Re: Cannes 2019
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:07 am
Having now seen six of the films in this years Cannes competition (5 of which were also prizewinners) has given me some actual perspective of the selections but one must naturally see everything to make a complete assessment. I am also going to comment on some of the questions/points raised by Mister Tee & dws as they were very interesting and valid. I'll start from the bottom up:
The Whistlers (Corneliu Porumboiu) (Romania)
Porumboiu has built up a pretty good slate of films over the years though he has yet to progress to the top tier of Romanian film directors. The Whistlers is an enjoyable romp with a number of unique elements to its story to set it apart from general cops/crooks genre. A screenplay prize would not have been unwarranted and I suspect this will be Romania's entry for the Foreign Language category. Its certainly way more accessible than their entry last year, though its not in the same league artistically.
Bacurau (Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles) (Brazil)
This is rather enjoyable and its a credit to the directors that they keep a handle on all the characters as it is something of an ensemble piece. The standout is Udo Kier - quite a performance I must say from Mr. Kier and he has enormous fun with it. His scene with Sonia Braga is priceless. However, the drawback of the film is that it is an allegory of the current political climate in Brazil and if you don't know much about it, like me, you are, like me again, probably missing out on nuances in the film. It works well enough anyway but I couldn't help feeling I was completely in on the joke. This will not be Brazil's entry for the Oscars - they will select something that doesn't piss the Government off.
Pain & Glory (Pedro Almodovar) (Spain)
I liked Pain & Glory but I do not think it is in the same league as the very best of Almodovar of say the last 20 years (All About My Mother, Talk to Me & Volver). Having said that, it is his most personal film to date and grounded by the very best work Antonio Banderas has ever done.
Mister Tee said in relation to Banderas: "Obviously I have no idea how competitive this year's best actor Oscar field is going to be, but it strikes me Antonio Banderas has precisely the profile of someone who gets a nomination for a foreign-language performance: a familiar face in American films with a US profile, a long resume, a seemingly culminating performance in a film by his longtime collaborator. If the film breaks through, I think he's a hot prospect for a slot." Mister Tee is right on the money with his comment and I suspect the film will breakout (my partner loved it, whilst I merely liked it) and Banderas is so central to the success of the film. Major film critics awards may also come into play and I'd be surprised if Spain doesn't submit this for Foreign Language Film where it will have a very good chance of receiving a nomination and maybe even a win.
In relation to another Mister Tee comment: "On the other hand, you have to wonder if there's anything Pedro can do to win a Palme (this is at least the third time he was thought to be in the running for it but fell short)." I suppose Almodovar just has to strike it lucky with the right film in the right year with the right jury and competition. This year he didn't stand a chance with Parasite and given the strength of Banderas' work in the film the best actor prize (like the joint actress prize for the Volver ladies) seemed to be the most appropriate place for the film to win something. Personally, I think Almodovar was robbed in 1999 for All About My Mother. That year is a story in itself*.
Les Miserables (Ladj Ly) (France)
What a debut feature! I really went in expecting just another French police/crime genre film and got a fast paced, action packed nail biting thriller with loads of social commentary packed in. Its probably the best film of its kind from France since La Haine. This is another film that juggles a multitude of characters and stories effortlessly. Told with confidence and bravo though never drawing attention to itself. Once again a wonderful debut feature. Ladj Ly is clearly a talent to keep an eye on in the future.
Portrait of a Lady (Celine Sciamma) (France)
Just simply great. Nothing in Celine Sciama's career prior can really prepare one for the maturity of filmmaker skills on display in this film. A unique and beautiful love story told with restraint and boldness. Noemie Merland & Adele Haenel are brilliant and in some respects the film could be seen as love poem from Celine Sciamma to Adele Haenel (they are partners and have been together for some time). I seem to get the impression the Merland has been receiving more praise but its very hard to single one out over another. Having not seen the best actress winning film Little Joe I can't comment on the performance of the leading lady but certainly award a joint best actress award may have been the way to go. Also, a good time to recommend an earlier Sciamma film Tomboy - one of the best 'growing up' films ever and its a very adorable, funny and wise tale.
