Far be it from me to make any grand assumptions about the general character of the Venice Film Festival after spending all of two and a half days here. On the other hand, he said, pulling up his khakis, ruffling his backpack, and lighting a Marlboro, that’s what journalists do in the field: get the lay of the land, gather the facts on the ground, and make a goddamn assessment. An assessment that’s square and true and real.