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A Cannes Festival Snapshot

The 78th Cannes Film Festival is currently on and once again I feel tremendously envious of all my film enthusiast brethren who are privileged enough to go. The great elite film festival of the world is naturally a Bucket List item for me to experience, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pay attention to the festival itself with great interest and feel the secondhand excitement for the movies in competition. They range in style and substance and come from talented filmmakers all over the world. It is often a snapshot of the current moment in world cinema, the juries (this year’s headed up by the great Juliette Binoche) proving a trustworthy governing body for their diverse choices and showcases.
And of particular significance is of course the coveted Palme d’Or -a movie entered into competition for this award is in a truly privileged space indeed. I don’t know what will win the Palme this year but I am incredibly invested, and you should be too. There have been several really good and interesting winners in recent years, and I would certainly agree that Shoplifters, Parasite, Titane, and Anora were among the very best movies that came out their respective years. What movie may join them this year?
For the benefit of those who may be curious but have not looked at the films themselves, I present here a list and some early thoughts on the movies in competition for the Palme in 2025. Several of these I probably won’t ultimately wind up seeing but a chunk of others I certainly will, especially whichever goes on to win. But they were all deemed worthy of consideration by Cannes, so I think they ought to be by the rest of us movie fanatics as well. Keep tabs on those that interest you and look out for them. This year’s nominees as it were, are:
Alpha: Sadly, Julia Ducournau’s follow-up to Titane hasn’t been getting a very positive reception thus far. Purportedly it is about a teenager in a world plagued by a rampant disease allegorical to HIV but with more of a body horror effect, and what happens in her family when she appears to pick it up. Poor reviews aside, Titane has given me at least some benefit of the doubt when it comes to Ducournau’s work, and I will watch eventually it if I can.
Case 137: A French crime drama by Dominik Moll involving the violence at yellow vest protests, a recurring activity from the far-right in France in recent years. It is sure to be a politically charged piece, though I don’t know if I have the cultural context necessary to fully appreciate if I do wind up seeing it.
Die, My Love: Lynne Ramsay is a major blind-spot for me -I’ll need to at least see You Were Never Really Here before coming to this film, which stars Jennifer Lawrence as a woman with severe postpartum depression in rural America. It’s been a while since Lawrence has had a truly meaty dramatic role, so this could be very compelling. Co-starring Robert Pattinson, LaKeith Stanfield, Sissy Spacek, and Nick Nolte too, so she’s got some good talent around her.
Eagles of the Republic: A movie by an Egyptian-Swedish director Tarik Saleh, about an Egyptian pressured to partake in a propaganda film. It is the third in a thematic trilogy from Saleh and his lead actor collaborator Fares Fares, and it features Lyna Khoudri who I remember best as the student activist from Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch. A mild interest in this one, depending on what the critics say.
Eddington: The new movie by Ari Aster and seemingly his first total step out of the horror genre (but we’ll wait and see). It is a COVID-set western about a town in New Mexico and its political factions, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler. Of course I’m going to see any Ari Aster movie, it’s already got a release date set for July.
Fuori: This sounds like a pleasant little biographical drama from Italian filmmaker Mario Martone about a woman arrested on a petty crime who develops a lasting friendship with two fellow inmates. There could be a cute inter-generational bond here, as Valeria Golino, playing the lead is a fair bit older than her two co-stars. If early reviews are good and it somehow finds its way to me, I’ll endeavour to catch it.
The History of Sound: This is that new movie from Oliver Hermanus you might have heard about where Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor play lovers. It is a romance about two folk musicians in post-World War I New England. Might have some On Swift Horses vibes, so I’ll look forward to it.
It Was Just an Accident: Almost every year (at least for the last couple) there is a new Jafar Panahi movie in consideration. Once again it is Panahi, one of the boldest filmmakers in the world, thumbing his nose at the Iranian regime and risking further arrest. It seems to be a thriller and a road movie, possibly a new jumping on point for someone who hasn’t experienced Panahi’s filmography. Like me.
The Little Sister: Often a slew of good coming-of-age movies come out of Cannes and this one could be positioned as one of them. Directed by Hafsia Herzi, it is about a French-Algerian girl and the struggles between honouring her family and living up to their traditions and the development of her own queer identity. Hoping to hear good things about it, because otherwise I don’t think it’ll end up making its way to me unfortunately.
The Mastermind: We’ve got a new Kelly Reichardt movie coming. I’m very curious about anything she does and will definitely see this at some point. It is about an art thief played by Josh O’Connor -could it be Reichardt’s first heist movie? Also featuring Alana Haim John Magaro, Hope Davis, and Bill Camp. A little bit of American indie royalty in the south of France, you love to see it.
