59th Cannes Film Festival

[Grimfarrow]

SOUTHLAND TALES *REALLY* bombed hard. Many people think that Richard Kelly's career is over after this film:

Variety's Todd McCarthy: "Then there was Richard KellyRichard Kelly's enormous flat pancake "Southland Tales," a would-be visionary tale about the dire near-term future that had industryites wondering how it got made without anyone hoisting warning signs, how it got selected for the competition, who on Earth will distribute it in the U.S. and what it means for Kelly's future."

NY Times, MANOHLA DARGIS: "At the news conference, sitting next to the stars and his longtime producer, Sean McKittrick, an unsmiling Mr. Kelly seemed painfully aware of the critical reception, even going so far as to hope aloud that the film would not "bomb."

Given the critical reaction and the lack of an American distributor so far, this worry may be premature.

"It's a very sad situation we've found ourselves in as a country," Mr. Kelly said at one point. I'm not sure he was only speaking politically."

Mike D'Angelo: "Incidentally, I have yet to see an actual printed review of Southland Tales that wouldn't qualify as a pan. The rave reviews I mentioned in my last entry, for the moment, remain only a rumor."

Guardian, Peter Bradshaw: "The festival's real clunker so far has unfortunately come from Richard Kelly, the success of whose cult classic Donnie Darko has emboldened him to make a completely addled sci-fi comedy thriller called Southland Tales. It stars Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson as an amnesiac military hero and Sarah Michelle Gellar as a would-be reality TV host. They are both howlingly awful in every scene."

[Grimfarrow]

On the other hand, SHORTBUS seems to be getting a bit of positive press now:

INDIEWIRE
http://www.indiewire.com/ots/2006/05/ca ... ily_2.html

While those involved with the movie have admitted that it may be a challenge to secure distribution for such a film, early positive reaction has buoyed interest in the movie here in Cannes, with insiders saying that even some unlikely prospects started circling the movie. A few buyers informally polled by indieWIRE today said they loved the movie.

NY TIMES
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/22/movies/22fest.html

"Shortbus," which has generally been well received here, may make some American distributors squeamish. But it is ultimately less shocking than disarming, more a comedy of manners layered with social satire than a peep show or a John Waters-style provocation.

[Arn777]

Re Southland tales, the critics from French newspaper Libération seem to like it.

[exte]

Guardian, Peter Bradshaw: "The festival's real clunker so far has unfortunately come from Richard Kelly, the success of whose cult classic Donnie Darko has emboldened him to make a completely addled sci-fi comedy thriller called Southland Tales. It stars Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson as an amnesiac military hero and Sarah Michelle Gellar as a would-be reality TV host. They are both howlingly awful in every scene."

Holy crap!

[Fletch F. Fletch]

From indiewire.com:

Set to debut in competition tonight (Sunday) in Cannes, is a film that has already created a bit of debate. Richard Kelley's two-hour and forty minute "Southland Tales" connected with some audiences and sent others walking out of the theater Sunday morning at a press screening. The showing was met with applause but at a press conference this afternoon, Kelley was pressed to react to the mixed reactions.

Set a few years in the future, and starring The Rock, Justin Timberlake and Sarah Michelle Gellar (among many others), the film involves a porn star turned celebrity, an action film star, and new government agency that dominates United States life.

"I always thought the film was certainly going to push buttons," Kelley said, "I look forward to everything that is to come and the discussion." Continuing, when asked about the issues raised by the movie, Kelley said, "I think that the film is meant to be a tapestry of ideas all related to some of the biggest issues we are facing right now, whether its homeland security, altering of fuel, or... celebrity and politicians and how the two are becoming closely related.

"The film is meant to be an experience like a puzzle," Kelley concluded, "To approach a lot of these issues with a sense of comedy. I thnk this is a film that needs to be experienced in more than one viewing. There is no simple solution to our dilemma right now, as a country and as a planet."

[Anonymous]

I'm not a Darko fan, but this reaction has raised my interest if anything. The industry press will rip-apart anything that makes them think for half a second (especially if there's any hint of, gasp, anti-Americanism!) and Peter Bradshaw is a class-A idiot. The Libe boys are the only trustworthy ones in there.

Besides, press forthing has little correlation to Box Office as the Da Vinci Code smarmily demonstrates.

