04/15 Yes, they will add a few titles. Looking round the web people expect something like 4 to 5 more films to show up. Speculation that Malick's Tree of Life or Nolans Inception or Schnabel's Miral probably won't die until after they add said missing titles. But if you're heading over to the South of France next month or merely reading along on various Twitter feeds or film blogs, these are some of the titles you'll be hearing about.
Blanchett. Crowe. ScottOpening Night Film
Because you have to kick off with a starry entry for that maximum red carpet kick. It gets the international and mainstream press excited and you need their eyeballs... even if your festival is for the global cinephiles.
- Robin Hood (Ridley Scott)
I'm amused that the tagline is marketing this as an "untold story". Hee. If you look up 'Robin Hood' at ye olde IMDb you get 22 "exact matches" and many more options as well. But it gives us a chance to see Cate Blanchett work the red carpet again and after that one year break (thanks Cate!) the carpet will welcome her back with... uh... open fibers.
The Cannes selection committee is really stingy about this field, nearly always erring on the side of the establishment. You rarely see first time auteurs and they're even stingy about second time auteurs who made a big splash the previous year (See: Xavier Dolan in Un Certain Regard instead).
- Another Year (Mike Leigh)
Only one more month until we know something (anything!) about Leigh's latest. Such as vague plot. Who has the lead role. Etcetera. - Biutiful (Alejandro González Iñárritu)
- Burnt by the Sun 2 (Nikita Mikhalkov)
Russia's sole competition entry is the longest competition film at 2 hours and 21 minutes. It's also one we have to watch for the Best Foreign Language Film at next year's Oscars since the original won the top prize. - Certified Copy (Abbas Kiarostami)
- Fair Game (Doug Liman)
This is the Valerie Plame story again, only with Naomi Watts and Sean Penn in the top roles. As Guy Lodge said on TwitterDoug Liman goes from "Jumper" to a Cannes competition slot. He's been reading Lee Daniels's self-improvement manual.
- The Housemaid (Im Sang-soo)
This is where we're reminded that IMDb is sometimes months behind on movies. Must be a bear to keep that site fresh with a never-ending stream of thousands of movies in various stages of development. It's listed as in pre-production but next month it shows at Cannes! I'm looking forward to this one -- not that I'll ever get a chance to see it -- because it stars the lead actress of Secret Sunshine Do-Yeon Jeon. - La Nostra Vita (Daniele Luchetti)
- Of Gods and Men (Xavier Beauvois)
- Outrage (Takeshi Kitano)
- Outside the Law (Rachid Bouchareb)
- Poetry (Lee Chang-dong)
- The Princess of Montpensier (Bertrand Tavernier)
- A Screaming Man (Mahamat-Saleh Haroun)
The great Mathieu Amalric (and cast) for Tournée
- Tournée (Mathieu Amalric)
- Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
The sometimes confounding Thai director's latest has the longest title (love it) but is actually the shortest film in competition (90 minutes) - You, My Joy (Sergei Loznitsa)
Un Certain Regard
This popular sidebar of films, a competition which runs parallel to the main field, is generally where they put younger still maturing talent and "original and different" films. Though a certain 101 year old Portuguese master is here, so...
- Adrienn Pál (Ágnes Kocsis)
- Angelica (Manoel de Oliveira)
This 101 year-old's 49th project -- god he has more stamina than Clint Eastwood! -- also goes by the titles The Strange Case of Angelica or O Estranho Caso de Angélica - Aurora (Cristi Puiu)
From the director of the acclaimed Romanian film (is there any other kind?) The Death of Mr. Lazarescu. Like that film, this one is lengthy... the lengthiest from either lineup with a 179 minute running time. - Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance -first feature!)
I'm already eager to see his second (third?) feature I liked this one so much. Cannes lists this as a first feature -- meaning he's eligible for their directorial debut award (a very big deal) but according to the IMDb his feature debut came some 10 years back when he made Brother Tied. Maybe that one doesn't count for some reason. The IMDb can be a confusing place. - Chatroom (Hideo Nakata)
- Chongqing Blues (Xiaoshuai Wang)
- The City Below (Christoph Hochhäusler)
- Hahaha (Hong Sang-soo)
Xavier Dolan (I Killed My Mother) returns to Cannes, the scene of his debut triumph- Heartbeats (Xavier Dolan)
This film from the writer/director/actor/gay wunderkind is also referred to as Les Amours Imaginaires which is a much more evocative title, don't you think? Click here for more info on the film - Life Above All (Oliver Schmitz)
- The Lips (Iván Fund & Santiago Loza)
- Octubre (Daniel Vega -first feature!)
- R U There (David Verbeek)
- Rebecca H. (Return to the Dogs) (Lodge Kerrigan)
- Simon Werner Disappeared… (Fabrice Gobert -first feature!)
- Socialisme (Jean-Luc Godard)
- Tuesday, After Christmas (Radu Muntean)
- Udaan (Vikramaditya Motwane -first feature!)
Out of Competition
Who knows the politics behind the Out of Competition field each year. But this is where you'll find big name directors who can benefit from a Cannes premiere without the nerve wracking 'will it win anything?' drama.
Brolin. Stone. Douglas. LaBeouf. Mulligan- Carlos (Olivier Assayas)
One of France's most fascinating directors returns with this true story of the infamous criminal "Carlos the Jackal" - Tamara Drewe (Stephen Frears)
I liked Chéri more than most but I still think it was something like a textbook definition of Missed Opportunity in a few substantial ways. Will Frears regain his artistic footing? Can we get something on the level of his late 80s / early 90s work again any time soon? Please. Pretty please. This is based on a graphic novel and stars Gemma Arterton - Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Oliver Stone)
I can't decide whether this movie needed a sequel or not. One can make an argument either way. But the movie will answer the question as to whether or not it did. It's 136 minutes long which... well, I hope Stone has enough to say to keep that going. - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (Woody Allen)
Just discussed here.
Special Screenings
"Special" Interpret that however you will.
- 5XFavela (Carlos Diegues)
- Abel (Diego Luna -first feature!)
Both of the Y Tu Mama Tambien boys have moved into direction. I remember two teenagers talking about this one on the bus in Park City this past January (it played at Sundance). I can't for the life of me recall their conversation other than that they thought it was "weird" - Chantrapas (Otar Iosseliani)
- Draquila: L'Italia Che Trema (Sabina Guzzanti)
trailer here - Inside Job (Charles Ferguson)
- Nostalgia For The Light (Patricio Guzmán)
- Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow (Sophie Fiennes)
a documentary about an installation artist
They'll have to add more of these. The festival lasts a fortnight!
Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) doesleading manboy duties for indie favorite Gregg Araki
- Blackhole (Gilles Marchand)
This is also known as L'Autre Monde and stars Gallic hotties Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet (from the sticky Love Songs) and Melvill Poupaud (from the brilliant A Christmas Tale)
the trailer for Blackhole. Me want - Kaboom (Gregg Araki)
Quiet Earth calls this an oversexed sci-fi romp. I can still remember vividly seeing The Living End (his debut) in the movie theater. I hadn't ever seen anything like it.
Other Blog Reactions to Check Out:
Thompson on Hollywood some chatter about the films that didn't make the cut or weren't finished in time
Women and Hollywood No female directors in competition
Independent Eye Light on American films
Indie Wire the lineup and poll. which film are you most excited for?
Guardian Cannes '09 will definitely be a tough act to follow
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