Tag: Cannes Film Festival

Neon Lights Up Cannes

No one can do Cannes like Neon. The indie film production company has ruled the French festival for six years straight when it comes to the Palme d’Or winner. That list consists of Parasite, Titane, Triangle of Sadness, Anatomy of a Fall, and Anora. The first and last movies in that quintet went onto win Best Picture at the Oscars with Triangle and Anatomy nabbing nominations.

Neon once again had contenders to spare at this year’s competition and many assumed the grand prize would go to Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value. That acclaimed family drama immediately established itself as an Oscar contender. Yet the Cannes jury (headed by Juliette Binoche) instead chose another Neon property in Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident. It marks another festival triumph for the Iranian filmmaker. His 2000 feature The Circle took top honors in Venice while 2015’s Taxi was awarded best of at the Berlin Fest. Accident now enters the conversation for a BP mention from the Academy and it certainly is a major contender for International Feature Film.

As for the more favored Value, it settled for the Grand Prix designation which is basically runner-up (it went to BP nominee The Zone of Interest in 2023). As mentioned, Neon has high hopes for its future in the coming months.

The Jury Prize (which Emilia Pérez took last time around) was shared between Spanish/French coproduction Sirât from Oliver Laxe and Mascha Schilinski’s German generational tale Sound of Falling (which is also a sturdy hopeful in IFF).

Another major player for Neon is The Secret Agent, the 1970s set Brazilian political thriller. Kieber Mendonça Filho received the Director trophy while Wagner Moura is Best Actor. Look for Agent to have a potential presence in IFF while Moura’s lead campaign could be a real threat for Academy inclusion.

Nadia Melliti is your Best Actress for the French coming-of-age drama The Little Sister. The young actress emerged over heavy hitter Jennifer Lawrence from Die, My Love. Nevertheless Lawrence did strengthen her shot at a fifth Oscar play months down the road.

Some had pegged Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague (which recounts the shooting of French classic Breathless) for some Riviera prizes, but it wasn’t to be. Other high profile premieres not found among the victors are Iranian drama Woman and Child (where Parinaz Izadyar was considered viable in Actress), Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, and Julia Ducournau’s Titane follow-up Alpha.

Keep an eye on the blog as I continue to write individual posts for movies screened at Cannes. I hadn’t even gotten to Accident yet! As for next year, look to see what Neon’s backing when figuring out the favorites…

Oscar Predictions: The Mastermind

Kelly Reichardt, acclaimed director of Night Moves, Certain Women, and First Cow, has premiered The Mastermind at Cannes. Dubbed as a heist movie where most of the story takes place post heist, Josh O’Connor is an art thief circa 1970. The supporting cast includes Alana Haim, John Magaro, Hope Davis, Bill Camp, Gaby Hoffman, and Amanda Plummer.

With distribution from Mubi, this is generating approving notices in France with 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 73 Metacritic. That said, Reichardt has yet to enter into the Academy’s consciousness and I doubt The Mastermind will change that. Unless Mubi mounts an amazing Best Actor campaign for O’Connor, my takeaway is that this won’t be a contender despite the good natured reactions (especially for him). My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: A Private Life

While the picture itself is drawing more assorted reactions (80% currently on RT), Cannes viewers are praising Jodie Foster’s lead work in A Private Life. She plays an emotionally challenged psychiatrist investigating a crime in the dramedy from Rebecca Zlotowski. Costars include Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira, and Mathieu Amalric. Sony Pictures Classics holds the stateside distribution rights with a release date TBD.

Foster is no stranger to awards love with five Oscar noms including lead Actress victories for 1988’s The Accused and 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs. Her last nod came just two years ago in supporting for Nyad. I don’t see the legendary performer grabbing her sixth for this.

The Golden Globes could be a different story. If Sony campaigns for Foster in Best Actress (Musical/Comedy), she could be in line for her 8th GG try when counting her TV work. That particular branch loves her as she’s taken home 4 trophies from the group formerly known as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. My Oscar (and Globe) prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: The History of Sound

The History of Sound features Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor as musicians involved in a romance during the World War I era. Costars include Chris Cooper, Molly Price, Raphael Sbarge, and Hadley Robinson. The Cannes premiere is from Oliver Hermanus, who last directed Bill Nighy to a lead Actor nom for 2022’s Living.

Unlike A Complete Unknown from the previous ceremony, don’t expect this folk song heavy drama to be a major Academy contender. Plenty of reviews are respectful, but this is not a festival breakout with 70% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 62 Metacritic. Mescal and O’Connor could have other opportunities this year with Hamnet and The Mastermind respectively. Sound is unlikely to offer their names for consideration. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Alpha

Julia Ducournau’s body horror tale Titane took Cannes by storm in 2021, emerging with the Palme d’Or. The French selected it as their horse for International Feature Film at the Oscars, but it surprised prognosticators by not even making the shortlist of contenders.

The auteur is back at the festival with Alpha, returning her to Titane‘s genre with a cast including Tahar Rahim, Golshifeth Farahani, Mélissa Boros, Emma Mackey, Finnegan Oldfield, and Louai El Amrousy.

