Cannes 2013

[bdlover]

Too violent and elongated for Spielberg perhaps, and I struggle to picture him choosing anything officially endorsed by the Chinese government. On the other hand, it sounds likes a fascinating piece of work and first reviews suggest the Kore-eda is surprisingly insubstantial. Hmm...

Edit: Odds shortening rapidly on the Payne (7/1 from 12/1) and the Jia (18/1 from 33/1).

[Finch]

Hollywood Reporter interviews Takashi Miike

[Finch]

indiewire has 3 clips from Only God Forgives.

[Oedipax]

I urge everyone to head over to Craig Keller's Twitter feed for the first impressions of Godard's Les trois désastres (his portion of the omnibus 3x3D).

[zedz]

It just occurred to me that what is very likely to be the best film screening at Cannes this year is one the festival previously rejected.

Which is that?

New Criterion poster girl Charulata, notoriously turned down for Cannes '65.

[knives]

Was there a reason given for it's rejection?

[Finch]

Word on Alejandro Jodorowsky's Dance of Reality is pretty positive so far, first a good review on indiewire and now 4 stars from the Guardian

[zedz]

Was there a reason given for it's rejection?

I have no idea ("It was minor Ray"? "Looks like shit; too many dwarves"?) . The exclusion was protested by Antonioni, Bergman and others, and the film ended up at Berlin, where it won Ray a Silver Bear.

Actually a bit more googling turns up the very vague information that the Cannes jury rejected the film because it had (unspecified) "technical flaws." The mind boggles.

[tavernier]

Dargis loves the Coens' film and interviews Jia

[Finch]

Generally positive review of James Franco's As I Lay Dying:

The novel itself is famously narrated by many different characters in separate short chapters, and it is perhaps to match the spirit of these varying viewpoints that Franco presents so much of the story in split screen. Long, unhurried scenes will unfold, with mumbled, throwaway dialogue, and Franco will have two different frames, left and right: sometimes they will show two differing and significant shots, sometimes hardly more than a fractured version of the same shot. Sometimes they will be two almost exactly similar shots of the same featureless sky, with the non-matching vertical join line almost invisible.

This may look gimmicky and self-conscious, but it is consistently and seriously presented, and Franco's As I Lay Dying is a worthwhile movie, approached in an intelligent and creative spirit. The ensemble work from the actors is generally very strong, with a star turn from Nelson as the prematurely aged patriarch, and the story is presented lucidly and confidently.

[bdlover]

Sounds quite fascinating. Todd McCarthy loves it. Screen hates it. Financed by Avi Lerner of all people!

Edit: Sorrentino's going to take it. A Fellini-esque modern update / caricature of 'the great art film'. The Kore-eda having disappointed, its strongest competition comes from Payne and the Coens, but I think Spielberg and the Jury would prefer not to anoint a Big American Picture if they can help it and will embrace this one with both hands. At 25/1, currently a steal.

[Finch]

Mostly horrible reviews for the Tedeschi film Castle in Italy and Miike's entry, but strong buzz on the Sorrentino and the Soderbergh. Mixed feedback from the Guardian about the Denis in Un Certain Regard.

[Finch]

Only God Forgives has reportedly provoked numerous walkouts but it's gotten 5 stars from Peter Bradshaw.

[JabbaTheSlut]

Palme?
http://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/ca ... 200486043/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review ... nes-527347" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[yoshimori]

Here's the average of all 25 critics polled in Screen and Le film francais of the reviewed films so far:

B+ Inside Llewyn Davis (3.2)
B Touch of SIn (2.9)
B- The Past (2.8), Great Beauty (2.6)
C+ Like Father, Like Son (2.4), Behind the Candelabra (2.4), Borgman (2.2), Young and Beautiful (2.2)
C Jimmy P (2.1)
C- Castle in Italy (1.7), Heli (1.5)
D Straw Shield (1.0)

Reviews were pretty consistent, except for Borgman. Expect similar mixed reviews for Only God Forgives tomorrow. And Grigris was horrible. Kechiche, OK but way too long.

My rank order so far:

1. Only God Forgives, Inside Llewyn Davis, Borgman
2. Like Father, Like Son, Touch of Sin, The Past
3. Jimmy P (disappointing, but I love Desplechin, so ...)
didn't care much for any of the others

In the sidebars, nothing that great. Denis was atmospheric, almost Lynchian, but not a major work.

[bdlover]

In the sidebars, nothing that great.

Any thoughts on the Jodorowsky? 3x3D?

[yoshimori]

Jodorowsky:

A band of drunken quadriplegics taunts the town mayor, transvestites hum The Internationale, ice cream flavors include ‘earth’, ‘water’, and ‘fire’, papa dresses as Stalin, big-breasted mama sings her dialogue operatically, and little ‘Alejandrito’, the reincarnation of a maternal grandfather who accidentally self-emolated trying to light an oil lamp, is proclaimed ‘holy’. It’s lots of fun in places, but AJ doesn't have the budget (or the energy? he's 84 after all) to pull it off. And it's too long.

3x3D plays tonight. One'll probably have to be in line at the small Critics' Week theater 2 hours in advance to get a seat. I might be able to get there 90 minutes ahead - which is hilarious in that the movie is only 70 minutes long. We'll see.

Oh. And the Payne, this morning, was pleasant enough, but easily forgettable. In fact ... oops ... it's gone.

[repeat]

In the sidebars, nothing that great

Did you see the Bozon film (Tip Top)? I thought his first one (La France) was very promising, but Daniel Kasman at MUBI makes this new one sound slightly less endearing. Would still like to see it though.

[yoshimori]

Yes. I saw it. Not bad, but ...

Kasman is probably right, but why does it take him so long to write that Huppert's hysterics are funny but that that hyperkinetic veneer - covering a cliched, perfunctorily executed plot - wears thin after about a half an hour?

[Having swallowed my yearly dose of Screen, Variety, and Hollywood Reporter during the fest - I'm pretty good about avoiding them the other 354 days - I'd like to officially complain that film reviews are exhausting! Give me a minute-long clip from the movie any day.]

Back to Tip Top. Alas, re technique, it's pretty poorly made: no lighting, no design to speak of, mostly generic compositions.

[bdlover]

Blue is the Warmest Colour has leaped from 30/1 to 3/1 in 24 hrs, so someone clearly fancies its chances (3 hours of improvisation and graphic lesbianism? Spielberg? Can't see it). The Past still leading the pack at 15/8 (can't see that one either).

[John Cope]

James Gray will save us from this impasse.

[mfunk9786]

Blue is the Warmest Colour has leaped from 30/1 to 3/1 in 24 hrs, so someone clearly fancies its chances (3 hours of improvisation and graphic lesbianism? Spielberg? Can't see it). The Past still leading the pack at 15/8 (can't see that one either).

Every year people speculate on what film will win based on who is running the jury and the prejudices that they project onto that person, and every year it doesn't end up mattering worth a shit

[Brian C]

I dunno, a lot of people nailed the Huppert-Haneke thing with The White Ribbon, not to detract from that movie at all. But I agree with the general thrust of your point.

[Amy Racecar]

Hadn't Huppert been gunning for Antichrist, though? Or do I have my gossip mixed up?

[zedz]

Jodorowsky:

A band of drunken quadriplegics taunts the town mayor, transvestites hum The Internationale, ice cream flavors include ‘earth’, ‘water’, and ‘fire’, papa dresses as Stalin, big-breasted mama sings her dialogue operatically, and little ‘Alejandrito’, the reincarnation of a maternal grandfather who accidentally self-emolated trying to light an oil lamp, is proclaimed ‘holy’.

Seen it.