5 best George Clooney performances (AP)

LOS ANGELES – A couple of weeks ago, we looked back on the eclectic career of Brad Pitt, and marveled at the intelligence of his choices as well as his instinct to shun his movie-star persona while still giving the people what they want.

Pitt's friend and co-star in the "Ocean's" movies, George Clooney, has shown similar tastes and daring both in front of and behind the camera. And in the process of staying true to his beliefs, he's carved out one of the most respected careers in town.

This week, he directs the political drama "The Ides of March" and plays a supporting role as a governor seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. So here's a look at his five best performances. As you can probably guess, I'd vote for him for anything:

• "Michael Clayton" (2007): Clooney gives a smart, subtly powerful performance in the title role as a "fixer" at a prestigious New York law firm. He's a man who's been around a long time and seen it all. He carries the cumulative weight of a lifetime of disappointments in his eyes, his voice, the way his shoulders hunch. And yet, Michael still responds proficiently and professionally to whatever challenge is thrust upon him. All the best of what Clooney can do is on display here: the dazzling charisma as well as the vulnerability. Writer-director Tony Gilroy gives Clooney an opportunity to do some of the best work of his career in a part that's meaty but rarely flashy.

• "Syriana" (2005): Clooney famously cast aside his dashing good looks, gaining 30 pounds in 30 days, growing a beard and shaving his hairline to play Bob Barnes, a fictionalized version of former CIA officer Robert Baer. He was unrecognizable, a crucial piece in writer-director Stephen Gaghan's dense and complicated film about the global oil industry, and the performance earned him the Academy Award for best supporting actor. Clooney was so dedicated, he severely injured his back shooting a torture scene, and was still hurt while directing and co-starring in "Good Night, and Good Luck." This is a prime example of his willingness to reject the glamour of being a movie star in favor of doing smart, challenging work.

• "Out of Sight" (1998): Trading snappy banter with a tough-but-feminine Jennifer Lopez, Clooney was sexy as hell as a career bank robber in Steven Soderbergh's funny and surprising film. The scene in which the two flirt at a hotel bar, with its warm lighting and flattering close-ups, is probably the movie's best-known and it crackles with romantic tension. But Clooney is called upon to do much more than smolder. "Out of Sight" ranges from buddy comedy to gripping suspense to sultry noir, and Clooney has the versatility to keep up with all those varying genres. He's probably a bad guy and he's most certainly unreliable, but he's also irresistible. Clooney makes that contrast work.

• "Up in the Air" (2009): Clooney is at the height of his dynamism here as a man who makes a living by firing other people. This would seem like an insurmountable contradiction, but Jason Reitman's film fleshes out the character, Ryan Bingham, with shadings and subtlety, and Clooney gets excellent support from co-stars Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. (All three received Academy Award nominations.) Ryan jets across the country, handing out pink slips without batting an eye and worrying only about increasing his frequent-flier miles. He breezes through life efficiently, and Clooney's naturally masculine energy gives the character real zing, but he also finds the soulfulness that's eventually required of the role, as well.

• "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (2009): Clooney's work here also appeared on my list of the five best animated performances. "Up in the Air" earned him an Oscar nomination for best actor that year, but he's just as memorable behind the microphone lending his smooth voice to the starring role of the crafty Mr. Fox. He brings all that charm in the richness of his delivery, all his signature smarts and presence to director Wes Anderson's beautifully detailed stop-motion animation. And merely the idea of this handsome man playing a furry, little woodland creature — albeit a clever one with a sly sense of humor — is enough to bring a huge smile to your face.

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Think of any other examples? Share them with AP Movie Critic Christy Lemire through Twitter: http://twitter.com/christylemire.

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Clooney ex Elisabetta Canalis gets naked for PETA (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – George Clooney's ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis is the latest celebrity to strip down for animal rights group PETA, unveiling her campaign and her naked body in Beverly Hills on Tuesday.