Reaction from the Riviera is far more varied than Ducournau’s previous Palme taker. Rotten Tomatoes stands at 56% with Metacritic at 47. That’s compared to the respective 90/75 scores of Titane. It is probably a safe assumption that France will not submit this as their entry for IFF and awards chatter for Alpha will be muted. Distributor Neon, it should be said, has more viable hopefuls including the heralded Sentimental Value. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Sentimental Value

Distributor Neon has shined brightly at the Cannes Film Festival by releasing the previous five Palme d’Or recipients: Parasite, Titane, Triangle of Sadness, Anatomy of a Fall, and Anora. Only Titane missed a Best Picture nod from the Academy. Parasite and Anora won. That’s one of the reasons Joachim Trier’s family drama Sentimental Value is considered to be a serious contender for the top prize in France. Another is because it’s the filmmaker’s follow-up to his acclaimed 2021 effort The Worst Person in the World which reunites him with star Renate Reinsve. The supporting cast includes Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleass, Elle Fanning, Anders Danielsen Lie, and Cory Michael Smith.

Early festival reaction is effusive and points to Value indeed being a major Palme threat. Neon could guide this to numerous Oscar nods including Picture, Director, Reinsve in Actress, Skasrgård in Supporting Actor, and Original Screenplay. Then there’s Supporting Actress and according to reviews, Neon may have a decision to make as Lilleass and Fanning are both being praised. The latter would be a higher profile campaign, but let’s see how it plays out.

Bottom line: there is no doubt that Sentimental has quickly established itself a potential force at Cannes and beyond. Expect to hear a lot about it this awards season. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Eleanor the Great

At age 95, June Squibb was at the Cannes Film Festival today as her starring vehicle Eleanor the Great debuted. The dramedy marks the directorial debut of Scarlett Johansson with a supporting cast including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jessica Hecht, Erin Kellyman, and Rita Zohar.

It marks the second year in a row that Squibb is considered a factor in the awards conversation. Last year’s Thelma garnered impressive reviews. They ultimately did not translate into nominations for its star who was up for Supporting Actress for 2013’s Nebraska.

As we await word of stateside distribution, Eleanor had a mixed reaction in France. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 64% though Squibb is being heralded. She’ll need a strong campaign that exceeds Thelma‘s in what looks like a crowded Actress field. Her chances could be stronger at the Globes where the distributor will be faced with a choice of whether to slot her in Drama or Musical/Comedy. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Highest 2 Lowest

Spike Lee’s crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest has premiered at Cannes prior to A24’s theatrical release in August and Apple TV streaming bow in September. Updating Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low from 1963, Denzel Washington plays a music mogul caught up in a ransom plot. Costars include Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, ASAP Rocky, and Ice Spice.

Critics are certainly higher than lower for the French unveiling. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 94% with Metacritic at 77. According to reviews, it’s a successful genre exercise. That means, from an awards perspective, it might be a non-player like Spike and Denzel’s previous collaboration Inside Man from 2006 (this marks the fifth time they’ve teamed up).

However, I wouldn’t completely discount Denzel’s chances in Best Actor. If he could make the cut for 2017’s Roman J. Israel, Esq., he could do the same here and nab his 10th overall nom. 2017 was arguably a weak year in that category and we don’t know how the competition this time around will shake out. Mr. Washington likely came close to his 10th mention in supporting last year for Gladiator II. He might be in the arena once again. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: The Secret Agent

I’m Still Here from Walter Salles became the first Brazilian production to take home Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards. The previous nominee before that was back in 1998 with Central Station. The nation may not have to wait long for its next at bat courtesy of The Secret Agent. The 1970s set political thriller is directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and stars Wagner Moura Udo Kier, Gabriel Leone, and Maria Fernanda Cândido.

The Cannes premiere has garnered impressive reviews with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 86 Metacritic. Assuming Brazil submits this as their contender in IFF (and why wouldn’t they?), a spot in the eventual quintet appears likely.

Agent nods could stop there. However, with the right campaign, Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay (from its filmmaker), and even Moura’s performance in lead Actor could be on the table. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: The Phoenician Scheme

Wes Anderson is back at Cannes with The Phoenician Scheme, his latest comedy sporting a gigantic cast opening stateside June 6th. Benicio del Toro and Mia Threapleton have the most significant roles with an ensemble also (deep breath) including Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Bill Murray, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Willem Dafoe.

We are more than a decade removed from The Grand Budapest Hotel which turned out to be Anderson’s most significant awards contender yet (nine Oscar nods with victories in Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, Original Score, and Production Design). His two Phoenician predecessors generated minimal attention in their seasons with The French Dispatch up for Score at the Globes and Asteroid City blanked from the Academy and at the Globes.

Phoenician‘s reaction in France indicates this will follow in the footsteps of those recent titles and not Hotel. The Rotten Tomatoes rating is 79% with Metacritic at 74. Even with the typical praise for Production Design and Score, I doubt this shows up anywhere at the Oscars and that includes the new Casting category. Depending on competition, del Toro and Threapleton (daughter of Kate Winslet) could be threats for noms in the Musical/Comedy races in their respective acting derbies. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…