Inventive, oneirical at times, sometimes absurdly humorous, Argentinian filmmaker Rodrigo Moreno’s “Los Delincuentes” (“The criminals” in the original Spanish) was a pleasure to discover for its originality. Moran, A high-level bank employee comes up with an elaborate plan to divert a bag of cash from his employer. In the commission of his crime he involves another employee, one whose code of ... more >
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“LOS DELINQUENTES”; directed by Rodrigo Moreno | Cannes
Film shown in the non-competition slate Un Certain Regard
Esteban Bigliardi, Margarita Molfino and Mariana Chaud
Directed by Rodrigo Moreno
Going back over “LE RETOUR”; directed by Catherine Corsini | Cannes
This film is competing for the Palme d'Or
Aïssatou Diallo Sagna, Suzy Bemba, Esther Gohourou and Denis Podalydès
Directed by Catherine Corsini
On Wednesday I watched two films that treated the same subject, youth, “Monster” and later in the night, “Le Retour” by Catherine Corsini who was in Cannes previously with “La Fracture.” “Le Retour” (“The Return” in the original French), there isn’t much new left to say about anything where concerns young adulthood. It’s a time for exploring, trying on various selves, observing and mimicking ... more >
Koreeda Hirokazu’s “MONSTER” | Cannes
A mother confronts a teacher after her son behaves strangely
Sakura Ando, Eita Nagayama and Mitsuki Takahata
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
In Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Monster,” competing for Palme D’Or, a small boy and his mother, the father dead and buried, the boy’s in school and the mother works in a dry-cleaners. At the start of the film a building in their neighborhood catches fire and they watch from the balcony, mother and son looking more like two friends. She’s carefree, unaffected by the pressures of raising a son but vigilant ... more >
“Jeanne du Barry” directed by Maïwenn, opens 76th edition | Cannes
Film premiered today out of competition
Seventeen years, that’s a long time to prepare a film, and it’s how long actress-director Maïwenn has spent on “Jeanne Du Barry,” which inaugurates the Cannes Festival today, a film that’s a nod to Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” which was shown here in 2006, but also a nod to the past since real-life Marie-Antoinette became Louis XVI's wife, ending the courtesan's favored place in the ... more >
Change at the top, some firsts, Rohrwacher, Moretti and Bellocchio and expectations | Cannes
Opening day
Weather report: rain expected with a chance of unionist fracas
CANNES, FRANCE - Some firsts at the Cannes Festival which starts today, an Italian contingent in the competition slate and what I look forward to the most this year. At the helm of the festival this 76th edition a woman, Iris Knobloch, who replaces Pierre Lescure as president of the festival after a tenure that lasted six years. Programmer Thierry Frémaux and she already know each other well ... more >
BRIEFLY NOTED: Judd Hirsch in “iMORDECAI”
Starring Judd Hirsch, Sean Astin and Carol Kane
Directed by Marvin Samel
Small and unexpected things can sometimes change your entire world. Mordecai (Judd Hirsch) likes to fix things, but his phone is from twenty years ago and is held together with duct tape and tin foil. He’s worked his entire life as a plumber and a painter. But this is a story about the things he cannot fix, like getting older, the Alzheimer’s diagnosis of his wife Fela (Carol Kane), and his ... more >
Iranian film “DREAMS’ GATE” selected at BERLINALE
Observational documentary stands as difficult journey of self-exploration
The documentary film "Dreams' Gate" ("Darvazeye royaha" in the original Farsi) directed by Negin Ahmadi, has been entered into the 73rd Berlinale. "Dream's Gate" is a joint Iran-France-Norway production, film will compete in the Generations section. It took more than six years to make this observational documentary about an Kurdish girl searching for a part of her identity with her camera ... more >