Escape to The Movies: MALEFICENT

Was NOT expecting that...

Also, the Edgar Wright thing:

The Escapist : Escape to the Movies : Maleficent - An Unusual Fairy Tale of Revenge

An Important Announcement About The Future of THE GAME OVERTHINKER

Many of you have probably heard the news over the last few days that Blip has been culling series from the network. A lot of shows, some long-running and fairly popular, have been getting the hammer for a variety of reasons, and I just a few hours ago learned that unfortunately ADVENTURES OF THE GAME OVERTHINKER will be one of them as of July.

Obviously, I'm unhappy about this. Before anyone asks, no, Blip has not been forthcoming at this time about the exact reason for removals and this series has been no exception. The general sense is that Blip is looking concentrate on the most profitable and entrenched brands as opposed to growing series like this, and that's understandable from their perspective even if it's a bother from mine.

I've been contacted (privately) by a few parties so far interested in possibly helping the series find a new regular home; but at this time no decision has been made and I'm exploring all options. What this will not do is effect plans and scheduling for the actual release of episodes so far as I am able. EPISODE 93 is 98% completed and should be ready for Friday or Saturday. My plan, for now, is continue uploading to the Blip Channel until they shut down my ability to do so but also to simultaneously upload to YouTube. After that... your guess is as good as mine.

I want to thank everyone who has supported this series over the years, and reaffirm my commitment to continue this series. This particular show is 100% a labor of love for me, and whatever happens to it going forward the one thing I can assure everyone of is that I will not be doing anything that will compromise the form I want the series to take. Please stay tuned to The OverThinker Blog for further updates and details.

I appreciate the ongoing support, and I hope everyone enjoys our upcoming shows - no matter which video-player they wind up being delivered on :)

Bob Chipman,

Creator & Host, Adventures of The Game OverThinker


P.S. If you'd like to help the series, the best help we can get is for you to spend some times re-watching and sharing the still-monetized Blip-hosted episodes of the show HERE.

May Expiration Watch: Breaking It Down (2014)

An interesting mix of titles are expiring this month, which I'll group loosely into three categories:

Not Charlie's Angels

1. GOING TO EXTREMES

In the mood to have your mind bent, broiled, or otherwise contorted into a WTF curlicue? Any one of these films will leave you variously scratching your head, choking on your popcorn, or considering life in a monastery.

Bad Lieutenant (1992)

Abel Ferrara directs Harvey Keitel in this intense tale of a New York cop battling his inner demons in the original Sin City (i.e., NYC in the early '90s).

Deadly Blessing (1981)

Gorgeous 1970s actress Maren Jensen (Athena in the original Battlestar Galactica) in one of only two movies she starred in before leaving showbiz. This one, a creepy horrorfest directed by Wes Craven, co-stars a young Sharon Stone and an old Ernest Borgnine sporting a Quaker beard. (For trivia buffs, Jensen's other starring role was in the even more obscure Beyond the Reef., a.k.a. Sharkboy of Bora Bora.)

The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

Kinky horror madness from the king of extreme himself, director Ken Russell (Tommy, Altered States, Women in Love). Featuring the unlikely cast of Amanda Donohue, Hugh Grant, and (Holy '80s, Batman!) Catherine Oxenberg.

Read more �

Big Picture: SHE-HULK SHAMING

This is still relevant, right?

Oh, and hey - PODCAST!

The Escapist : The Big Picture : She-Hulk Shaming

Trouble with the Curve (MacBook Pro)

MacBook Pro

67th Festival de Cannes Award Winners

In about six hours the red carpet will start followed by the awards ceremony, then the closing tribute to the western or better, the spaghetti western with Quentin Tarantino presenting For a Fistful of Dollars by Sergio Leone.

Nice closing ceremony with great award winners speeches that unfortunately chose to speak in English as the voice-over translation was loud, annoying and couldn't let you hear anything. Sigh. But imagine most will soon appear as clips all over the net. My predictions were as all Cannes predictions a futile exercise but can't deny that with one or two exceptions I approve who won the awards.

We have to realize that this year we have traditional winners but for those that wanted "fresh blood" we also have it and just for reference the youngest director in this edition, Xavier Dolan, tied with the oldest director in this edition, Jean-Luc Godard, but Alice Rohrwacher won the second top award.

So this is the end of the Cannes coverage and the end of the Festival.

À l'année prochaine!

Main Competition

Palme d'Or: Kış Uykusu (Winter Sleep), Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey, France and Germany

Grand Prix: Le Meraviglie, Alice Rohrwacher, Italy

Jury Prize: (tie)
Mommy, Xavier Dolan, France and Canada
Adieu Au Langage (Goodbye to Language 3D), Jean-Luc Godard, Switzerland

Best Director: Bennet Miller for Foxcatcher,  USA

Best Screenplay: Andrei Zvyagintsev and Oleg Negin for Левиафан Leviathan (Leviafan), Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia

Best Actress:  Julianne Moore in Maps to the Stars, David Cronenberg, Canada, USA, France and Germany
Best Actor: Timothy Spall in Mr. Turner, Mike Leigh, UK

Camera d'Or: Party Girl, Claire Burger, Samuel Theis, Marie Amachoukeli, France

Short Films
Palme d'Or: Leidi, Simón Mesa Soto, Colombia and UK
Special Mention
Aïssa, Clément Tréhin-Lalanne, France, 8'
Ja Vi Elsker (Yes We Love), Hallvar Witzø, Norway, 15'

Un Certain Regard

Un Certain Regard Prize: Fehér Isten (White God), Kornél Mundruczó, Hungary, Germany and Sweden
Jury Prize: Turist, Ruben Östlund, Sweden
Un Certain Regard Special Prize: The Salt of the Earth (aka Shade and Light), Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, France
Ensemble Prize: Party Girl, Claire Burger, Samuel Theis, Marie Amachoukeli, France
Un Certain Regard Award for Best Actor: David Gulpilil in Charlie's Country, Rolf de Heer, Australia

Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors' Fortnight)

Feature Films
SACD Prize: Les combattants (Fighters), Thomas Cailley, France
Special Mention:
Arte Cinema Prize: Les combattants (Fighters), Thomas Cailley, France
Label Europa Cinemas Prize: Les combattants (Fighters), Thomas Cailley, France

Short Films
Illy Prize: Sem Coração, Nara Normande and Tião, Brazil, 25'
Special Mention: Trece şi prin perete (It Can Pass Through the Wall), Radu Jude, Romania, 17'

