Forget the movies, here are three of the strongest looks from this year’s event.

One question seems to have dominated this year’s Venice Film Festival: is Mr Darren Aronofsky’s nerve-jangling new thriller Mother! actually any good? Vox has called it “an explosive retelling of creation in fire and blood.” The Guardian, meanwhile, found it “cosmically idiotic”. Unfortunately, having not attended the premiere ourselves – clearly the invite got lost in the post or something – we at MR PORTER cannot yet definitively resolve this issue for you. So let’s do what we’re meant to, and take a brief look at the clothes instead. Below are our three favourite looks from the festival so far, in no particular order.

The biggest mistake that men of a larger or more muscular frame make when opting for a tuxedo is picking some faddy designer item which is far too small for them, resulting in look which you might describe as “gabardine sausage”. Not so Mr Javier Bardem, who as well as starring in Venice Film Festival’s most talked about film (as mentioned above) also inserted himself into one of its best-cut dinner suits. Note how neatly it fits at the shoulders. Note how stretch-less-ly it covers the arms. Note the subtle tone of midnight blue, which works a little better for the cameras. And finally, note how the sleeves have been shortened so the shirt cuffs peep out just the right amount. As all this is spot-on, we can forgive him the lack of a bow tie – in fact, it makes the whole thing seem that little bit more modern.

We have often asked ourselves how to wear the new Gucci collection without looking, well, a little bit overbearing. And you, our readers, clearly wonder the same, because you asked us as part of our Style Advice column not too long ago. It’s certainly tricky territory. For most, anyway. But not, it would appear, Mr Alessandro Borghi. Here, the Italian (who else but an Italian could solve such a sartorial conundrum?) actor looks remarkably understated and relaxed wearing the famously loud new-season Gucci. How? He’s sticking to understated pieces – navy blue wool trousers (perfectly tailored), classic loafers ­– and keeping the print pieces to a minimum. What’s more, the rolled-up sleeves add to his air of nonchalance.

We often have conversations in the MR PORTER office about the relevance of the tie and whether it is obsolete or not. The truth is: it entirely depends on the wearer (or non-wearer). Some men who put on a suit and shirt without a tie look like an off-duty estate agent at an office party. Others make us wonder why we ever needed such a superfluous accessory. Case in point: Mr Ryuichi Sakamoto, pictured here on the red carpet ahead of the Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda screening. The Japanese musician/composer could write the rule book on the contemporary approach to going tie-less. 1. Fasten your shirt buttons up to the top. 1. Wear a crisp, plain white shirt with a generous collar. 3. Make sure your jacket fastens high up your torso so as not to reveal too much of your shirt. As you can see, a double-breasted jacket works wonders.