Shoppers on ritzy Rodeo Drive got an eyeful of Canalis as she posed next to her nude, black-and-white campaign portrait for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

The Italian TV host, who split from A-list actor Clooney earlier this year, has long been against the use of fur. Her campaign will be shown prominently in Milan, where designers are still known to use fur in their collections.

"This is a thing which I personally believe and trust in, so nobody told me to do it. Since I was a little kid, I was against fur, I never wore fur in my life," she told Reuters.

Canalis, 33, joins a long list of Hollywood celebrities who bared it all for PETA's anti-fur campaign, including Charlize Theron and Pamela Anderson.

The Italian beauty said she was moved to work on the campaign after hearing of the immense cruelty suffered by animals in the fur trade.

"If you know what happens all around the world, everyday, like, 50,000 -- more than that -- animals are killed, bludgeoned, drowned, electrocuted, skinned alive, just for vanity. That's enough I think," said Canalis.

The model is stepping away from her famous ex-boyfriend's spotlight and into her own, with an upcoming stint on U.S. reality TV show "Dancing With The Stars." Canalis is training hard with dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy, in preparation for the live show, which premieres on ABC on September 19.

"At the beginning, I thought, this is a very famous TV program in United States (and) I'm very happy they asked me to do it. But now, I'm realizing that it's a lot of work because me and Val, we are working tough everyday, six hours, it's like an athlete training, so I was not really used to doing it," said Canalis. "But I'm so excited to do it."

Canalis will be featured in PETA's fall "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign, which will be appearing in advertisements and on billboards worldwide.

(Reporting and Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Clooney charms Toronto playing a family man (Reuters)

TORONTO (Reuters) – Calling acting just his "day job," George Clooney is winning over movie critics and audiences in Toronto with a nuanced performance as a father forced to rethink his life after his wife suffers a debilitating accident.

Clooney plays the key role in "The Descendants," a new feature from Alexander Payne, who directed the Oscar-winning "Sideways," and he brings a similar blend of humor and heartbreak to this new movie set against a Hawaiian backdrop.

The film is one of the big attractions at the Toronto International Film Festival, with Clooney hitting the red carpet on Saturday with typical self-deprecating remarks and charm, joking with a large audience that playing a family man was, of course, a natural fit for the famous bachelor.

"He did seem like a very good family man, it seemed perfect for me," he told a laughing audience at the premiere, who threw questions at him about how he could possibly be so in tune with his parenting side for the role when, in real life, he's unmarried and has no children.

In "The Descendants," Clooney plays a successful real estate lawyer coping with tragedy and reconnecting with his two daughters while facing his past, his shortcomings as a father and a different future. The film was adapted by Payne and two other screenwriters from Kaui Hart Hemmings' 2007 novel of the same title.

Coming straight off favorable reviews for his directing and acting in the political drama "The Ides of March," which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and has pleased audiences in Toronto, the actor has drawn praise for his turn in "The Descendants," with critics calling his performance perfectly underplayed, and noting Payne's ability to subtly but quickly change tones.

The Hollywood Reporter said, "Never has (Payne's) knack for mixing moods and modulating subtle emotions been more evident," while Clooney noted that "there's a sense that he's able to turn things from funny to sad really quickly, and he's just a master of it."

DO OSCARS AWAIT?

Clooney told reporters the role was more of a challenge than usual.

"This is one that you are in a very uncomfortable zone, with very comfortable people, but it is a tricky place to play. Obviously it is a much more difficult part," he said, adding that playing a father wasn't that much of a stretch. "You don't have to shoot heroin to play a heroin addict."

As Payne did in his hit film "Sideways," for which he won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay, he's again exploring the ways flawed ordinary people cope with life. He said he began working on the script several years ago and wanted no one but Clooney to play the central part.

"George has the right look and the right height, and even though we did not work together on 'Sideways,' he really is one of the few contemporary stars that I really did want to work with. I suspected that we would hit it off," Payne said. "He was completely right for the part."