Carrose d'Or: Alain Resnais

Semaine de la Critique (Critic's Week)

Feature Films
Grand Prize: ПЛЕМЯ Plemya (The Tribe), Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine and Netherlands
Visionary Award: ПЛЕМЯ Plemya (The Tribe), Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine and Netherlands
SACD Prize: Hope, Boris Lojkine, France
Gan Foundation Support for Distribution: ПЛЕМЯ Plemya (The Tribe), Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine and Netherlands

Short Films
Discovery Award: A Ciambra (Young Lions of Gypsy), Jonas Carpignano, Italy and France, 17'
Canal + Award: Crocodile, Gaëlle Denis, UK

Cinéfondation

First Prize: Skunk, Annie Silverstein, USA, 16', The University of Texas at Austin
Second Prize: Oh Lucy!, Atsuko Hirayanagi, Singapore, NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia
Third Prize: (tie)
Lievito Madre (Sourdough), Fulvio Risuleo, Italy, 17', Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia
The Bigger Picture, Daisy Jacobs, UK, 7', National Film and Television School

Collateral Awards

FIPRESCI Awards
Main Competition: Kış Uykusu (Winter Sleep), Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey, France and Germany
Un Certain Regard: Jauja, Lisandro Alonso, Argentina, Netherlands, France, Mexico, Denmark, Germany and USA
Quinzaine des Réalisateurs: Les combattants (Fighters), Thomas Cailley, France

Ecumenical Jury Award: Timbuktu (aka Timbuktu, Le Chagrin Des Oiseaux), Abderrahmane Sissako, Mauritania and France
Special Mentions
The Salt of the Earth (aka Shade and Light), Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, France
Hermosa Juventud, Jaime Rosales, Spain

Vulcan Award of the Technical Artist: Dick Pope, director of photography of Mr. Turner, Mike Leigh, UK
Cannes Soundtrack Award: Howard Shore for Maps to the Stars by David Cronenberg, Canada, USA, France and Germany

Prix François Chalais: Timbuktu (aka Timbuktu, Le Chagrin Des Oiseaux), Abderrahmane Sissako, Mauritania and France

Queer Palm: Pride, Matthew Warchus, UK

Palm Dog: Body and Luke in Fehér Isten (White God), Kornél Mundruczó, Hungary, Germany and Sweden

2014 Cannes Closing Ceremony

Cérémonie de clôture (Closing Ceremony in French from Canal+)

The almost 60 minutes video with the complete ceremony in French BUT when English is spoken there are subtitles -sometimes... lol! Then is back to awful voice-over translation. Sigh.

Cannes 2014 - Cérémonie de clôture

If you wish to see the complete award ceremony with English translation go here.  For French with sometimes annoying English voice-over translation go here.

Cannes 2014 - Best of Cérémonie de Clôture

An 11 minute video.

Cannes 2014 - Best of Cérémonie de Clôture

Xavier Dolan wins Jury Prize for Mommy

Cannes 2014 - Prix du jury - Xavier Dolan pour Mommy

LIVE from the red Carpet Check WHO is coming to the closing ceremony - maybe they are coming back to win something...



Better quality option

Montée des Marches - Live des Marches Cannes 2014

5th Queer Palm Award Winner

Last night at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs closing party the Queer Palm had their award ceremony and since the location was announced by organizers we suspected that the winning film will come from the sidebar and will be the closing film. We were right. The award went to Pride and in my opinion the jury chose a great and the right film for the award. Great!

But is not until today that we get the award president statement and is the best I have seen in the short history of this award. Take a look at the great statement.

“In awarding the Queer Palm our jury had had a lively debate involving a number of questions essential to cinema : art versus politics ; queer representation versus a more indirect or ambiguous expression of alternative sexualism ; the assertion of a new queer sensibility versus the representation or interpretation of existing historical character or event.

Altought we did not award them the Queer Palm, two films in particular stood out for their queer spirit with regard to their assertion of female empowerment and their resistance to social and sexual conventions and male dominated institutions. These films are PARTY GIRL by Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger et Samuel Theis (Un Certain Regard) and GIRLHOOD by Céline Sciamma (Director’s Fortnight).

Ultimately, the film we chose – which is based on a specific historical event, seems to us a particularly relevant and important story to tell considering the current climate of intolerance and violence directed against those of us whose sexuality questions the norms and conventions of the dominant culture. This film reminds us that all political, sexual or social struggles in opposition to reactionary and conservative forces are born out of a direct and dedicated activism. This film reminds us the gay movement has its roots in issues larger than itself : class consciousness, social equality and freedom of expression. This film presents all of these issues in a somewhat conventional form but without succumbing to obvious stereotypes or over-simplified scenario. This film represents its characters and situations with subtlety and compassion, while reminding us that our struggle continues.

This film is PRIDE, directed by Matthew Warchus.” Bruce LaBruce, president of the 2014 Queer Palm Jury

This year I will watch the Queer Palm award winner for sure and know will enjoy it. Good.

---///---
4/25/14
Today the Queer Palm sponsor, Yagg, published the list of feature films to be considered for this edition of the award; list is not yet at the official site but imagine that soon will be here.

These are the thirteen (13) feature films announced today.

Main Competition
Saint Laurent, Bertrand Bonello, France (G)
Mommy, Xavier Dolan, Canada and France (G)

Un Certain Regard
도희야 Dohee-ya (A Girl at my Door), July Jung, South Korea (L)
Party Girl de Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger et Samuel Theis, France (L? or G?)
Xenia, Panos Koutras, Greece, France and Belgium (G)

Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
Bande de Filles (Girlhood), Céline Sciamma, France (L)
Les Combattants (Love At First Fight), Thomas Cailley, France (?)
Pride, Matthew Warchus, UK (L&G)
Whiplash, Damien Chazelle, USA (G)

Semaine de la Critique
Faire l'amour (aka FLA), Djinn Carrénard, France (L?)
Når dyrene drømmer (When Animals Dream), Jonas Alexander Arnby, Denmark (L?)
Più buio di mezzanotte (Darker that Midnight), Sebastiano Riso, Italy (Q)
Respire, Mélanie Laurent, France (L)

To check the news at Yagg go here.  Will be checking at the official site to verify if there are more films to be considered and if positive, will modify post accordingly.


