The movie Javier Bardem called “a great disaster”
Spanish acting icon Javier Bardem has made a profound impact on Hollywood over a range of roles, often playing the villain. With a career spanning over three decades, he has showcased his acting prowess in various roles, from the merciless hitman Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men to the passionate romantic in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Bardem’s absorbing presence on screen has earned him a host of accolades, including an Academy Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for his flawless portrayal of Chigurh. Most recently, Bardem was announced as the recipient of San Sebastian’s coveted Donostia Award for its 71st ceremony this year. The career achievement award is San Sebastian’s highest honour and celebrates Bardem’s towering catalogue.
While it’s difficult to pick holes in Bardem’s oeuvre, it’s not without its misfires. Perhaps the Spanish actor’s biggest mistake was The Last Face. The 2016 movie was Sean Penn’s directional debut and has gone down in history as one of the biggest letdowns in the history of the Cannes Film Festival.
The uneven production portrayed Bardem and co-star Charlize Theron as two humanitarian workers in Africa who fall in love. Sadly, the movie was broadly derided at Cannes, marking a career low point for Penn. Fortunately, Bardem has been able to make light of the nadir.
At Cannes Festival’s 75th anniversary in 2022, Bardem described The Last Face as “a great disaster” but added that it helps him keep perspective. “We worked hard on making that movie — I haven’t done any movie where people didn’t work hard,” he added. “But it was a missed [opportunity]. I mean, it was a [misfire] of a movie, in my opinion. People saw that, people shared that, and the whole rules of the festival changed after that. Right?”
He added: “Now [critics] cannot post reviews on the same day of the opening because the opening of that movie that day was like a funeral. But I was laughing. I was like, ‘Yes — this is what it is to make movies.’ Sometimes you do No Country for Old Men, sometimes you do [a film like] this one, and it is not important whether it’s great or bad. You keep on doing what you need to do. I mean, it’s like life.”
Watch the official trailer for The Last Face below.