Asked about whether he was ready for any award nominations, Clooney said, "I have won an award once" -- for his supporting role in "Syriana" -- "so when I die, they say Oscar winner. It's a great, nice sort of thing to have on the tombstone, but after that, to me, I really like it when people appreciate the work," he said.

The 50-year-old actor said that for him, the world of movies was not about competition.

"I don't really have this dying need to collect things. There is a point in time when you start in this and you do get competitive. You can get caught up in it, trying to compete with people, and you realize, this is silly, we are comparing artists," he said.

"The Descendants" and "The Ides of March," Clooney's fourth feature as a director, will both be released in theaters this fall, but the actor said he is not concerned about them competing against one another.

Nor is he unclear about whether he prefers acting or directing.

"My day job is acting, and that is how I make my living, and directing is something I really want to do and really enjoy doing."

(additional reporting by Bob Mezan and Sharon Reich, editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Sheri Linden)

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Le Carre, Clooney, Carnage contest Venice film prize (Reuters)

VENICE, Italy (Reuters) – The Venice film festival has largely lived up to its billing so far, providing a steady stream of A-list actors on the red carpet and a lineup of movies which has pleased most critics.

As the world's oldest film festival hits halfway Monday, an adaptation of John Le Carre's "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," George Clooney's political thriller "The Ides of March" and Roman Polanski's comedy "Carnage" lead the charge for the coveted Golden Lion for best picture.

They are among 22 movies announced so far, soon to be joined by a 23rd "surprise" film unveiled Tuesday, vying for top prize, which is announced Saturday.

Although festival juries are notoriously difficult to second guess, an informal poll of critics published by trade magazine Variety puts Carnage marginally in the lead, but ratings have been generally strong.

Booing at the end of press screenings is common at film festivals, but there has been little this year, suggesting a happy ending to festival director Marco Mueller's term in charge.

Carnage is Polanski's adaptation of stage play "God of Carnage," and stars Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly in a critique of bourgeois values set in real time in a single location.

Waltz's constant Blackberry interruptions, barbed exchanges between two New York couples and in particular Winslet's "vomit scene" had journalists laughing out loud.

Polanski would not be able to collect his prize should he win, facing extradition to the United States where he is still wanted for sentencing for a crime committed in 1977, but victory would be generally popular.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, which premieres Monday, also emerged as a strong contender, with early reviews glowing for the melancholic adaptation of Le Carre's 1974 classic.

Gary Oldman takes on the central role of George Smiley, famously played by Alec Guinness in a television series, and Colin Firth and John Hurt also star.

"The big-screen version of John Le Carr's 1970s spookfest is hot favorite for the ... Golden Lion," said Jason Solomons, film critic for the Observer weekly.

"Just how Swedish director Tomas Alfredson got under the skin of British behavior so intuitively is remarkable."

NO SHAME IN "SHAME"

Clooney got the 11-day cinema showcase off to a strong, starry start with opening film The Ides of March, a thriller set in the world of American politics in which he, Ryan Gosling and Philip Seymour Hoffman appear.

And Steve McQueen, a British artist-turned-director, got what many consider the performance of the festival so far from Irish actor Michael Fassbender as a sex-obsessed New York professional in "Shame."

"Fassbender...might already have the Coppa Volpi (for best actor) in his pocket," wrote La Stampa daily.

Oldman also won praise for his nuanced portrayal of Smiley, and among female leads, Aggeliki Papoulia in Greek tragedy "Alps" and Keira Knightley in David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method" impressed.

Alps and Italian entry "Terraferma," tackling the hot topic of immigration, had plenty of admirers, but "That Summer," starring Monica Bellucci, was poorly received.

Outside the main competition, Madonna presented "W.E.," her stylish re-telling of the story of American divorcee Wallis Simpson and her relationship with King Edward VIII.

Andrea Riseborough was singled out for her role as Wallis, but overall the movie got a lukewarm critical reception.

Steven Soderbergh brought with him a stellar cast in "Contagion," a slick examination of the spread of a deadly disease and the global panic it causes.

Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Laurence Fishburne all hit the red carpet, as did Hollywood veteran Al Pacino who was honored with a lifetime achievement award.