Jury
President: Bruce LaBruce, director, Canada
Ana Margarita Albelo, director, Cuba and USA
Joao Ferreira, festival programer, Portugal
Charlotte Lipinska, film critic, France
Ricky Mastro, director, Brasil

To read info about each film go here.

To remind you the Queer Palm is the Cannes Film Festival queer, gay, lesbian, bi and trans (LGBT)award. Every year, a jury, including journalists, non-profit organizations members or artists, rewards one film listed in one of the following Cannes Film Festival selections : The Official Selection (in and out of competition), Un certain regard, The International Critics’ Week, the Directors’ Fortnight, The ACID’s (independent directors) selection. The Jury considers a film’s artistic, LGBT and gender-related topics qualities in order to award this film.

The trailer

2014 Cannes Predictions

For entertainment purposes lets review what predictions say, but have to remind you that winners will come from an eclectic filmmakers/actors jury and not from film critics. Nevertheless I gather that the consensus is that this year the Palme d'Or winner is NOT clear, unlike -for example- what happened in 2012 with Amour and in 2013 with La Vie d'Adèle.

According to those that play the guessing game, in 2014 there are five films running towards a "photo finish": a Canadian prodigy, a Russian corruption critic, Belgian brothers, a Turkish husband-and-wife team and a British veteran tipped for glory. If the Palme d'Or goes to any of these films, then most bet the other films will get the other top awards.

Jean-Philipe Guerand of Film Francais magazine says "This time around there are no such overpowering films". Perhaps he sees an unclear panorama but the magazine last etoiles de la critique has Deux jours, une nuit on top of all movies with golden palms (8) followed by Winter Sleep (5), Leviathan , Mommy and Timbuktu with 4 each.

Trade magazine Variety predicted Leviathan will get the main prize. Its chief critic Justin Chang predicted film will win the favor of the jury but he also notes that is not a sure-thing as Winter Sleep is Leviathan's heaviest competition claiming that the directors (Campion, Jia Zhangke, Coppola, Garcia) in the jury will embrace more Ceylan's film.

Then we have Xavier Dolan that captured positive headlines all over the world, comparing him to many master filmmakers but none was more interesting as Germany's daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung which hailed Dolan as a "wunderkind" and a worthy successor to the late iconoclast Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Interesting because is German press talking about German icon in relation to Québécois filmmaker, which does not happen often. Some predict Mommy could win the Palme d'Or to become the second youngest director after Louis Malle, but most agree that Dolan will get the director award.

UK The Guardian with Peter Bradshaw foresee Mr. Turner winning the Palme d'Or, and Two Days One Night winning the Grand Prix, and Leviathan the Jury Prize. Which in a way rounds up the three top awards to the same films we been seeing in other publications. Perhaps what's more interesting from his predictions is the following statement: Predicting a Cannes jury's thoughts is even tougher than divining the will of the Academy award electorate: the jury lineup is more diverse, more mercurial. These are brand-new films, and there has been no Oscar-style "campaign" to build a consensus and help us read the runes.

Perhaps THR Todd McCarthy gives us the best thermometer to what American audiences will/could like and adds the American films as contenders; but even him agrees that Cotillard leads for Best Actress followed by Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart.

There is also NO clear consensus for who will win the Best Actor but Timothy Spall and Steve Carell have the most mentions making them the top contenders. One award has a clear contender even before the film was screened, the consensus for Best Actress was and is after film screened, Marion Cotillard. No other actress is close but Anne Dorval is perhaps the only other possible contender.

I can't play the guessing game as have NOT seen any of the movies. But if you insist then from my gut feeling plus what I know about some of the jury members and what I know about the directors in competition plus trying to be rational and not emotional, the my best guess is as follows.

Agree with the consensus that top awards will be between Winter Sleep, Leviathan, Mommy and Two Days, One Night but the fifth is what I will change to include the only Italian film in competition and the only Japanese film in competition.  Please remember that the jury is not reading the critics and if critics were offended by Naomi Kawase's comments, the jury is not aware and could give her any of the three film prizes.  Alice Rohrwacher has a very interesting and festival appropriate film that could give her perhaps the director award.

But if I'm emotional and think about what I want to win -as is long overdue-, Nuri Bilge should get the Palme d'Or, Andrei Zvyagintsev the Grand Prix, Naomi Kawase the Jury Prix, Xavier Dolan the Director prize, Marion Cotillard the actress prize and Steve Carell the actor prize.  Have no idea about the Screenplay prize as the only 2 I think should win are already winning the top 2 awards, so in case they don't win the award I predict, well, Winter Sleep or Leviathan could win the screenplay prize.

In less than five hours we will know how right or wrong we all were about our our predictions in this guessing game we can avoid. By the way, there is another guessing game that already started, the one related to the people that haven't left Cannes and the ones that were called back or the ones that were not called back. Is the never ending game time until the red carpet when we actually see who is back.

More Than a Pretty Face: MISS FISHER'S MURDER MYSTERIES

I admit it: mysteries, crime procedurals, and courtroom dramas�with their rote formulas and seemingly predetermined outcomes�tend to trigger my yawn reflex. I prefer stories with characters less bound by the strictures of narrative destiny. It may only be an illusion concocted by a clever writer, but I need to believe a character can at any moment do something that will surprise me, turn the story on its head, or at the very least make me believe the conclusion isn't preordained. And, with apologies to Columbo, TV murder mysteries are about as predictable as it gets: someone is killed, the hero investigates, and, by way of wits and the overcoming of obstacles, the killer is apprehended�all within a neatly wrapped hour. Except by that point I've usually reached for the remote.

But then I got my first glimpse of Miss Phryne (pronounced Fry-nee) Fisher. Sleek and mischievous behind glossy lipstick and jewels, brandishing a pearl-handled revolver and bright blue eyes and that fatal Louise Brooks bob, she made me forget all about my impatience with overly ritualized storytelling. Flappers with perfectly structured cheekbones trump snobbery every time, leaving me little choice but to spool up the first episode of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.

Read more �

Escape to The Movies: X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

Good enough.

Also, more GODZILLA.

The Escapist : Escape to the Movies : X-Men: Days of Future Past

Day 10 at Cannes 2014

This morning the last movie of the festival was screened to the press, so by now film critics that still are in Cannes will have seen all the movies in the competition as major film critics tend to see all the in competition films and a few of the other films in the sidebars. Consequently the first thing I did today was to check the tallies to see which/who were their favorites to win awards. Seems that the critics "fight" is between Winter Sleep and Adieu Au Langage. But the last time I checked the jury composition, there is NO film critic as a member, so the filmmakers and actors jury members probably will have some differences with the critics.

