Cannes 2010

[Finch]

Mike Leigh talks to Xan Brooks about Another Year

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/20 ... other-year" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Matt Noller from Slant/House Next Door on Day 6:

http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2010 ... 0-day-six/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On Kiarostami:

Leave it to Abbas Kiarostami, who himself spent most of the 2000s making imposing experimental video projects, to have made the first genuinely great film of Cannes 2010. (...) it's absolutely gorgeous, wrapping everything in a warm, golden glow. And there's a playfulness to the film, from the script—with its in-jokes and funny, observant dialogue—to the performances, which are wholly lived-in and naturalistic. It's that rare marvel: a film as pleasurable as it is sophisticated.

[Nothing]

The Hollywood Reporter + Geoff Andrew? Stooping pretty low, aren't you? But I agree - you can't rule this one out. Along with the Leigh, it sounds like a reasonable consensus former.

[Duncan Hopper]

Xavier Beauvois' Of Gods and Men is rather surprisingly getting glowing reviews. Not seen a bad review yet.

Could be a bit of a dark horse.

[John Cope]

Yeah, the Beauvois picture sounds fantastic. Would love to see that stage an upset of some kind.

[Nothing]

Yes, the Beauvois must be the sudden front-runner by a mile. The only picture so far (with the possible exception of the Leigh) that even looks like a Palme d'Or winner.

[Finch]

Peter Bradshaw on Kiarostami, Godard and the Beauvois:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/may ... f-gods-men" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

review added for Ken Loach's Route Irish:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/may ... -ken-loach" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Slant on Day 7:

http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2010 ... day-seven/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Numero Trois]

and Roger Ebert on Godard's Film: Socialisme

I get a kick out of some of the comments on that page. Yeah, I guess Ken Russell will get more critical attention than Godard in the years to come.

As far as Ebert goes, it's par for the course. Has he ever watched a (post 1970)Godard or Kiarostami film more than once? Or at least all the way through?

[colinr0380]

Only if Warners finally releases The Devils!

[domino harvey]

Ebert gave Pierrot le fou two and a half stars when it was making the revival rounds. Why would anyone care about what he has to say, re: Godard?

[broadwayrock]

Continuing with his his daily Cannes video blogs, Mark Kermode has a rant about Godard's Film Socialisme. He describes it as worst film of the festival.

[Nothing]

That was rather foolish of Mr. Kermode.

So... the first major faux pas of the festival: playing the the Assayas Out of Competition. Although it seems it was ineligible for obscure funding-related reasons.

[ellipsis7]

Sight & Sound tweets from GA...

#Cannes Of God and Men | A monastery under threat from Islamic fundamentalists in north Africa; not a thriller, but something far richer —GA
4:08 PM May 18th via Twitter for iPhone

#Cannes Certified Copy | Binoche is superb in this ambitious & ambiguous account of a brief encounter in Tuscany —GA
9:01 AM May 18th via Twitter for iPhone

The times that are in it, Beauvois' OF GOD AND MEN must be a front runner...

[Dadapass]

Making Fuck Off has been added to the official selection as a special screening. Link

[jackford]

As entertaining as Kermode is to watch in this video, it is mostly out of his sheer stupidity.

Kermode is probably one of the worst contemporary film critics currently working, and while his taste in general Hollywood fare is good for the most part, he is unable to critique in outside of a competely superficial manner. Even in his review of Robin Hood, a film I have no intention to see, he frequently goes on to compare it to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and continues to criticize the film in manner that one would in a Grade 12 English Literature course, as he harps on his purile “character arcs” and such.

He does have a point in that Film Socialisme may not find distrubution, but Kermode’s actual reasons for dismissing both Film Socialism and Certfied Copy are absoutely atrocious, and even says that he sat through Film Socialisme simply so he could call it the worst film of the festival, which currently has yet to be completed. He mistakes Godard’s striking use of subtitles as a lack of care for his audience, which is extrodinarily unlikely on Godard’s part. He, like most Godard detractors, also goes on to mock those who actually watch his films.

As he reviews Certified Copy, he also falls into the trap of horrid critics as he directly compares it to Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise, but minus charm, before becoming stretching and annoying. And he derides these two films with such a strong sense of self importance!

He also claims that Juliette Binoche will likely win the Best Actress prize merely because she is the poster child of the festival.

[Duncan Hopper]

I do love all this slating of critics opinions on films none of us have seen yet, and the Godard affectionados do seem have especially long toes when faced with criticism of their great Sensei.

And before you slate me, I do the same all the time when its a film maker I like or a critic I despise.

Talking of crappy critics, Mark Kermode has now become a parody of a film critic, not that he was ever up to much in the first place.
His 'reviews' on the radio are now just a comedy sketch, even containing regular catchphrases and puns.

[Finch]

Day 8 covered by Slant:

http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2010 ... -our-life/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[telamonides]

I do love all this slating of critics opinions on films none of us have seen yet, and the Godard affectionados do seem have especially long toes when faced with criticism of their great Sensei.

And before you slate me, I do the same all the time when its a film maker I like or a critic I despise.

“"Slate." You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

[Duncan Hopper]

slate.
vb (tr) Informal chiefly Brit
1. to criticize harshly; censure

[telamonides]

slate.
vb (tr) Informal chiefly Brit
1. to criticize harshly; censure

Got it. Thanks for the lesson in dialectology

[Michael Kerpan]

Poetry review from Indiewire (a lot more positive):

http://www.indiewire.com/article/2010/0 ... lace_in_ve" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; rse_lee_chang-dongs_poetry/


Liberation -- behind a firewall, so I can't read it:

http://www.liberation.fr/cinema/0101636 ... t-le-crime" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[tavernier]

Hoberman on the first half of an underwhelming fest

[James]

Hoberman on the first half of an underwhelming fest

Is it really a surprise? Just looking at the lineup and jury, I knew that this would be an underwhelming year for the festival. Disappointing. Still, next year should be good with Melancholia already rumored to be in the running for a competition place.

[John Cope]

Hoberman on the first half of an underwhelming fest

Is it really a surprise? Just looking at the lineup and jury, I knew that this would be an underwhelming year for the festival. Disappointing. Still, next year should be good with Melancholia already rumored to be in the running for a competition place.

I think we're generally lucky if we get two or three truly great films out of any festival and we may have already had that here. Also, to suggest that the inclusion of yet another mind numbing exercise in Von Trierian "provocation" somehow indicates encouraging news for next year to somehow make up for this one is hardly persuasive.

And, in evidence of what I was saying earlier, absolutely overwhelming positive responses to Uncle Boonmee.

[domino harvey]

Also, to suggest that the inclusion of yet another mind numbing exercise in Von Trierian "provocation" somehow indicates encouraging news for next year to somehow make up for this one is hardly persuasive.

Yes, offering a contrary opinion of a stated opinion is much more persuasive

[John Cope]

Also, to suggest that the inclusion of yet another mind numbing exercise in Von Trierian "provocation" somehow indicates encouraging news for next year to somehow make up for this one is hardly persuasive.

Yes, offering a contrary opinion of a stated opinion is much more persuasive

Perhaps I should have added "to me" at the end of the section you quoted but that sentence was ungainly enough as it was.