At 71, the "Godfather" actor drew big and noisy crowds on Sunday, as he presented his documentary "Wilde Salome."

(Additional reporting by Silvia Aloisi, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Telluride film fest concludes, Clooney honored (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Telluride Film Festival wrapped up on Monday after a long weekend of screenings, seminars and other programs, with George Clooney and Tilda Swinton receiving top honors.

The 38th annual festival in the Colorado ski resort town saw Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" win a rapturous reception, with star George Clooney on hand to discuss the comic drama being released in November.

Other films that drew strong response included silent film "The Artist," which also made a splash in Cannes, and "Albert Nobbs," a period piece in which Glenn Close's character lives most of her life disguised as a man. Close was also in town for the festival.

The festival's three surprise films, which were not announced in advance, included Jim Field Smith's "Butter," starring Jennifer Garner and Ty Burrell, all of whom made appearances. "Crazy Horse," Frederick Wiseman's look at the glamorous Paris cabaret, and "Le Grand Amour," Pierre Etaix's lost masterpiece which was making its North American premiere, were also screened.

Silver Medallion awards for significant contributions to the cinema world went to Clooney, Swinton and Etaix. The Special Medallion, honoring preservation and presentation of great movies, went to British film magazine Sight & Sound, with editor Nick James on hand to accept.

The festival presented 28 new features, as well as six revivals, nine "Backlot" programs, nine classics and restorations, as well as a 30 short and student films.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; editing by Christine Kearney)

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Clooney, Scorsese, Close films head for Telluride (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A Martin Scorsese documentary about late Beatle George Harrison, the George Clooney movie "The Descendants," and a film in which Glenn Close plays a woman pretending to be a male butler were all picked for this year's Telluride Film Festival.

Festival organizers on Thursday unveiled the lineup for the event that begins Friday, runs over the holiday weekend and is regarded as among the top U.S. movie gatherings of the year.

The festival in the ski resort town of Telluride, Colorado, is considered a key event for cineastes and annually features an eclectic group of foreign and U.S. movies. Last minute selections, as yet unannounced, often end up being Oscar contenders.

Among this year's highlights include director David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method," starring Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen and Keira Knightley in a story about the turbulent relationships between fledging psychiatrist Carl Jung, his mentor Sigmund Freud and patient Sabina Spielrein.

"The Descendants," from Alexander Payne, the director of "Sideways," stars George Clooney as an indifferent husband and father forced to re-examine his life, while the Irish drama "Albert Nobbs," co-written by Glenn Close, has the actress playing a shy Butler who is hiding the fact that he is woman.

Other fictional films include British director Steve McQueen's "Shame," also starring Fassbender, as well as Tilda Swinton in "We Need to Talk About Kevin."

Martin Scorsese's documentary about George Harrison, "Living in the Material World," a project he developed with the former Beatle's widow, Olivia, also will screen and it promises unseen Harrison footage and songs.

Among other nonfiction films selected were German director Werner Herzog's "Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life" as well as Wim Wenders' "Pina."

Included in the foreign titles are prominent Polish director Agnieszka Holland's new film, "In Darkness," about a sewer worker who helps Jewish people escape a ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland, as well as Hungarian director Bela Tarr's "The Turin Horse."

Also screening is "The Kid With a Bike," by Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne that shared the runner-up prize earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival and "The Artist" by French director Michel Hazanavicius. It won best actor for Jean Dujardin at Cannes.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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George Clooney rules out political bid in US (AP)

VENICE, Italy – Idealism loses out to cynicism in George Clooney's political drama "The Ides of March," which opens the Venice Film Festival.

Clooney directs and acts in the political drama that features Ryan Gosling as a gung-ho press secretary swept into a sex scandal in the final days of a Democratic presidential primary in Ohio. Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti are rival campaign managers who use loyalty as a weapon in their epic battle for victory.

Marisa Tomei plays a Times reporter angling for scoops on the campaign trail. And Evan Rachel Wood, a pretty campaign volunteer eager to play in the big leagues, is yet another figure giving female political interns a bad rap.