Today is the last day of the festival and of the daily coverage here as tomorrow we will be talking about the award ceremony; then is adieu Cannes, until next year. As you will see today there are not many movies as yesterday La Semaine de la Critique closed and today we have the award ceremonies of Un Certain Regard and la Quinzaine des Réalisateurs.

So I say goodbye to the daily coverage reminding you all that I "force" myself to do this type of coverage to have a in-depth plunge into all films in festival as whether we like it or not, these are some -if not most- of the films we will be talking during the next year.

Just announced: The Palm Dog goes to Body and Luke(tie) in Fehér Isten (White God) by Kornél Mundruczó. Great!

The Competition

Sils Maria (Clouds of Sils Maria) by Olivier Assayas

As you could tell in the Cannes Check for French directors, I have no big expectations about this movie as I am not a big Assayas fan, but it is a French movie that obviously I will see because is by Assayas. Then you have Juliette Binoche and I see everything with her (including her American silly movies) but I really enjoy her in all the European productions where she performs. Last a young actress that I follow because called my attention since she was in Panic Room. Put those three elements together and well, you have a must be seen movie for me. Then yesterday I saw the trailer and gee, expectations went to the highest level imaginable. But today a lot less emotional and more rational I say: Trailers can be deceiving, after all they are promotional tools. My final statement: yes, seems there is some lesbian interest in film, but how much is the BIG question.

Since yesterday I have been following Juliette Binoche and what she is doing in Cannes. For starters she was in Le Grand Journal and to my surprise along with Asia Argento! That is an odd coupling. But interview was really funny as Juliette is so joyful, she laughs so fluently, looks so young, fresh and happy plus there was a clip when she was VERY young! Suggest you see Canal + video that's available only in French, is in the Sils Maria Pinterest board.

To my surprise, Kristen Stewart did not attended the photocall, but sort of new it as found Juliette in the regular serious photo sites but there was no Kristen as of late yesterday. Some say that she will be later at the premiere and perhaps is true as she's announced in attendance at the official festival site. Later we will see.

So what about the movie? After checking twitter my spontaneous perception is that reactions are mixed about movie but seems that many more coincide in saying that there is a great pas de deux between Binoche and Stewart. Seems was so good that odds went up and right now Kristen Stewart (solo or with Juliette Binoche) is third after Marion Cotillard and Anne Dorval (Mommy). The odds are a surprise especially when there are NO odds for Juliette Binoche (solo or not), what???!!! Data just lost credibility for me (lol).

Juliette Binoche in yesterday's interview said that she proposed the project to Assayas, to help him overcome his fear of working with women! (OH!) Let see what happens today during the press conference and interview, hope she expands on that subject.

The Interview

Very fun to watch. In French. To watch with English translation go here.



Press conference
Very interesting press conference quotes, by Juliette Binoche.
There were no rehearsals for Clouds of Sils Maria. We threw ourselves into the scenes with no safety net. We worked through every take and tweaked what we were doing accordingly. I wanted to give myself entirely to the story, take away the safety net. When the camera isn’t trying to control things but leaves you the space to give your best, it’s fabulous. Olivier and I have known each other for 30 years. Ever since Summer Hours (L'heure d'été) I’ve seen how his style of filming encourages you to abandon yourself. You're eager to let yourself go.
We had a great time portraying our world. I know how it works so I didn’t need to do three months of research! And Kirsten had a lot of fun playing the assistant. Kirsten is even more familiar with all that because she lives in that world of the paparazzi.

While watching the press conference remembered who Assayas is, so here are some highlights. His father was Raymond Assayas better known as Jacques Rémy. He was first a film critic working at famous Cahiers du cinéma magazine. The reason I thought about this is because Assayas and Binoche met when he was a film critic!

Press conference video in French. To watch with English translation go here.



Told you, I see everything with Juliette Binoche even the fest videos! (lol).
Now I am getting a bit upset as I am learning more than I want to know about film; but well, will share. There is a connection between this film and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1972 The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, a film based on a play called Maloja Snake. If you (and me) still remember this fact when you see movie you will understand key elements in Sils Maria.

The Red Carpet
Watching live. Nice to see the Uma Thurman -in beautiful yellow dress- with John Travolta, plus Tarantino and Weinstein et all from Pulp Fiction. Glad Kristen arrived and the best was when Juliette greeted Kristen;  nice photo opportunity that hope someone did capture. Love how Juliette Binoche behaves, like a very young mother to two younger colleagues. There will be very beautiful photos if photographers are in the right place. Was checking Getty and yes, there are some outstanding photos, lets hope some appear around and are rights-free.



Reactions to film
Contrasting styles between stars of two different generations make Cannes competition title a rich study of actorly insecurity. (Peter Debruge-Variety)
'Bewitching'. Kristen Stewart shines in her best role to date, in fearlessly intelligent drama Clouds of Sils Maria. (Robbie Collin-The Telegraph)
If Assayas's film finally falls just shy of being great art itself, it is at least handsomely staged and played with conviction; like a lush A-list revival of skimpy B-list material. (Xan Brooks-The Guardian)
Kristen Stewart joue une partition impeccable dans Sils Maria, vertigineux exercice de métafiction par Olivier Assayas (Trois Couleurs)
Confused lives at high altitudes. A variation on the All About Eve theme that hinges primarily on the emotional and psychological effect aging has on a vital, successful actress, Clouds of Sils Maria is an engaging, if rarefied inside look at the private world of a star. (Todd McCarthy-THR)
Man, I wish this film had a line of dialogue (or 300) that explained exactly what it wants to be about?” (Jessica Kiang-Playlist-Indiewire)
Sils Maria is a sly interrogation of art&life paradoxes channeling Bergman, Fassbinder and Assayas own Irma Vep. KStew is shockingly good. (Larryagross)
Clouds of Sils Maria:Kristen Stewart takes the "whatevs" school of acting to new heights alongside an overcooked Juliet Binoche. (Kate Muir)
SILS MARIA: Interests right up my alley; I can't decide if treatment is too silly or not silly enough. Kristen Stewart easily best in show. (Guy Lodge)
Excellent reviews from Cannes for Sils Maria & a certain actress who has long gotten undeserved stick for her abilities. AHEM, TOLD YOU SO. (Simon Underwood)
The Clouds of Sils Maria is a modest meta-drama with a relaxed Binoche and accomplished Kirsten Stewart (John Bleasdale)
Clouds of Sils Maria: Cerebral and elegant dissection of art, celebrity and ageing. Great chemistry between Binoche & Stewart. (Ann Lee)

Leviathan by Andrey Zvyagintsev

Already praised Zvagintsev work in the Cannes Check so will try to not repeat myself and concentrate on what has happened after film screened to the press. In general reactions tend to be positive as I imagined or expected, as this is the last film that really deserved to be in competition in the festival as absolutely has the credentials and now I can say, fulfills what used to be high standards in the mother of all festivals, Cannes.

