptation says about media ownership and attention.

Boyle adapted James Graham's play about Rupert Murdoch's 1969 purchase of The Sun and editor Larry Lamb's campaign to build Britain's most influential tabloid, with Guy Pearce playing Murdoch, Jack O'Connell playing Lamb, and Claire Foy also appearing in the cast [1].

Opening Venice gives the production prestige and a prominent competition berth, but it says nothing yet about historical accuracy, Boyle's treatment of Murdoch's power, critical or audience response, awards, ticket sales, or profit because no public screening had occurred by cutoff.

The useful comparison is between the 1969 methods used to win tabloid readers and the modern festival promotion now drawing attention to the film, a question audiences can examine only after the September 2 premiere rather than answer from the selection announcement alone.

-- CAMILLE BEAUMONT, Los Angeles