Clooney's idealistic presidential candidate, Pennsylvania Gov. Mike Morris, has a straightforward platform: He's nonreligious but defends the freedom of religion. He also opposes the death penalty and wants to phase out internal combustion engines to reduce American dependence on foreign oil.

Clooney plays the presidential candidate, but told reporters at the festival Wednesday he is not looking to be one in real life.

"As for running for president, look, there's a guy in office right now who is smarter than almost anyone you know, who's nicer and who has more compassion than almost anyone you know. And he's having an almost impossible time governing. Why would anybody volunteer for that job?" Clooney told a news conference.

"I have a really good job. I get to hang out with very seductive people. So I have no interest," Clooney said.

For Clooney, the film wasn't so much a political movie as a morality tale, exploring the question of whether the ends justify the means. The political arena "raised the stakes," a relaxed and jocular Clooney said, but the questions the film poses reside in many areas of life.

"You could literally put this in Wall Street, or you could put it pretty much anywhere. It's all the same sort of issues. It's issues of morality. It's issues of whether or not you are willing to trade your soul for an outcome," Clooney said.

In the film, many characters use seduction to get what they want: to get closer to power, to undermine the other campaign, to win political backing.

Giamatti called his character "an unabashedly seductive guy." His play to recruit Gosling's character to the rival campaign opens the film's exploration of loyalty and friendship in politics.

"My character is all about seduction ... the whole game of politics is a kind of sexy game in America, and I think (the movie) portrays it really well," Giamatti said.

And while Clooney and his fellow actors are willing to concede that Washington and Hollywood may share seduction and power as common currency, that doesn't mean the stakes are the same. Hollywood, they suggested, commands a disproportionate amount of popular attention.

"I do think there is a huge difference between Hollywood and Washington, you know, and what we are responsible for and what influence we wield. I think sometimes it gets forgotten, that the people who are governing us have a much more important position," Hoffman said.

The film's title — "The Ides of March" — highlights its undercurrent of betrayal. In Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, a soothsayer warns the leader of imminent betrayal with the line "beware the ides of March."

"We thought that some of these themes seemed to be somewhat Shakespearean," Clooney said. "We will leave it up to people to decide who is Cassius and who's Brutus and who's Julius Caesar. Everyone has different points of view."

It is hard to shake off the film's ultimate cynicism, which seems to reflect the current mood and gridlock in U.S. politics. But perhaps such a movie requires a cynical moment. Clooney said he shelved the movie in the face of brimming optimism following the 2008 election of President Barack Obama.

"It took about a year, and that was over," he said, with irony.

Still, he expressed hope that this, too, will pass.

"Cynicism seems to be winning over idealism right now. I think it will change. I hope it will change. Soon," Clooney said.

Clooney, who has a villa in northern Italy on Lake Como, is a familiar face at the Lido. He's directed or acted in six films that have been shown in Venice since 2003, including "Good Night and Good Luck," `'Burn After Reading" and "Michael Clayton."

"The Ides of March" is Clooney's first directorial effort to headline the festival. It is vying for the Golden Lion, which will be awarded Sept. 10.

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Clooney kicks off star-powered Venice film fest (Reuters)

VENICE, Italy (Reuters) – George Clooney kicks off the 2011 Venice film festival on Wednesday with the world premiere of his political drama "The Ides of March," setting the tone for a star-studded 11 days on the Lido waterfront.

The 50-year-old Hollywood heavyweight acts in and directs the movie based on Beau Willimon's play "Farragut North," and appearing alongside him is Ryan Gosling as an idealistic young press secretary to Clooney's governor Mike Morris.

The evening red carpet screening marks the opening of the August 31-September 10 event, which promises eagerly awaited movies and A-list stars who will hope the high-profile launch puts them in the frame for awards next year.

Thousands of journalists and fans are descending on the Lido island across the water from Venice to catch a glimpse of their idols and bring the glamour of the world's oldest film festival to a global audience.

