Days follow each other, but they are not alike at the Cannes Film Festival. After the opening ceremony and Maïwenn’s discovery of the film Jeanne du Barry, the celebration officially begins with film screenings for the famous Palm Branch and special non-competition screenings.
As usual, the AlloCiné team is on stage to experience and introduce you to the competition, as well as the discoveries, surprises and unexpected events that accompany it. For this first recap, back to May 17th.
Where is Pedro Pascal?
We were expecting one of the biggest stars of the moment on the Croisette and he let us down. Pedro Pascal was supposed to go to the festival as part of the advance presentation of Pedro Almodovar’s short film Strange of Way of Life. But the “Mandalorian” and “The Last Stand” star, who was filming, canceled the visit. This new film from the Spanish filmmaker attracted the public, who did not hesitate to congratulate the director and actor Ethan Hawke, who starred with Pedro Pascal in this queer western.
Almodovar plays bulls
While Pedro Pascal was away at the festival, Pedro Almodovar, Ethan Hawke and the rest of the team took advantage of all the activities that the city of Cannes has to offer. Thus, they were given a moment of peace at night to play a game of pétanque.
Johnny Depp is late
After the screening, it’s time for the press conference. All teams of films presented in the official selection of the competition, as well as during the opening and closing, serve this exercise. And Maven and his cast didn’t shy away from that for Jeanne Dubarry. Even if Johnny Depp almost failed them. The actor, who was slammed by critics for his presence at the festival after announcing a lawsuit against ex-girlfriend Amber Heard, arrived 40 minutes late to the conference.
The first abduction
And that’s what Thomas Cale offers, nine years after his first film, Les Combattants. This new proposal is called Le Règne the animal and depicts a France where mutations transform people into animals.
This innovative, poetic and exciting feature film, directed by Romain Duris among others, is part of a great line of monster stories like The Island of Dr. Moreau with a sensibility. Once again, French genre cinema has nothing to be ashamed of in the face of the Hollywood industry, Le Règne animal is another proof of that.
The race for the Palme d’Or continues
Already the winner of the Palme d’Or (thanks to “Family Affair” in 2018), Hirokazu Kore-eda started the celebration. A year after touring Korea (the very beautiful “Our Good Stars”), he returns to his native Japan with a monster and his story in three chapters where the three points of view respond and complement each other. Between drama and thriller, a film that constantly changes and questions our certainties, and in the end, emotion still wins. It’s hard to imagine not seeing it on the list.
The competition continued with the return of Ekaterine Corsini. Two years after La Fracture, the filmmaker returns to the Croisette with this family drama featuring a mother (Aissatou Diallo Sagna) and her two daughters (Esther Gohuru and Susie Bemba). From the beginning of the film, the mystery revolves around the past that this mother left behind in Corsica and will create suspense. Le Retour is primarily a form of family chronicle, set on a holiday in Corsica, which also deals with first love, sexual identity, social class and racism. The film, which caused a lot of ink when the selection was announced, due to the controversy that the filmmaker and his producer have deleted, calling it an “extremely damaging rumour”.
music of the day
What music reflects the festival, films or evenings? On the film side, we’ve already managed to hear Nilda Fernández’s “My Eyes in Your Gaze” (in Marie Amachukel’s Ama Gloria, opening Critics’ Week) and a somewhat forgotten ’80s hit. , Muriel Duck’s Tropic (opening film for Maxime Rapazi’s Let me, Acid). But we especially remember Léon Pernet’s title, “Les chants de Maldoror,” presented twice return from Catherine Corsini. A head-spinning song performed by Léon Pernet himself at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Sunset Live Sacem evenings.
We leave you with music to close this article!
The 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will be held from May 16 to 27, 2023.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
