Venice opens with Pitt, Clooney in madcap comedy

A-LIST AND ARTHOUSE

Although there are five U.S. films in the main competition lineup of 21, they represent "independent" cinema as opposed to the big studios, which are not in Venice this time around.
"Burn After Reading" is not in competition, but U.S. films in the main lineup include "Rachel Getting Married", directed by Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme and starring Anne Hathaway and Debra Winger, who has been nominated three times for an Academy Award.
Kathryn Bigelow directs Iraqi drama "The Hurt Locker", a year after Brian De Palma's "Redacted" stunned audiences in Venice with its brutal reconstruction of events from the war.
Mickey Rourke stars in Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler" while acclaimed Mexican screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga makes his directorial debut with "The Burning Plain" starring Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.

Japan has three main competition entries, led by revered animation director Hayao Miyazaki whose "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" is already storming the box office at home.
Other highlights include "Valentino: The Last Emperor", about the celebrated Italian designer's last two years at the helm of the fashion house he created, and a film about the tumultuous love life of composer Giacomo Puccini.

The 65th Venice film festival is dedicated to the late Egyptian director Youssef Chahine, who died in July aged 82, and is also honouring Manoel de Oliveira, the Portuguese film maker who is still going strong at 99.