Parasite (Bong Joon-ho) (South Korea)
Flawless, brilliant, genre bending, funny and horrific - sometimes at the same time this is Bong's best film to date which is some accomplishment given the general high standard of his output. Without yet seeing the other 15 films in competition it really is hard to imagine that any of the others are better or more deserving of the Palm than Parasite. The detail of the screenplay is a marvel and it is yet another competition film with a large ensemble of actors playing flawlessly with each other. Also, Bong's direction has never been more assured than Parasite - complex scenes and scenarios directed with slight of hand, the camera gliding effortlessly around captured events as they unfold. This would have to be one of the most deserving best film winners at Cannes ever. South Korea will finally get their first Oscar nomination for foreign language film and I wouldn't rule out a screenplay or director nomination at the Oscars either if the films breaks out. I'm not willing to go out on a limb and say this is going to win the Foreign Language Film Oscar yet but I don't think anything has been released anywhere to date that would beat this with the possible exception of the Almodovar being a spoiler as it deals with a film director struggling with some of lifes challenges that may be to the Academys taste. I do think once Parasite begins to be more seen there will be some detractors but the 'wow' factor of this film is going to dwarf the few that won't much care for it.
As for comments on AwardsWatch which I have not bothered to read myself (thanks to dws & Mister Tee for their reporting) it is rather silly to be critical and busting their spleens over awards given to films they have not seen. I can understand expressing disappointment of a favourite filmmaker missing out or being happy when a favourite filmmaker wins even if one has seen the films but I don't see any sense carrying on about it.
* When About My Mother was in competition at Cannes, Jury President David Cronenberg announced that they (the jury) were only going to consider films by new directors!
True to his word Cronenberg's jury mainly awarded new/unknown directors most of the prizes Rosetta (the Dardenne Brothers), L'humanite - 3 awards including best actor & actress (WTF) (Bruno Dumont). Pedro Almodovar did win director for All About My Mother.
Almodovar lashed out in the press not because he didn't win the Palm but that that isn't the criteria for selecting winners and a great film like David Lynch's The Straight Story (singled out by Almodovar) when home empty handed.
Cronenberg recently said he felt vindicated by the choices because the Dardennes & Bruno Dumont went on to have great careers.
Really, I felt that the established directors simply should have withdrawn their films from the competition but that at the end of the day, what the hell. What counts more than anything is your film is well received by critics and audiences. As has been proved many times over not just at Cannes but other awards is that when you award something not liked by critics and audiences it doesn't add value to the film that has been awarded - it actually adds a stench and that the award and film for the matter are rather quickly forgotten. The great ones last a lot longer than the memory of the awards they may not have won.
The Whistlers (Corneliu Porumboiu) (Romania)
Porumboiu has built up a pretty good slate of films over the years though he has yet to progress to the top tier of Romanian film directors. The Whistlers is an enjoyable romp with a number of unique elements to its story to set it apart from general cops/crooks genre. A screenplay prize would not have been unwarranted and I suspect this will be Romania's entry for the Foreign Language category. Its certainly way more accessible than their entry last year, though its not in the same league artistically.
Bacurau (Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles) (Brazil)
This is rather enjoyable and its a credit to the directors that they keep a handle on all the characters as it is something of an ensemble piece. The standout is Udo Kier - quite a performance I must say from Mr. Kier and he has enormous fun with it. His scene with Sonia Braga is priceless. However, the drawback of the film is that it is an allegory of the current political climate in Brazil and if you don't know much about it, like me, you are, like me again, probably missing out on nuances in the film. It works well enough anyway but I couldn't help feeling I was completely in on the joke. This will not be Brazil's entry for the Oscars - they will select something that doesn't piss the Government off.
Pain & Glory (Pedro Almodovar) (Spain)
I liked Pain & Glory but I do not think it is in the same league as the very best of Almodovar of say the last 20 years (All About My Mother, Talk to Me & Volver). Having said that, it is his most personal film to date and grounded by the very best work Antonio Banderas has ever done.
Mister Tee said in relation to Banderas: "Obviously I have no idea how competitive this year's best actor Oscar field is going to be, but it strikes me Antonio Banderas has precisely the profile of someone who gets a nomination for a foreign-language performance: a familiar face in American films with a US profile, a long resume, a seemingly culminating performance in a film by his longtime collaborator. If the film breaks through, I think he's a hot prospect for a slot." Mister Tee is right on the money with his comment and I suspect the film will breakout (my partner loved it, whilst I merely liked it) and Banderas is so central to the success of the film. Major film critics awards may also come into play and I'd be surprised if Spain doesn't submit this for Foreign Language Film where it will have a very good chance of receiving a nomination and maybe even a win.