Against by better judgement, I have expectations about this film; I expect a masterpiece! A full, complete, out-of-the-ordinary cinematic experience, one that will blew my mind and my senses. That's it. I know I will get it as reactions have been extremely positive as I imagined, expected.

Reactions to film
Leviathan - a new Russian masterpiece. Andrei Zvyagintsev's latest is a very strong contender for the Palme d'Or – a mix of Hobbes, Chekhov and the Bible, and full of extraordinary images and magnificent symmetry. (Peter Bradshaw-The Guardian)
'Leviathan' Is a Transfixing Epic That Grows On You (Eric Kohn)
Leviathan à #Cannes2014: la gueule de bois de la Russie post-soviétique. Critique fine des petits puissants, enivrée d humour noir. (Trois Couleurs)
Huge monsters of the deep move under the surface of this powerful, craftily allusive and elusive film, the director’s best and most courageous so far. (Leslie Felperin-THR)
Cannes saved one of the best for (almost) last: Zyagintsev's LEVIATHAN is an astonishing, vodka- and irony-drenched symphony of destruction. (Scott Foundas)
"Léviathan", courber l'échine ou vivre libre face à l'Etat tout-puissant (Le Point)
Government and God: Leviathan is a BIG film and a strong contender for the Palme d'Or. Magnifique. (Total Film)
LEVIATHAN every bit as monumental as title suggests. Would make a strong (cinematic and political) Palme contender. (Jonathan Romney)
Struggling to write Palme d'Or predictions, but suspect Leviathan may have just rolled in like an invincible Russian tank. (Kate Muir)

and perhaps the best reaction is by Reuters news-service:
Russia's 'Leviathan' pleases Cannes, angers Russian minister (Michael Roddy)

Short Films Competition
Today the screening of all the shorts.

Cannes Classics

Masterclass by Jacques Audiard

If something really makes me upset for not being in Cannes this year is missing a masterclass by one of my favorite contemporary French directors. Just for fun -but there is an insight-, here are some quotes from the masterclass.
"I make a lot of close-up, and as said my ex-woman, I make a cinema of nearsighted"
"If I saw only my first two films, I would be devastated"
"My first film, I didn't have much pleasure to make it, but for my second, I had a lot of it"
"The actors are animals with a sensitive skin, it's necessary to speak their own language"
"If I move to film making, it is because I had a certain idea of the cinema"

Fear (Non credo più all'amore - La Paura) by Roberto Rosellini
Any day is a great day to see for the first time or revisit a film by Rosellini, especially when his wife is the lead actress in what is called their "last dance" as was the last film they did together. Of course I'm talking about Ingrid Bergman. The film will screen in the original version language: English, but there is an Italian version that producers decided to do without the consent of Rosellini so they shorten the film, add a voice over and changed the outcome!. So you see producers and distributors have been doing whatever they please since a long time ago. Sigh.

Tokyo Orinpikku (Tokyo Olimpiad) by Kon Ichikawa
No, I haven't seen this documentary but yes very interested in seeing it after learning about being a "visual masterpiece of Asian cinema".

Cinéma de la Plage

Today: Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino

20 years ago film won the Palme d'Or. To mark the occasion Cinéma de la Plage will host an anniversary evening with the presence of Quetin Tarantino and Uma Thurman (according to official Cannes site) but from other news John Travolta will also attend (he is in Cannes). Also in attendance film producers Lawrence Bender and Harvey Weinstein.

Tomorrow: Purple Rain by Albert Magnoli
The classic Prince vehicle that for the music is must be seen and then perhaps give a try to the unofficial follow-up directed by Prince, Under the Cherry Moon, just to see one actress that absolutely captured my attention, stole the movie and since then, been following her very close: Kristin Scott-Thomas in her feature film debut performance.

Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
19:30 Closing Ceremony followed by screening of the closing film

Pride by Matthew Warchus

Just because the cast film is must be watch for me as I highly enjoy Bill Nighy plus well, also in film Imelda Stauton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott and more.  But if you add story then is more understandable that I have to see movie. Check synopsis.
It’s the summer of 1984 – Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is on strike. At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners, and later sets off in a mini bus headed for a mining village in deepest Wales to make their donation in person. And so begins the extraordinary story of two seemingly alien communities who form a surprising and ultimately triumphant partnership.

Reactions to film
Pride - Billy Elliot continued with rousing gay rights romance set during miners' strike. Theatre director Matthew Warchus makes a successful transfer to screen with a funny, no-punches-pulled tale set against the backdrop of the mid-80s 'Pits and Perverts' concerts. (Peter Bradshaw-The Guardian)
Resistance is futile. A bitterly divisive strike in Margaret Thatcher's Britain fosters an unlikely union of solidarity between embattled mineworkers and militant gays in this rousing true story. (David Rooney-THR)

L'ACID

New Territories de Fabianny Deschamps

Imagine story has to be interesting and film will be visually remarkable.  To learn more about film go to the website here.  Check info about film.
New Territories is a journey of initiation through faith and beliefs on the border between life and death. Two women poles apart, two paths: one is a living French businesswoman; the other is a Chinese textile worker. While Li Yu is preparing herself to reach Hong Kong clandestinely in search for a better life, Eve is conquering the Asian market with a new funeral rite. The two women end up meeting. Their paths cross in the New Territories, a no man’s land on the edge of the super-capitalist city of Hong Kong and communist China. New Territories is a fairytale that unfolds in a contemporary world of rationality and market economy.

News
-The Queer Palm ceremony will be tonight at 22:00.
-"Everyone" was walking the Sils Maria red carpet, including Pierre Lescure (from June 1st the new fest boss), Catherine Denueve, Joseph Jackson (?!) and more.

