This year’s Cannes Film Festival, chaired by Greta Gerwig as president of the jury, was pleased with an unexpected choice of winners, a large number of independent projects and intelligent films. The names of the winners were also chosen by Eva Green, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Omar Sy, Ebru Ceylan, Lily Gladstone, Nadine Labaki and Juan Antonio Bayona. We are not just talking about the winning films, but also about films that, in the opinion of the editors, are not worth missing either.
The top prize, the Palme d’Or, went to Sean Baker’s Anora, starring Mark Edelstein and Yura Borisov, while the Grand Prize went to Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light. The best director was Miguel Gomes and the special prize went to “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”, by Mohammad Rasoulof. The jury prize went to “Emilia Pérez” by Jacques Audiard, and the “Silver Palm” for best actress went to the leading actors: Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gómez and Carla Sofía Gascón. The Best Actor award went to Jesse Plemons. Guan Hu’s film “Black Dog” won in the Un Certain Regard category.
SAVAN, DAVID CRONENBERG
The new work by David Cronenberg, known for his science fiction thrillers and body horror films, was left without an award this year. The film is worth rating only because Saint Laurent Production was involved in the production and Anthony Vaccarello, as you might imagine, was responsible for the costumes. In the film, Vincent Cassel plays the role of a widower who launches a startup: a high-tech cemetery that broadcasts what happens with the body 24 hours a day. The hero made this decision after his wife Becca, played by Diane Kruger, died of cancer. The result is a story about rationalizing death, loss, and trying to cope.
“MEGALOPOLIS”, FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA
Megalopolis is Francis Ford Coppola’s first film in 13 years. The director shot the film with his own money and dedicated it to his wife, who died of cancer shortly before the premiere. According to critics, the project was controversial, but Coppola himself continues to claim that it is the best work of his life, filmed free of the constraints of Hollywood. In the story, the center of modern America is on the brink of disaster, and idealistic artist Caesar Catilina and corrupt mayor Franklin Cicero fight for its destiny. The former hopes to lead the city’s people into a utopian future, the latter wants to maintain the privileged position of the upper class. The film stars Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza and Shia LaBeouf.
“Substance”, Coralie Fargea
French director Coralie Fargea’s new project, often compared to David Cronenberg’s The Fly, received a thirteen-minute ovation at Cannes and also received the award for best screenplay. In the film, Demi Moore played the role of a popular actress who cannot accept aging. She wants to stop time and decides to take a certain “substance” that renews the person and creates a younger version of them. The film raises the issue of the objectification of women and demonstrates how a person who depends on the stereotypes and prejudices of others can feel. The heroine suffers physical and psychological suffering because society has made her hate her own body.
“EMILIA PÉREZ”, JACQUES ODIARD
The victory of the musical “Emilia Pérez” was predicted throughout the festival, but only the protagonists Zoe Saldana, Selena Gómez and Carla Sofía Gascón managed to take home the award for best performance. In the director’s chair is Cannes favorite Jacques Audiard, who won his Palme d’Or in 2015 for the film Deepan, and Saint Laurent Production is handling production. He is filming his new project entirely in Spanish and seems to combine the incongruous: a crime drama and a musical. The plot centers on a lawyer, Rita (Zoe Saldana), who wants to change her life and suddenly receives a call from a mysterious man who offers her to become rich. The interlocutor is the former leader of the Mexican cartel Manitas (one of the most dangerous in Mexico). The result is a rhythmic and current film, which at some points refers to the style of Pedro Almodóvar and talks about the social gap between rich and poor.
“ANORA”, SEAN BAKER
This year’s big winner was Anora by Sean Baker, about a Brooklyn sex worker married to the son of a Russian billionaire. As soon as the parents find out about the heir’s matter, they immediately head to New York to clarify the situation. The lead role was played by Mikey Madison, who appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” and Matthew Bettinelli and Tyler Gillette’s “Scream.” His lover was played by Mark Eidelstein, who was advised by director Yura Borisov. He also appeared in the film in the image of Gopnik Igor. Baker brought to the screen a story about the collision of dreams and economic reality in today’s America.
“TYPES OF KINDNESS”, YORGOS LANTHIMOS
In the new film, Yorgos Lanthimos, winner of last year’s Venice Film Festival with the film “The Poor”, creator of “The Lobster” and “The Favorite”, returns to the roots of creativity, where rock reigned and the absurd. . For filming, the director brought together all of his favorite actors: Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley and Jesse Plemons, who, by the way, received the Best Actor award this year. Lanthimos created the script together with Efthymis Philippou, who worked on the films Dogtooth and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. The film is a triptych and tells three stories at once; about a man without a choice, about a police officer worried because his wife has returned to him and seems like a different person, and about a woman determined to find a spiritual leader.
“BLACK DOG”, GUANG HU
In the side program “A Certain Regard,” the best film was the crime drama “Black Dog” by Chinese director Guan Hu. The jury, chaired by Xavier Dolan, chose a film about a loner who returns to his hometown after a prison sentence. The hero finds a kindred spirit in a dog. It’s a desert rescue saga that combines the desire for revenge with the belief that sometimes a good friend is enough to change everything. The story unfolds in the shadow of preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as people displaced by the spectacle lead lives of quiet desperation.