In relation to another Mister Tee comment: "On the other hand, you have to wonder if there's anything Pedro can do to win a Palme (this is at least the third time he was thought to be in the running for it but fell short)." I suppose Almodovar just has to strike it lucky with the right film in the right year with the right jury and competition. This year he didn't stand a chance with Parasite and given the strength of Banderas' work in the film the best actor prize (like the joint actress prize for the Volver ladies) seemed to be the most appropriate place for the film to win something. Personally, I think Almodovar was robbed in 1999 for All About My Mother. That year is a story in itself*.
Les Miserables (Ladj Ly) (France)
What a debut feature! I really went in expecting just another French police/crime genre film and got a fast paced, action packed nail biting thriller with loads of social commentary packed in. Its probably the best film of its kind from France since La Haine. This is another film that juggles a multitude of characters and stories effortlessly. Told with confidence and bravo though never drawing attention to itself. Once again a wonderful debut feature. Ladj Ly is clearly a talent to keep an eye on in the future.
Portrait of a Lady (Celine Sciamma) (France)
Just simply great. Nothing in Celine Sciama's career prior can really prepare one for the maturity of filmmaker skills on display in this film. A unique and beautiful love story told with restraint and boldness. Noemie Merland & Adele Haenel are brilliant and in some respects the film could be seen as love poem from Celine Sciamma to Adele Haenel (they are partners and have been together for some time). I seem to get the impression the Merland has been receiving more praise but its very hard to single one out over another. Having not seen the best actress winning film Little Joe I can't comment on the performance of the leading lady but certainly award a joint best actress award may have been the way to go. Also, a good time to recommend an earlier Sciamma film Tomboy - one of the best 'growing up' films ever and its a very adorable, funny and wise tale.
Parasite (Bong Joon-ho) (South Korea)
Flawless, brilliant, genre bending, funny and horrific - sometimes at the same time this is Bong's best film to date which is some accomplishment given the general high standard of his output. Without yet seeing the other 15 films in competition it really is hard to imagine that any of the others are better or more deserving of the Palm than Parasite. The detail of the screenplay is a marvel and it is yet another competition film with a large ensemble of actors playing flawlessly with each other. Also, Bong's direction has never been more assured than Parasite - complex scenes and scenarios directed with slight of hand, the camera gliding effortlessly around captured events as they unfold. This would have to be one of the most deserving best film winners at Cannes ever. South Korea will finally get their first Oscar nomination for foreign language film and I wouldn't rule out a screenplay or director nomination at the Oscars either if the films breaks out. I'm not willing to go out on a limb and say this is going to win the Foreign Language Film Oscar yet but I don't think anything has been released anywhere to date that would beat this with the possible exception of the Almodovar being a spoiler as it deals with a film director struggling with some of lifes challenges that may be to the Academys taste. I do think once Parasite begins to be more seen there will be some detractors but the 'wow' factor of this film is going to dwarf the few that won't much care for it.
As for comments on AwardsWatch which I have not bothered to read myself (thanks to dws & Mister Tee for their reporting) it is rather silly to be critical and busting their spleens over awards given to films they have not seen. I can understand expressing disappointment of a favourite filmmaker missing out or being happy when a favourite filmmaker wins even if one has seen the films but I don't see any sense carrying on about it.
* When About My Mother was in competition at Cannes, Jury President David Cronenberg announced that they (the jury) were only going to consider films by new directors!
True to his word Cronenberg's jury mainly awarded new/unknown directors most of the prizes Rosetta (the Dardenne Brothers), L'humanite - 3 awards including best actor & actress (WTF) (Bruno Dumont). Pedro Almodovar did win director for All About My Mother.
Almodovar lashed out in the press not because he didn't win the Palm but that that isn't the criteria for selecting winners and a great film like David Lynch's The Straight Story (singled out by Almodovar) when home empty handed.
Cronenberg recently said he felt vindicated by the choices because the Dardennes & Bruno Dumont went on to have great careers.
Really, I felt that the established directors simply should have withdrawn their films from the competition but that at the end of the day, what the hell. What counts more than anything is your film is well received by critics and audiences. As has been proved many times over not just at Cannes but other awards is that when you award something not liked by critics and audiences it doesn't add value to the film that has been awarded - it actually adds a stench and that the award and film for the matter are rather quickly forgotten. The great ones last a lot longer than the memory of the awards they may not have won.