Photos of the Day

Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart (in focus)

46th Quinzaine des Réalisateurs Award Winners

In a very unexpected triple play one movie wins all three feature film awards given by sponsors of this sidebar as you have to remember that this section is non-competitive. So here is the BIG winner.

Les Combattants by Thomas Cailley won SACD Prize, Label Europa Cinemas Prize, and Art Cinema Award.

From the short films the Illy Award goes to Sem Coração by Nara Normande and Tião and there was a Special Mention to Radu Jude's Trece şi prin perete (It Can Pass Through the Wall).

Thomas Cailley film winning big makes me think about what will happen later tonight when the Queer Palm is announced. Will the miracle happen and award will be given to a film with some lesbian interest? How about multiple award winner Les Combattants?

---///---
4/22/14
Today Edouard Waintrop, Artistic Director, announced the Directors' Fortnight selection with 19 films that includes the most awaited film -by me- Bande de filles by Céline Sciamma but also films by Dumont, Boorman and du Welz. There are 12 films produced or co-produced by Europe and more than half are from France.

Interesting is to find that in the selection there is a film by one of my favorite actress, Ronit Elkabetz, who is directing along with her brother. Also there is a film with great young actress Adèle Haenel plus is a good surprise to find a film by Diego Lerman.

Opening film: Bande de filles (Girlhood), Céline Sciamma, France
Closing film: Pride, Matthew Warchus, UK

Feature films
Alleluia (Halleluiah), Fabrice du Welz, Belgium and France
(*)את לי לילה At Li Layla (Next to Her), Asaf Korman, Israel
(*) Catch Me Daddy, Daniel Wolfe, UK
Cold in July, Jim Mickle, USA and France
(*) Les combattants (Fighters), Thomas Cailley, France
Gett - Le procès de Viviane Amsalem, Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz, Israel, France and Germany
かぐや姫の物語 Kaguya-hime no monogatari (Tale of Princesse Kaguya), Isao Takahata, Japan (animation)
끝까지 간다 Kkeutkkaji Ganda (A Hard Day), Sung-hoon Kim (김성훈), South Korea
Mange tes morts (Eat Your Bones), Jean-Charles Hue, France
National Gallery, Frederick Wiseman, France and USA (documentary)
Queen and Country, John Boorman, UK
Refugiado, Diego Lerman, Argentina, France and Germany
These Final Hours, Zak Hilditch, Australia
Tu dors Nicole, Stéphane Lafleur, Canada
Whiplash, Damien Chazelle, USA

Special Screening
P'tit Quinquin (Little Quinquin), Bruno Dumont, France (TV miniseries - four episodes)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Tobe Hooper, USA, 1974 (newly restored copy)

Check feature films info, trailers, stills in here.

Short films
8 balles, Frank Ternier, France, 13' (animation)
A caça revoluçoes (The Revolution Hunter), Margarida Rêgo, Portugal, 11'
Cambodia 2099, Davy Chou, France, 21'
En août (In August), Jenna Hasse, Switzerland, 9'
Fragmenty (Fragments), Aga Woszczyńska, Poland, 25'
Guy Moquet, Demis Herenger, France, 32'
Jutra, Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre, Canada, 13' (mixed technique)
Man on the Chair, Dahee Jeong, France and South Korea, 6' (animation)
Sem Coração, Nara Normande and Tião, Brazil, 25'
Torn, Elmar Imanov and Engin Kundag, Azerbaijan and Germany, 22'
Trece şi prin perete (It Can Pass Through the Wall), Radu Jude, Romania, 17'

Special Screening
4 Avril 1968 (April 4th,1968), Myriam Gharbi, Guadalupe and France, 20' (Prix Océans de France Ô winner)

Check short films info, trailers, stills in here.

(*) First/second film, competes for the Camera d'Or

This year the Carrosse d'Or goes to Alain Resnais which will be posthumously awarded on Thursday May 15 at the Quinzaine opening ceremony. Earlier in the afternoon the Resnais homage will include the screening of the short film Le Chant du Sytrène (1958) followed by Providence (1977).

Take a look at the always interesting video with film stills, clips plus director's names from Quinzaine 2014 trailer by Olivier Jahan.

Day 9 at Cannes 2014

If yesterday was a bad day for movies, today is a great day for movies and the roller-coaster goes up once again. If my roller-coaster theory is correct -has been up to today- then I am really concern for what is going to happen tomorrow as one of my most awaited films is screened on the last day of the festival (no, it is not the Assayas film). So let's be positive and hope that the roller coaster goes up and up for a great festival finale.

Yesterday I was talking about leaving to end of the festival the American films that attract media world coverage to the festival. Still tomorrow we will find the power of an American actress in a non-American film. My expectation is that the photocall and red carpet will be full of paparazzi but since I know there will also be European photographers -as there is also a very famous French actress- I'm looking forward to see how those two events go and IF one of them wins. LOL! I don't mind who wins as Julilette Binoche and Kristen Stewart are two of my very favorite actresses and have seen/will see everything with each, the climax is having them together in one movie, LOL!!!

Believe it or not today we have the first two award ceremonies! Just one more day to go in festival, afterwards the award ceremony on Saturday.

The Competition

Jimmy's Hall by Ken Loach

I have seen all Loach films, even his earlier films -thanks to free Internet streaming screenings promoted by the director- which I am very grateful. Was sad that he has retiring BUT he is NOT! He is annoyed by media spilling his retirement news when he wants to do more feature films. Great!

His fourteenth participation in the Selection brings us another social relevant story about a communist activist and local legend, whose community initiatives raised the ire of the authorities and the clergy in the conservative society of Ireland in the thirties. Another real person story in films this year in Cannes BUT first and foremost, this is a Loach film and definitively places film far away from the other real-person films.

Ken Loach films are powerful and not easy for me to describe why a film by him wins a Palme d'Or -he has one-or the Jury Prize -he has three-. So have no idea if this movie will bring him the second Palme d'Or or any other award, but if he wins any award I will be extremely pleased as Cannes will have honored the magnificent work of Ken Loach once again.

As you can tell by now, film is must be seen for me no matter the reactions to film by critics and viewers but yes, will share some of them for your reading pleasure. Not all are positive but makes me recall the negative reactions to his The Angels' Share.

