Cannes 2011

[Michael Kerpan]

Suzaku and Shara are both quite good. I don't recall Koma as being problematic (tyhough not as much fun as the HSS segment of Visitors).

[ianungstad]

Reviews for Miike's Hara-kiri are starting to come in. They' seem to be quite positive. There's a somewhat mixed review on Variety's site. The reviewer seems to have an issue with the lack of action compared to 13 Assassins. He also argues that Miike's remake sticks too closely to the original and Miike doesn't offer his own stamp on the material. The 3D is mostly textural. (blowing leaves etc., to enhance depth of vision)

Having just seen 13 Assassins last week and LOVING Miike's remake, I can't wait for Hara-kiri. I hope Takashi Miike and Jeremy Thomas collaborate on many more films together.

[HistoryProf]

link

I'm no expert in these matters, but it seems like telling a director that you didn't really like his last film is not the best way to start off a delicate request like this.

Holy shit.

[MichaelB]

I'm going to pass along a major shocker to you, but you'd better sit down first. Ready? Guys like naked women -- actresses, amateurs, Helmut Newton models, French politicians..anywhere and under almost any circumstance. They dream about naked women, compare notes about naked women, ogle pictures of naked women. I think it's icky to loudly proclaim such interests, why is why I confine my enthusiasms along these lines to guys I know and (ahem) trust.

Oh dearie me - this is not the week to revive that email! I had to double-check that it was nearly four years old.

[Duncan Hopper]

Back to Cannes. :-"

Nick James has made some interesting tweets.

Miike Takashi's Hara Kiri is regrettably as dull as its dull wooden blades

Who knew dour Finn Aki Kaurismaki could give so much joy? Le Havre lifts everyone

So the consensus seems be that LE HAVRE is the most well liked film so far, with the critics that is. All the other films seem to at least some detractors.

This shows in Neil Young's latest odds.

5-2 : A.Kaurismäki’s Le Havre
7-2 : T.Malick’s The Tree of Life
6-1 : L.Von Trier’s Melancholia
9-1 : N.B.Ceylan’s Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

[knives]

Well I wouldn't say that Le Havre is getting universal acclaim, but hopefully it's going well enough for a good distributor to pick it up in the US. Young does seem to be extra fair to von Trier considering that rather stupid debacle. Though him winning would be the right level of humour for me to forgive it even if I doubt Melancholia is even one of the five best films at the festival.

[Duncan Hopper]

Early word on Almodovar's 'The Skin I Live in' is very positive.

Eyes Without a Face, Almodovar style.

Probably too pulp and not worthy enough to bother the main awards.

[MichaelB]

Back to Cannes. :-"

Nick James has made some interesting tweets.

Who knew dour Finn Aki Kaurismaki could give so much joy? Le Havre lifts everyone

I would have thought any long-term Kaurismäki fan could have answered that one in the affirmative - Drifting Clouds in particular has one of the most rapturously happy endings in all cinema. I also love the equally upbeat endings of Ariel ('Over the Rainbow' in Finnish!) and the blink-and-you'll-miss-it final shot of Lights in the Dusk where he turns the film's entire mood on its head in less than a second.

At his best, and Le Havre sounds as though it belongs in that company, Kaurismäki gives me more genuine pleasure than almost any other filmmaker alive. (Granted, at his worst - Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses - he's borderline unwatchable).

[Finch]

It is a shame that pulp material seems to make a film less likely to win - Tarantino in 1994 seems to be the exception. The Skin I Live In sounds great though - keeping my fingers crossed that it is as good as the early reactions suggest it is.

Some cretin journalist trying to be funny apparently asked Almodovar if he was a Nazi at the press conference. Almodovar shrugged it off.

PS.: re Nick James' tweet about Ichimei/Harakiri: kind of expected that - as much as I welcome the fact that jidai-geki films are still being made, I found the 13 Assassins remake to be good craftsmanship but impersonal and inferior to Kudo's original (which in turn is inferior to The Great Killing and 11 Samurai). Ichimei sounds like more of the same. Hardcore Miike fans must be alarmed at this.

[Duncan Hopper]

There is a nasty taste of triumphalism in the air with a few UK journalists concerning the whole Lars Nazi thing, lots of congratulating and back slapping.

Massive respect to @muirkate for asking question which triggered Von Trier's slimy rant and disingenuous pseudo-apology

Bradshaw fast losing any respect I had left for him.

