The Cannes Festival is also at its best when it serves our interests through the rewarding of serious works that have a strong historical and social components. During a brief ceremony in the Theatre Claude Debussy tonight Thomas Vinterberg and the rest of the Un Certain Regard jury handed out prizes to films presented in that section. Of note, Rithy Panh’s “The Missing Picture,” an ... more >
FESTIVALS
Bloodsuckers in Cannes
"Only lovers left alive"
Directed by Jim Jarmusch
A Jim Jarmusch movie is rare and mysterious. Today in Cannes his latest film “Only Lovers Left Alive” starring Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska and Anton Yelchin was shown as a part of the competition program. “Lovers” is your average love story between centuries-old people (Swinton and Hiddleston). One lives in Detroit and the other, Tangier. Adam is depressed because ... more >
CHICAGO FILM STUDENT GETS CINEFONDATION PRIZE
Anahita Ghazvinizadeh lands top prize
The Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury headed by Jane Campion and including Maji-da Abdi, Nicoletta Braschi, Nandita Das and Semih Kaplanoglu awarded the Cinéfondation Prizes during a ceremony held today, followed by the screening of the winning films. The Cinéfondation Selection consisted of 18 student films, chosen out of nearly 1, 500 entries submitted by 277 film schools around the ... more >
MOHAMMAD RASOULOF IN CANNES – FINALLY
"Manuscripts Don't Burn" harshest indictment yet
With his new film “Manuscripts don’t Burn” (the title seems to have been taken from Mikhail Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita") currently being shown in the non-competition program Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, who came to Cannes to show the film today along with the cast, is raising the bar for Iranian filmmakers: rather than bypassing political content he's confronting ... more >
NEBRASKA-ON-CANNES
Road tripping in the heartland
Bruce Dern, Will Forte and Stacy Keach
Directed by Alexander Payne
Alexander Payne's new film "Nebraska," a melancholy road movie shot in black and white with some hilarious moments, is a worthy contender for a Grand Prix or a Jury prize. And yet, to say that I was less than enthusiastic going to the 8:30 screening of this film is an understatement: I wasn't a fan of "The Descendants" and a black and white movie, well, it's a risky proposition for any ... more >
Blue is the warmest color (La Vie D’Adèle)
French film could land some serious Cannes gold
Finally a discovery at the Cannes Festival that’s worth getting all worked up about: “Blue is the Warmest Color,” or, as the original title, “La Vie D’Adèle.” Three hour-long film is a bright gem and a contender for the top nod at this otherwise tepid Cannes selection. "Blue," starring newcomer Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux and directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, is my choice for ... more >
ONLY CANNES FORGIVES
It's about to get ugly
Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Nicolas Winding Refn's intent for his new film, shown in competition this morning, is difficult to discern. Is "Only God Forgives" a send-off to his previous film “Bronson” with a (sustained) nod at David Lynch and liner notes from Eastern philosophies? It would be distasteful to call a film a styling exercise. Filmmakers get our admiration because they invest more into filmmaking than you or ... more >