Reactions to film
Ken Loach's thoughtful take on Irish communist Jimmy Gralton's battle to save a community hall from an uptight priest is powerful, if a little pedagogic (Peter Bradshaw-The Guardian)
El director Ken Loach no decepciona en Cannes con su sólido cine de denuncia social (20 minutos España)
Loach possesses an almost unique voice in British cinema that has never waivered, offering humane values, working class ethics and impassioned pleas against injustice wherever it lurks. (Richard Mowe-Eye for Film)
Loach's JIMMY HALL a more political riff on FOOTLOOSE set against backdrop of 1930s Ireland. Sure to be a crowd pleaser. (Jesse Wente)
Ken Loach's facile Irish political drama is a disappointing swansong to a great career. (Robbie Collin-The Telegraph)
The latest activist drama from the elder statesman of British political cinema is a heartfelt portrait of ideological warfare in 1930s Ireland.(Scott Foundas-Variety)
#cannes would celebrate a new Ken Loach film if it was home movie footage of his birthday, but JIMMY'S HALL is easily his best in a decade. (Eric Kohn-Indiewire)

Mommy by Xavier Dolan

You have no idea how much pleases me the reaction to the film after yesterday's press screening as literally twitter exploded with so many positive comments that was overwhelming -at least for me. Yes, I wish Dolan success because he deserves it and since his very first feature film he has delighted me with unusual, disturbing, visually stunning and highly entertaining films. Thank you.

As a matter of fact, twitter initial reactions came from French Canadian press, which is another accomplishment as we can NOT say that he has been loved by local press in the past; then was followed by American press -nope they also hasn't liked him- and then came the rest, including the "famous" film critics. All were positive. That's a big accomplishment for whom has been called the latest cinema "enfant-terrible". And then, many were surprised. I was not.

Most, including me, were surprised by the film ratio which is not only unusual but new. Yes it is new as immediately I thought about Pablo Larraín's NO, but this film aspect ratio was not a perfect square with 1.40:1. Dolan's is the perfect square 1:1. Two of the reasons for this aspect radio may be in the following statements by Dolan.

"The square it creates perfectly frames the faces and represents the ideal in terms of painting a portrait. One's gaze is drawn towards it."
"Distractions are removed. The spectator's vision is captured by the character's gaze. Of course, there are great possibilities that allow you to play with language. Goodbye to language!"

As hard as will be with so many positive reviews, I do no t wish to learn more than what I already learn about the film as do not want to spoil the experience when watching film and I have already learned too much, much more than what I usually learn for a French film and for a Dolan film. Sigh. Still, will share some reactions to film for your reference as I do not need them, Dolan's films are must be seen for me.

Reactions to film
From queer to maternity. This explosively emotional portrait of a troubled mother-son relationship is 25-year-old director Xavier Dolan's most substantial work to date. (Stephen Dalton-THR)
The latest from the Canadian 25-year-old is a splashy, transgressive treat, from trailer-trash chat to unexpected sex and surprising emotional depth (Peter Bradshaw-The Guardian)
I think I just saw the Palme d'Or. Xavier Dolan's Mommy. (Stéphanie Belpêche)
Xavier Dolan"s Mommy has just shot to the top of my Palme D'Or favourites: sophisticated and confident, familiar yet fresh. (Damon Wise)
Xavier Dolan's MOMMY Delights. Beautifully realized piece that speaks to both mainstream audiences and the festival crowd.
My @HitFix review of Xavier Dolan's MOMMY, which I found kind of thrilling, kind of moving, and kind of maddening (Guy Lodge-Hitfix)
Cannes : la Palme pour « Mommy », de Xavier Dolan? (Le Monde)

Special Screenings

Les Ponts de Sarajevo (Bridges of Sarajevo) by thirteen directors

With Bridges of Sarajevo (Les Ponts de Sarajevo), thirteen renowned European filmmakers approach the history of the Bosnian capital, a prism that reflects the European political situation since 1914.

One hundred years after the start of the "Great War", thirteen leading contemporary filmmakers -Aida Begic, Leonardo Di Costanzo, Jean-Luc Godard, Kamen Kalev, Isild le Besco, Sergei Loznitsa, Vincenzo Marra, Ursula Meier, Vladimir Perisic, Cristi Puiu, Marc Recha, Angela Schanelec, Teresa Villaverde - capture this city in their cameras under the artistic direction of film historian Jean-Michel Frodon.

Yes, some of the short films are must be seen for me just because the director and do not mind at all to watch the complete anthology.

Midnight Screening
Pyo Jeok (The Target) by Chang
Korea revisits the French thriller. With Pyo Jeok (The Target), Chang has created a remake of A bout portant (Point Blank), Fred Cavayé's thriller released in 2010. Suspense and fast-paced action are guaranteed in this Festival's last midnight screening. Got the impression that this film will have the typical Korean style and perhaps I'm right as the director wanted a fast-paced rhythm, so he did film in the style of music videos BUT then comes a new piece of info: "A thirty-six-hour-long chase is told in 101 minutes. The pace is fast, creating a certain musicality: Chang is not simply revisiting a French thriller, he is reinventing the Korean action film." Hmm, think is too much for me, but the last statement got me curious.

Un Certain Regard

Charlie's Country by Rolf de Heer


The latest aboriginal tale by Australian Rolf de Heer and his third collaboration with the aboriginal actor David Gulpilil. In 2006 de Heer picked up the Un Certain Regard Special Prize for his film Ten Canoes, which explored the consequences of colonization on aboriginal communities. Not familiar with director or his movies, but check synopsis.
Blackfella Charlie is out of sorts. The intervention is making life more difficult on his remote community, what with the proper policing of whitefella laws now. So Charlie takes off, to live the old way, but in so doing sets off a chain of events in his life that has him return to his community chastened, and somewhat the wiser.

Let's hope that reactions to film gives us better idea about film than what I'm able to do before watching film.

Reactions to film
A delicate but powerful film that functions as both a stinging depiction of marginalization and as a salute to the career of the remarkable actor who inhabits almost every frame. (David Rooney-THR)
Devastating but beguiling Charlie's Country raises seriously damning social issues #Cannes2014 (Screen Comment)
Rolf de Heer’s compassionate, clear-eyed drama about the contemporary Aboriginal condition is a showcase for veteran actor, co-scenarist and friend David Gulpilil. (Eddie Cockrell-Variety)

Incompresa by Asia Argento

Perhaps one the most controversial actresses that I know plus an unconventional icon in Europe/Italy and if you don't agree let me share that Cannes official article about film starts with the expression "eccentric filmmaker".

