Cannes Film Festival: What’s everyone talking about at this year’s French celebration of cinema? | Ents & Arts News

The Cannes Movie Pageant is a 12-day whirl of movie premieres, Hollywood stars, champagne receptions and tremendous yachts.

The 76th yr of the festival in the French Riviera city, 2023’s choices embrace large blockbusters, new expertise, and only a splash of controversy.

To this point, we have seen a standing ovation for Johnny Depp, honorary Palme d’Or’s for Harrison Ford and Michael Douglas, and purple carpet appearances from stars together with Cate Blanchett, Ethan Hawke, and Dame Helen Mirren.

So, because the pageant reaches its midway level, what have the large moments been to date, and what else ought to we be searching for at Cannes?

The Palme d’Or

This yr is a record-breaking one at Cannes: of the 21 movies competing for the Palme d’Or (the pageant’s highest prize), seven of them are from girls – a whacking one third of the entrants.

It is a stark distinction to this yr’s Oscars race, the place not one feminine filmmaker was nominated in one of the best director class.

With final yr’s Cannes Pageant producing three of the eventual Oscar greatest image nominees, we will solely hope this yr’s spectacular providing will spotlight a number of feminine filmmakers’ names for subsequent yr’s Academy choice.

Jeanne Du Barry

All eyes had been on Johnny Depp firstly of the pageant, as his interval movie Jeanne Du Barry opened proceedings.

His big comeback following the high-profile US courtroom case in opposition to his ex-wife Amber Heard, which he gained, noticed him obtain a standing ovation.

The movie sees the star enjoying King Louis XV, whereas the drama’s director, a French filmmaker often known as Maiwenn, performs the titular position.

She just lately admitted to spitting in a journalist’s face following reviews accusing her ex-husband, the director Luc Besson, of rape (the French courtroom of enchantment dismissed all of the allegations in opposition to Besson in Might final yr).

A considerably controversial option to kick off proceedings, the pageant was pleased to miss any raised eyebrows – and it actually acquired individuals speaking.

The Idol

Away from Depp senior, there’s Depp junior – his daughter Lily-Rose.

She is starring in The Idol, the extremely anticipated sequence by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and musician The Weeknd additionally premiering at Cannes.

Lily-Rose stars as an aspiring pop star who enters a fancy relationship with a self-help guru performed by The Weeknd.

With reviews of a pricey overhaul halfway via manufacturing, all eyes will probably be on the response to the Cannes premiere earlier than the present airs on Sky Atlantic within the UK.

Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Future

Whereas not a part of the competitors, Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny has premiered at Cannes.

It has been an emotional trip for its star Harrison Ford, who will not be solely saying goodbye to the position of Indy, but in addition bagging an honorary Palme d’Or whereas showing on the pageant.

Directed by James Mangold, whose earlier work contains Logan and Ford v Ferrari, the movie stars Ford in his remaining outing as the enduring archaeologist whereas Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge performs his god-daughter.

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It is the primary movie within the franchise to not be directed by Steven Spielberg or written by George Lucas, and has been a very long time coming – its preliminary supposed launch date was 19 July 2019.

Due out in cinemas on 30 June, it is anticipated to be a summer season blockbuster hit for Disney.

Killers Of The Flower Moon

Killers Of The Flower Moon is a Western crime drama from Martin Scorsese with a really starry forged together with Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons and up to date Oscar winner Brendan Fraser.

It is based mostly on a e-book a couple of sequence of murders of members of the Osage tribe in Oklahoma in the course of the Twenties after oil was found on tribal land.

Reported to have value £160m, and never out in cinemas till October, the drama is anticipated to be an awards contender.

It has performed out of competitors at Cannes, and whereas it is as a result of finally come out on Apple TV+, Scorsese has described it as a “large display screen film”.

Asteroid Metropolis

A latest on-line pattern has seen movies imitating the distinctive and extremely stylised look of Wes Anderson movies.

So, what higher time for a brand new movie from the director himself?

As normal, he is pulled collectively a giant ensemble forged – this one contains Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie and Jeff Goldblum (to call just some).

Set in 1955, it is a couple of junior stargazers’ conference and is among the many movies at Cannes hoping to take residence the celebrated high prize – the Palme d’Or – earlier than it hits cinemas in June.

Might December

Director Todd Haynes, recognized for work together with Wonderstruck and Darkish Waters, has an intriguingly meta providing in competitors on the pageant.

Might December stars Natalie Portman as an actress who goes to satisfy a girl performed by Julianne Moore that Portman’s character goes to play in a movie.

In actual life, each stars have gained Oscars prior to now and the movie is but to be offered to a US distributor, so makers are little question banking on nice opinions when it premieres on the pageant earlier than popping out on Sky Cinema later this yr.

Occupied Metropolis

One among Britain’s most lauded administrators, Sir Steve McQueen has introduced his new documentary Occupied Metropolis to this yr’s Cannes as a particular screening.

About Amsterdam – the place he now lives together with his spouse, author Bianca Stigter, who co-produced the movie – beneath Nazi occupation in the course of the Second World Warfare, it has a whopping 262-minute working time.

It is the primary time McQueen has directed a documentary function, however his doc miniseries Rebellion gained a TV BAFTA final yr.

Elemental

The most recent providing from Pixar is about in a metropolis the place components dwell collectively and is in regards to the relationship between a fiery woman and a boy comprised of water, who discover that simply because they can not contact each other does not imply they don’t have anything in frequent.

The animation will premiere out of competitors and can shut the pageant on 27 Might, earlier than releasing in cinemas subsequent month.

The voice forged contains Jurassic World star Mamoudou Athie and Nancy Drew actress Leah Lewis.

Impressed by romantic films together with You have Bought Mail and Amelie, anticipate it to carry a heart-warming near the pageant.

Cannes Movie Pageant runs from 16-27 Might