[MichaelB]

Some cretin journalist trying to be funny apparently asked Almodovar if he was a Nazi at the press conference. Almodovar shrugged it off.

He's used to it - Scottish comedian and chat-show host Jack Docherty went down like a lead balloon when he quipped that Almodóvar was probably going to throw a donkey off a bell tower to celebrate winning a BAFTA for All About My Mother. Almodóvar's reaction isn't recorded, probably because there wasn't one to record.

[Nothing]

There is a nasty taste of triumphalism in the air with a few UK journalists

Yep, that UK press cabal sure hate Lars I think the Hollywood Reporter have been sticking the knife in the most though, misreporting the story in attempt to turn Lars into Mel Gibson and damage his career, nasty.

[Nothing]

Mr. Young slowly coming around to the troll's way of thinking, I see.

[ellipsis7]

First bit of collateral damage for Von Trier, MELANCHOLIA dropped by Argentinian distributor... Apparently Cannes restaurant where he and his party were booked last night cancelled at last minute too... From The Guardian blog...

However, our friend in Copenhagen Lars Eriksen has alerted us to reports in the Danish newspapers that a restaurant refused to serve Von Trier, forcing the cancellation of a big dinner for Melancholia's cast. The New York Times's Arts Beat blog echoes these reports, citing a Danish photographer sent to cover the dinner.

The head of Zentropa, who produced Von Trier's film, reportedly said: "Well, we have saved that money. Now we'll go look for some sausages."

[MichaelB]

Still, at least Von Trier didn't physically attack his distributor. Maybe that'll be next year's stunt.

[Finch]

JasonCritic: Good on Lars von trier for making people say, hey, lighten up about Hitler. Let's all love Mel Gibson, too. Such great artists grace #cannes

Somebody sack this cunt already.

[Duncan Hopper]

Watch out for Solomons fawning over Von Trier in a future interview.

It's like when he tweeted "just off to interview David Lynch. Jealous?"

This was only a few months after Solomons wrote that he only stayed to the end of 'Inland Empire' at Cannes so he could boo it.

Septic gnome full of piss.

[Duncan Hopper]

Lars von Trier banned from Cannes, forever?

"The Festival de Cannes provides artists from around the world with an exceptional forum to present their works and defend freedom of expression and creation. The Festival's Board of Directors, which held an extraordinary meeting this Thursday 19 May 2011, profoundly regrets that this forum has been used by Lars von Trier to express comments that are unacceptable, intolerable, and contrary to the ideals of humanity and generosity that preside over the very existence of the Festival.
The board of directors firmly condemns these comments and declares Lars von Trier a persona non grata at the Festival de Cannes, with effect immediately."

[MichaelB]

Well that's a publicity stunt and a half.

[domino harvey]

If the jury has any integrity, they'll award Von Trier any of the prizes just to spite such an unbelievably stupid overreaction

[Duncan Hopper]

Isn't it rather odd that Cannes had no problem hosting Mel Gibson this week? At least Lars apologised.

[Finch]

Mixed verdict from indiewire on The Skin I Live In & Ichimei/Harakiri

[mfunk9786]

"Just buy the rights, what's the worst that could happen?" - Mark Cuban

[Finch]

4 stars for the Almodovar from the Guardian crew

For those who would like Almodóvar to do something radical – and this was rather how this movie had been misleadingly billed here in Cannes – then The Skin I Live In might try the patience. But I can only say that it kept me gripped from first to last. The sheer muscular confidence of Almodóvar's film-making language gives it force, and co-exists with a dancer's elegance and grace. Without this, the story could look strained and farcical. Instead, its bizarre passions are compelling. Almodóvar brings something hypnotic to the surgery-porn aesthetic of his operating theatre of cruelty: the latex, the scrubs, the cold steel, the exquisite yet appalling contrast between wounds and young flesh. It is twisted and mad, and its choreography and self-possession are superb.

[Duncan Hopper]

All the reviews for 'The Skin I Live in' reference the influence Franju's 'Eyes Without a Face'. Though this is probably correct, the film must surely also be influenced by or homaging Jesus Franco's Dr Orloff films, which of course were riffs on Eye Without a Face. This wouldn't be the first time Almodovar has given props to Franco in his films, Matador has a bullfighter masturbating over a gory clip from Franco's 'Bloody Moon'.