Winners and Losers of Cannes 2013:
Who Walked away with the Palm D'or, and who was mooed at?
The Cannes Film Festival is always a controversial affair, but displayed a veritable collection of films that will no doubt find an audience. Perhaps most shocking was the negative response to Nicolas Winding Refn's follow-up to the Grand Prix winning Drive, Only God Forgives, which was greeted by moos at Cannes and a 20% Fresh Tomatometer. The film did however, receive a standing ovation as well as mooing, and a five star review from The Guardian. A few years ago, Terence Malick's The Tree of Life was greeted with a similar reception, but went on to win the 2011 Palme d'Or. While such merit won't be the case for Only God Forgives, it may yet connect with an audience.
Palme D'Or Winner:
Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle – Chapitres 1 & 2), d. Abdellatif Kechiche (FRANCE)
Tunisian-French director Abdellatif Kechiche took home the coveted Palme d'Or with his confronting but critically lauded film Blue is the Warmest Colour, starring Adèle Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux. Based off of a 2010 graphic novel, the film has received rave reviews, and has been both commended and critiqued for its long and graphic sex scenes. It is also interestingly the first ever film based off of a graphic novel to win the Palme d'Or.
Grand Prix Winner:
Inside Llewyn Davis, D. Joel and Ethan Coen (USA)
Always a favourite at Cannes, after winning the Palme d'Or in 1991 for Barton Fink, and sharing Best Director for The Man Who Wasnt There with David Lynch in 2001; the Coen Brothers claimed second prize with their most recent film, Inside Llewyn Davis; a film that chronicles the story of the eponymous folk singer in 1960s New York. With the Coens' trademark characters and humour, Inside Llewyn Davis received a positive reception, particularly its star, Oscar Isaac. Audiences will have to wait until the end of this year at the earliest, but another sure fire hit for Joel and Ethan is likely assured.
Best Director Winner:
Amat Escalante for Heli (Mexico)
Regardless of what the critics think, the Cannes Film Festival have awarded the Best Director award to Mexican director Amat Escalante for his jarring and violent film Heli. While it has been criticised for being uninvolving by some, others have found hope in its depressing story.
Best Screenplay Winner:
Jia Zhangke for A Touch of Sin (Tian zhu ding) (China)
Considered part of the "Sixth Generation" of Chinese directors, Jia Zhangke won the Best Screenplay award for his film A Touch of Sin, inspired by the wuxia films of China. Although it is a departure from Zhangke's other works, the film was well-received at Cannes. The government of China have always had their issues with Zhangke's controversial films, so A Touch of Sin may not even be released in his homeland.
Best Actress Winner:
Bérénice Bejo for ashgar faradi's The Past (Le Passe) (France)
While she burst onto Hollywood's radar with 2011's The Artist, French-Argentine actress Bérénice Bejo has resisted the lure of Hollywood and instead opted to star in Iranian director Ashgar Faradi's follow-up to 2011's hugely successful A Separation. As a woman deserted by her husband in The Past, Bejo impressed the people at Cannes so much they awarded her with the Best Actress award.
Best Actor Winner:
Bruce Dern for Alexander Payne's Nebraska (USA)
Bruce Dern is one of many great actors to emerge from America cinema of the 1970s. After starring in such classics as Silent Running and The Driver, Dern had dropped off the radar in recent years, and apart from a small cameo in Django Unchained, had not been seen much. He makes a triumphant reappearance in Alexander Payne's Nebraska, alongside Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte, as a father and son who trek through the state of Nebraska to claim lottery money.
MOOING FOR WINDING REFN
AT CANNES
It is not often that a film festival awards a director with the Best Director award and then a few years later derides their newest film, but that has what has happened to Nicolas Winding Refn. Early reports confirmed mooing at the showing of his new film, Only God Forgives; reuniting him with Ryan Gosling after they made such a success out of Drive.
Cannes is not unknown for being cruel. The echoes of Alejandro Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain are still being felt forty years on after they left some damage at Cannes, and The Brown Bunny is still fresh in everybody's mind. It poses the question as whether a director's new film is good or bad will it premiere at Cannes anyway? While many assert that Only God Forgives sees its director go completely overboard and indulge with a threadbare story; some critics have liked the film, others have hated it. It certainly bodes to be a critically polarising movie.
Refn has some pressure on him to live up to Drive, which netted him rewards in 2011. Only God Forgives is as distanced and as different from that film as he can make it, despite having the same director, star and composer. The film will be released theatrically later this year, where hopefully the critical view will mello out and will at least give Winding Refn some kudos for being daring, and not rehashing the same formula. But maybe that's what audiences wanted? Drive 2 in Bangkok?