The roll call of celebrities expected this year includes Clooney, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Matthew McConaughey, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and pop superstar Madonna.

It marks a significant turnaround for director Marco Mueller, who was criticized last year for a low-key festival and faces growing competition from the annual rival event in Toronto which overlaps with Venice.

"It is a program that tells you how much support we get from the artists, the film makers ... and it proves that Venice really stands as a major platform to create a special kind of visibility," Mueller told Reuters.

Among the most hotly anticipated titles is "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," an adaptation of John Le Carre's spy novel starring recent Oscar winner Colin Firth and Gary Oldman.

Other standout titles in competition include Briton Andrea Arnold's take on the Emily Bronte novel "Wuthering Heights," U.S. director Ami Canaan Mann's "Texas Killing Fields" and William Friedkin's "Killer Joe."

In "A Dangerous Method," Canadian David Cronenberg explores the rivalry between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud as a young woman (Knightley) comes between them.

Roman Polanski worked on the screenplay for his latest movie "Carnage," featuring Winslet, Jodie Foster and Christoph Waltz, while under house arrest in Switzerland last year.

The 78-year-old was eventually freed after the Swiss authorities decided not to extradite him to the United States, where he is still wanted for sentencing for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977 in Los Angeles.

Acclaimed Russian director Alexander Sokurov brings "Faust" and Hong Kong's Johnnie To presents "Life Without Principle," a story touching on the economic crisis and its effect on ordinary people.

Outside the main lineup, Madonna makes her second foray into feature films with "W.E.," a drama loosely based on divorcee Wallis Simpson whose relationship with Britain's King Edward VIII led to his abdication in 1936.

Egyptian documentary "Tahrir 2011" covers the revolution and overthrow of the old regime, Philippe Faucon explores radical Islam in "La Desintegration" and Al Pacino plays himself and King Herod in "Wilde Salome."

Steven Soderbergh promises an all-star cast including Damon, Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Law and Paltrow in "Contagion," about a lethal airborne virus that spreads panic.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White)

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George Clooney comedy to close New York Film Festival (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Alexander Payne's eagerly awaited comedy "The Descendants" will serve as the closing-night attraction at the New York Film Festival, the Film Society of Lincoln Center announced on Wednesday. The film, featuring George Clooney as a father whose life is shaken when his wife is injured in a boating accident, is Payne's first since the Oscar winner "Sideways."

The festival also announced its main slate of 27 features, some of which had already been confirmed. The lineup includes Michel Hazanavicius silent comedy "The Artist," Lars von Trier's controversial "Melancholia," Martin Scorsese's documentary "George Harrison: Living in the Material World," and Steve McQueen's "Shame," the British director's follow-up to his acclaimed "Hunger."

The opening night attraction, Roman Polanski's "Carnage," was previously announced.

The festival will also feature an in-depth conversation with Payne as part of its "On Cinema" series.

The New York Film Festival, which is presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, runs from September 30 through October 16.

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Clooney, Madonna, Pacino set for Venice film fest (AFP)

ROME (AFP) – George Clooney, Madonna and Al Pacino will grace the red carpet at this year's Venice film festival but cult director Roman Polanski is staying away out of fear of extradition, organisers said on Thursday.

Twenty-two films -- all world premieres -- will compete for the prestigious Golden Lion award including an adaptation of manga classic "Himizu" by celebrated Japanese director Sion Sono.

Clooney's fourth film, "The Ides of March", will open the 68th edition of the festival in a glittering premiere expected to draw actors Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Evan Rachel Wood, as well as the director himself.

The Hollywood heart-throb's movie "Goodnight and Good Luck" won best screenplay and best actor awards in Venice in 2005.

Clooney doubles as the star in his latest thriller about a US presidential campaign, where a fresh-faced aide helping the Democratic governor campaign in the Ohio primaries discovers just how dirty politics can be.

Fans eagerly attending the premiere are already speculating about who will accompany the rakish 50-year old down the red carpet after he announced he had split from his Italian girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis last month.