Tomorrow: Flandres

[Noir of the Night]

I'm not a Darko fan, but this reaction has raised my interest if anything. The industry press will rip-apart anything that makes them think for half a second (especially if there's any hint of, gasp, anti-Americanism!)

That clearly explains how Fahrenheit 9/11 got that long standing ovation. That movie definitely doesn't have any anti-Americanism in it at all.

[Anonymous]

nope, Moore knows how to sweeten the pill for the home audience.

[Noir of the Night]

Checking my TV listings for next Sunday, I didn't see a listing for the Cannes closing ceremony on IFC, the channel that usually carries it. Does anyone know if it's going to be televised this year?

[Grimfarrow]

BIG buzz on BABEL. Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of Inarritu. HATED 21 GRAMS and his short in 9'11'01 was shameless. But the early buzz of BABEL (and its source material) has me intrigued. That and Koji Yakusho.

Can't wait to read reviews.

[Noir of the Night]

I thought his 9/11 short was the best part of that anthology. It was anguishing, in the best possible way.

I look forward to Babel.

[Noir of the Night]

Hollywood Reporter has panned Flandres:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/re ... 1002540611

by Kirk Honeycutt

Bottom line: Generic farm boy goes off to a generic war, where he discovers the meaning of manhood.

[rs98762001]

Reporter gives BABEL a rave.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/re ... 1002540632

[Anonymous]

Shock horror, the Hollywood Reporter prefers a shallow major-studio Brad Pitt audience-pleaser to FLANDRES.

[Antoine Doinel]

I don't think films by Alejandro González Iñárritu can even remotely be described as "audience pleasers".

[Anonymous]

I think they can.

[GringoTex]

Shock horror, the Hollywood Reporter prefers a shallow major-studio Brad Pitt audience-pleaser to FLANDRES.

You've seen the latest Inarritu film? What specifically did you find shallow about it?

[Anonymous]

I really don't need or want to see the film, any more than the latest Ron Howard effort.

[Antoine Doinel]

I think they can.

How so?

[GringoTex]

I really don't need or want to see the film, any more than the latest Ron Howard effort.

In an age where snap judgements are based on media hype and fashion, I guess this broad brush is acceptable.

[Anonymous]

media hype and fashion is in favour of Inarritu (and the numerous other energetic studio journeymen who somehow pass for serious auteurs these days). I am judging him on his past work, in the same way that Dumont's hat-trick of past masterpieces make the failure of FLANDRES inconceivable.

[Andre Jurieu]

So we no longer have to judge a film on its own merits? We just have to base our opinion on the filmmakers past efforts and our hatred of the marketing and media hype that actually doesn't have very much to do with the film? Phew, I'm so glad someone finally stated it conclusively. That saves me a lot of time and work I would have otherwise wasted watching the actual films. Now I can just entirely dismiss Shortbus because I used to find Sook-Yin Lee totally annoying and pompous when she was a VJ on MuchMusic. I guess I can also act like my dismissal of the film before I've watched it somehow makes my opinion more sophisticated than someone else's eager anticipation. Glad this has finally been cleared up.

I'm also glad that we no longer have to back up our opinions with any real substance. We just have to be passionate about our own stance.

[toiletduck!]

I didn't actually read your post, Andre, but based on my knowledge of your prior works and the glimpse I caught of the usage of red text as I scrolled past, I can undoubtedly say that you are wrong and you suck.

Congratulations.

-Toilet Dcuk

[GringoTex]

media hype and fashion is in favour of Inarritu (and the numerous other energetic studio journeymen who somehow pass for serious auteurs these days). I am judging him on his past work, in the same way that Dumont's hat-trick of past masterpieces make the failure of FLANDRES inconceivable.

I don't know- this kind of blind hardcore auteurism bit the dust about 50 years ago when Papa Bazin spanked his Cahiers children for breaking their Arkadin toy.

But my primary objection is that you are substituting hit-and-run buzzwords for analysis. You can't get away with it by the attempted Ron Howard sleight of hand.

[Grimfarrow]

I find ugetsu's arch dismissals reprehensible, but I can already start to agree with him somewhat. Nearly EVERYONE in Cannes is running around going, "Babel! Palm d'Or! Babel! Palm d'Or!" (see: Jeffrey Wells, for instance). I hope it loses, if only to get a perverse pleasure out of seeing the tower crumbling.