Cannes is not unknown for being cruel. The echoes of Alejandro Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain are still being felt forty years on after they left some damage at Cannes, and The Brown Bunny is still fresh in everybody's mind. It poses the question as whether a director's new film is good or bad will it premiere at Cannes anyway? While many assert that Only God Forgives sees its director go completely overboard and indulge with a threadbare story; some critics have liked the film, others have hated it. It certainly bodes to be a critically polarising movie.
Refn has some pressure on him to live up to Drive, which netted him rewards in 2011. Only God Forgives is as distanced and as different from that film as he can make it, despite having the same director, star and composer. The film will be released theatrically later this year, where hopefully the critical view will mello out and will at least give Winding Refn some kudos for being daring, and not rehashing the same formula. But maybe that's what audiences wanted? Drive 2 in Bangkok?
UNAWARDED FILMS TO LOOK FOR
In Competition
Behind the Candelabra, d. Steven Soderbergh (USA)
It is not often a film premieres at Cannes that is meant for television. The last time a film did, it was The Life and Death of Peter Sellers in 2004. Like that film, Behind the Candelabra is a biopic, and like that film it was considered for the Palm d'Or. While it never really stood a chance of winning that award, the film nevertheless paints an audacious and bedazzled portrayal of famed pianist Liberace. Tracing its roots back to the early 2000s with a conversation between star Michael Douglas and director Steven Soderbergh on the former's resemblance to the controversial Las Vegas entertainer, the film finally came to fruition with the help of HBO. Whether it is Soderbergh's last film forever, or just for a while, Behind the Candelabra is another solid entry to his eclectic filmography.
Young & Beautiful (Jeune & Jolie), D. François Ozon (france)
Another film nominated for the Palm d'Or but beat out by fierce competition is Young & Beautiful; a French film about a teenage prostitute. The film has received critical acclaim, and is the latest from François Ozon, a film festival regular.
Only Lovers Left Alive, d. Jim Jarmusch (USA)
Mr. Independent Cinema himself, the silver fox Jim Jarmusch, makes his much awaited return with a vampire movie not really about vampires, with a star-studded cast including Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Anton Yelchin and Mia Wasikowska. The film chronicles the romance between two vampiric lovers through the ages, and while like most of Jarmusch's movies it is slow-burn, critics have enjoyed the film's witty dialogue and performances.
Un Certain Regard
The Bling Ring, D. Sofia Coppola (USA)
Probably a surprising addition at Cannes given its subject matter, Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring is following in the shadow of another arthousey teenage movie, Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers. But while that film is as exaggerated as can be, The Bling Ring is grounded in reality. Seeking to distance herself as far from Harry Potter as possible, Emma Watson plays the leader of a group of teenage who break into celebrities' houses and steal their belongings. Most surprising is that these events actually happened, although they are probably romanticised for the sake of cinema. General consensus is that The Bling Ring is a return to form for Coppola, after the slightly indulgent Somewhere.
Fruitvale Station, d. Ryan Coogler (USA)
Cannes is never shy of smaller scale films from aspiring directors, Fruitvale Station is one such movie to debut at Cannes 2013. Another film grounded in true events, this time the real life murder of Oscar Grant, who was killed by police at the Fruitvale rapid transit station in Oakland. Critics have commended first time director Ryan Coogler for a strong debut, as well as comparisons of star Michael B. Jordan to Denzel Washington.
As I Lay Dying, D. James Franco (USA)
Ever willing to turn back to the independent side he has courted, James Franco directs and stars in this ambitious adaptation of William Faulkner's classic novel, reportedly one of the many unadaptable books. Critics generally agree has done a commendable job, although it does not reach full flight.
Director's Fortnight
Jodorowsky's Dune, D. Frank Pavich (USA)
One of the most fascinating movies never made was Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky's version of Frank Herbert's novel Dune. While the film Jodorowsky described as being like "a god coming to Earth" never reached fruition in his hands (eventually becoming a muddled mess with David Lynch's direction in 1984), the amount of work Jodorowsky and his collaborators did on Dune makes you wonder why he never could make his passion project. This documentary aims to explore the director's vision and plans for a film that was never made the way originally intended.
Magic Magic, D. Sebastian Silva (Chile)
Already attracting rave reviews is this psychological horror from Chilean director Sebastian Silva, starring Juno Temple, Emily Browning and Michael Cera in a disturbing dramatic turn.