Canadian director David Cronenberg -- known in his early horror film days as the Baron of Blood -- brings his "A Dangerous Method" to the competition, with stars Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender and Vincent Cassel.

The film, adapted from a 2002 stage play, is set on the eve of World War II and is based on the tempestuous relationship between psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, his pupil Carl Jung and a bewitching woman who comes between them.

Roman Polanski's "Carnage" will see stars Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet besieged by paparazzi, though the controversial Polish director "cannot be present for legal reasons," festival director Marco Mueller told journalists.

The acclaimed filmmaker is wanted in the United States for alleged sexual assault dating back to 1977.

Polanski has stayed in France since he was detained for months in Switzerland in 2009 and 2010 and fears extradition from other European countries, notably Italy, which has a long history of such cooperation with the United States.

While "Carnage" is set in Brooklyn in New York, it was shot in Paris. Based on an acclaimed French play, the comedy-drama follows two sets of parents who meet up to talk after their children get into a fight at school.

The films have been chosen because they "move and challenge viewers with captivating images which inspire both fantasy and reflection," said Mueller, who has been at the helm of the oldest cinema festival in the world for a decade.

The five US films taking part in the competition include Ami Cannan Mann's "Texas Killing Fields" and Todd Solondz's "Dark Horse" -- while the three British works include Steve McQueen's "Shame", starring Fassbender.

For Asia, co-productions between China, Taiwan and Hong Kong -- Te-Sheng Wei's "Seediq Bale" and Ann Hui's "Taojie" -- are also competing alongside Japan's "Himizu", a pscghological drama based on the famous manga series.

Out of competition screenings are also expected to draw large crowds with Madonna hoping for a better reception from the critics for "W.E.", a film about King Edward VIII's romance with American divorcee Wallis Simpson, than she had for her first effort as a director, "Filth and Wisdom."

"The Godfather" star Al Pacino meanwhile will be presenting his third film as a director, with a version of Oscar Wilde's once-banned "Salome", a grisly tale of lust and greed.

Part documentary, part drama, the film stars Pacino as King Herod.

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George Clooney in 'sad' split with girlfriend (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Hollywood heart-throb actor George Clooney has split from his Italian girlfriend of two years Elisabetta Canalis, the ex-couple said Wednesday.

"We are not together anymore. It's very difficult and very personal, and we hope everyone can respect our privacy," they said in a joint statement cited by People magazine.

A spokesman for 32-year-old Canalis added: "It is a very personal and sad matter, and Elisabetta wants it to remain that way. She will be taking some time... and then will face the press.

"She has not authorized me to say when the split happened."

The celebrity couple were first seen in public at the Venice Film Festival in 2009, and had been spotted together in Italy as recently as last week, People reported.

The 50-year-old actor, voted Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine in 1997, was married to actress Talia Balsam from 1989-93, but has downplayed the chances of getting hitched again.

"I gave it a shot," Clooney, whose girlfriends have also included Renee Zellwegger, told CNN's Piers Morgan in January.

When he was younger Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman both bet $10,000 each that he would be a father before he turned 40. They were both wrong, and each sent him a check, according to the IMDb movie industry database.

He returned the money, betting double or nothing that he wouldn't have kids by age 50 -- which he turned in May this year.

Clooney's "The Ides of March", a thriller about a US presidential campaign, will open this year's Venice Film Festival and will compete for the coveted Golden Lion award, organizers said Wednesday.

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New George Clooney movie to open Venice Festival (AP)

VENICE, Italy – George Clooney's highly anticipated new movie about a U.S. presidential campaign will open this year's Venice Film Festival.

"The Ides of March" stars Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Festival organizers said Wednesday that the movie will be competing for the coveted Golden Lion award. The film will have its world premiere screening on Aug. 31 following the festival's opening ceremony.

The festival runs through Sept.10.

The Oscar-winning Clooney has often attended the Venice film fest. The Hollywood star has a villa on Lake Como and an Italian girlfriend.

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