Nouvelle Vague: Richard Linklater's movie about the making of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless, a film that might seem grossly self-indulgent (especially for premiering at a French film festival), but I love Linklater and am fascinated by how he might approach the French New Wave as an American director. Early reviews seem to indicate his best qualities are reflected by it and a nice trailer has been released.
The Phoenician Scheme: Luckily, I just have to wait a couple weeks for this new Wes Anderson heist movie about a European tycoon on the run from assassins. I've seen the trailer, love the use of Stravinsky's Firebird -it looks very creative and funny, and of course it boasts a strong ensemble cast. Looking forward to it immensely.
Renoir: I don't know why this Japanese movie by Chie Hayakawa is named for a French artist or his filmmaker son, but the girl looks very happy in the poster and it sounds like the kind of slice of life movie I really gel with. It's about growing up in Tokyo in the 80s and Lily Franky from Shoplifters plays the girl's father. Has the potential to be utterly delightful.
Resurrection: This film from Bi Gan also has a very evocative poster. It is a sci-fi movie set in a world without dreams -the premise intrigues me. Bi directed the 2018 Long Day's Journey Into Night starring Tang Wei which I've been meaning to see. I'll certainly get around to it if I hear great things about this film.
Romería: From Spanish director Carla Simón, this movie is about a young woman trying to uncover the mysteries of her late father’s life by seeking out his estranged family. The movie was shot in Galicia so it’s bound to be beautiful. Beyond that I can’t tell much and am not so grabbed by the story.
The Secret Agent: This is the new movie from Bacurau director Kleber Mendoça Filho and it appears that once again he has made a visceral political commentary featuring Udo Kier -this one’s ire directed at the final years of the military dictatorship in the 1970s. I wonder is this might make for an interesting companion piece to I’m Still Here. After some time in Hollywood, Wagner Moura returns home to star. Curious if this movie has legs.
Sentimental Value: Without a doubt the movie I am most excited for from this year's festival -a reunion of director Joachim Trier and star Renate Reinsve from 
The Worst Person in the World is all I need to hear to be hyped. She plays an actress estranged from her filmmaker father played by Stellan Skarsgård (to add another calibre of class). Anders Danielsen Lie is in there too, so is Elle Fanning. If this movie is anywhere as sharp, funny, profound, or moving as their last, it’ll be one of the best of the year.
Sirât: A Spanish movie directed by Oliver Laxe about a father played by Sergio Lopez (the Nazi father from Pan’s Labyrinth) searching for his missing daughter in Morocco. Sounds a bit thin from a narrative standpoint, but some of the buzz around its mystifying presentation and visuals is very fascinating. MUBI has already picked it up.
Sound of Falling: Now this is intriguing. A film about four girls in different points through time living on a farm in Germany. I will always be interested in movies about connections across eras and making a statement against the grand scale of history. This movie by Mascha Schilinski appears to be fairly humble in scope but I am still tremendously interested and I wish it well.
Two Prosecutors: A courtroom drama from Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa set during Stalin’s Great Purge, I am curious by how politically resonating this movie might be. It’s the kind of movie I expect will get some traction off of its topic and the identity of its filmmaker, so perhaps by the end of the festival I will know if it will be one I’ll be obliged to seek out.
Woman and Child: This movie sparked controversy before it even premiered for the fact that it is an Iranian film made with apparent permission from the regime and features women who wear hijabs -arguably a symbol of state repression. The Seed of the Sacred Fig director Moahammad Rasoulof has spoken in its defence though as a movie made under the system but not for it, suggesting it is even subversive in more subtle ways. Directed by Saeed Roustayi, it is the dramatic story of a single mother and her family. I appreciate that both this and It Was Just an Accident are welcome in this competition. And I hope I can see at least one of them, to learn another perspective on that part of the world.
The Young Mother’s Home: A seemingly very simple, inspiring little Belgian drama from the Dardenne brothers (Jean-Pierre and Luc), who have twice won the Palme before (for Rosetta and L’Enfant) -a rare feat, which tells me I really need to look into their work. This movie is simply about a social centre for young mothers and their children, and the relationships that develop between five of the women there. It sounds like a sweet movie, I wonder if it’s enough for a third big prize.
On Saturday we’ll know which of these movies will be crowned the star of this year’s Cannes festival. But I hope that several of these movies will make their way into world cinemas and a broad release regardless. And of course a few movies at this year’s festival that aren’t in competition for the Palme but worth looking out for anyway include Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut The Chronicle of Water, Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut Eleanor the Great, Kazuo Ishiguro adaptation A Pale View of Hills, Ethan Coen’s lesbian detective film Honey Don’t!, a new musical by Sebastián Lelio called The Wave, and of course Spike Lee’s much-anticipated Kurosawa remake Highest 2 Lowest. 
I’ll have a lot of reviews to get to for 2025 ahead. Happy movie-watching everybody!

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