Yes Asia Argento is eccentric to put it softly and will not be surprised if her fourth feature film is eccentric and strange, not only for her reputation but also because Charlotte Gainsbourg stars in film. Because is a Gainsbourg film is must be seen for me as I see everything with her, but let see reactions to film to find what else I will see in Argento's film. Sigh.

Well seems that twitter first reactions are related more to what Asia did during the photocall than to her film; still the few film critics that have already seen film express postive reactions using words often related to her and her movies. Seems it will be Asia as usual which means I wont suffer that much when I see film!

Reactions to film
Charlotte Gainsbourg et Asia Argento vénéneuses. (Premiere)
Argento es... de oro. Me gustó mucho INCOMPRESA, brutal tragicomedia sobre la vida de una nena de 9 años ¡Queremos tanto a Asia! (Diego Batle-Otroscines)
Asia Argento n'est pas tendre avec ses darons dans L'Incomprise, qui cite Comencini, et que domine la performance de la jeune Giulia Salerno (Aurélien Ferenczi)
INCOMPRESA is vulgar, sad, and infuriating. Great young lead. A hell of a film from @AsiaArgento. (Drew McWeeny)
Giulia Salerno is extraordinary in @AsiaArgento's MISUNDERSTOOD. Total marvel. (Nigel M. Smith)
Rage + tendresse + humour + childhood drama + chats + new wave + cris = Incompresa d'Asia Argento. Pretty cool. (Pauline Le Gall)

Cannes Classics

Sayat Nova (The Color of Pomegranates) by Sergei Parajanov
No shame in telling you that have tried to see film with no success as I really do dislike this kind of visual style. The same happens to me with other Eastern Europe/Asian directors that use similar style in the same era, so it is not only him. But if you haven't seen film and/or are not familiar with style maybe should give a try to find if you like it or not. Sigh.

Jamaica Inn by Alfred Hitchcock
Any day is a good day to watch a restored 1939 Alfred Hitchcock film, specially this one based on Daphne du Maurier crime novel published in 1936, starring none other than Maureen O'Hara.

Cinéma de la Plage
Polyester by John Waters - with Odorama
What could be more refreshing than watching a John Waters film at the beach but not just any beach but Cannes beach? Not much else. Refreshing I mean. Especially when film will screen with odoramat!!! Yes viewers can smell the same smells as the characters throughout the film and we know that Polyester recounts the odorous adventures of a less than perfect family. Admit to have never seen movie with odormat and imagine is a very unusual (disgusting?) experience but the fact is that tonight screening is an historic projection in the Croisette. Good they are outside and not inside a theater. LOL!!! Still movie is an enjoyable Waters style film experience even without the odors.

Quinzaine des Réalisateurs

At Li Layla (Next to Her) by Asaf Korman

The first film by Korman surely is a not easy to watch drama as check the synopsis.

Chelli is raising her mentally disabled sister Gabby all by herself. When the social worker discovers she leaves her sister alone in the house while at work, Chelli is forced to place her in a day-care center and the void left by her sister's absence makes room for a man in her life. That man, Zohar, tears another crack in the symbiotic relationship of the two sisters and the three are slowly drawn into a strange threesome, where boundaries between love, sacrifice, nurturing and torturing are broken.

Alleluia by Fabrice Du Welz

Not really familiar with director but his films seems like a complex drama, take a look at the synopsis.
Manipulated by an oppressive and jealous husband, Gloria runs away with her daughter and restarts her life far from men and the world. Encouraged by her friend Madeleine, Gloria agrees to meet Michel via a dating website. Something happens between them at first sight. Michel, a small time, bottom of the range crook is disturbed and Gloria falls hopelessly in love. Michel leaves out of fear but Gloria tracks him down and makes him promise never to leave her again. Desperate to save this love, she abandoned her daughter and decided to pose as Michel's sister so he could continue his little scams. But jealousy gradually blighted Gloria's life..

La Semaine de la Critique

Hippocrate by Thomas Lilti

The closing film in this parallel section and according to the multiple clips plus promotional material seems -to me- too strange for my taste but check the synopsis.

Benjamin is meant to be a great doctor, he’s certain of it. But his first experience as a junior doctor in the hospital ward where his father works doesn’t turn out the way he hoped it would. Responsibility is overwhelming, his father is all but present, and his co-junior partner, a foreign doctor, is far more experimented than he is. This internship will force Benjamin to confront his limits… and start his way to adulthood.

L'ACID

Les règles du jeu by Claudine Bories and Patrice Chagnard

Documentary has distribution but there is no info in English. The following describes what doc is about: Charting the progress of young job-seekers at a mentoring program in a human resources agency over eight months, Rules of the Game is again a thoughtful exploration about how the disfranchised are made to conform to norms they find difficult to comprehend. Check the synopsis in French.
Lolita n’aime pas sourire. Kévin ne sait pas se vendre. Hamid n’aime pas les chefs.
Ils ont vingt ans. Ils sont sans diplôme. Ils cherchent du travail. Pendant six mois, les coachs d’un cabinet de placement vont leur enseigner le comportement et le langage qu’il faut avoir aujourd’hui pour décrocher un emploi. À travers cet apprentissage, le film révèle l’absurdité de ces nouvelles règles du jeu.

Reactions to film
Engaging piece about youthful concessions and confrontations with the dominant social system. (Clarence Tsui-THR)

News

-La Semaine de la Critique created a new program called Next Step, in collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab and supported by the CNC, the CCAS and the Moulin d’Andé-CÉCI. The program is aimed at the 10 directors of the shorts selected for this edition in order to support them in their transition to feature films. A 5-day workshop will be held in Paris in the Autumn of 2014.

-Sils Maria trailer just came out a while ago while I was writing today's introduction and I watched trailer, once, two times, three... and more as I couldn't believe what I was watching!!! I thought was my wild imagination, but NO: film has some lesbian interest! That is a HUGE unexpected surprise that absolutely baffled me. But now I'm dying to see film, more than before. Sigh.

Not-so-serious News
-amfAR event has already started and phots are starting to appear but you will NOT see here photos of Justin Bieber (dressed), Paris Hilton. lol  As a matter of fact I'm watching LIVE the event arrivals and as expected all look FABULOUS, like Jessica Chastain, Jane Fonda, Kelly Preston, Milla Jojovich, Carla Bruni, Dita von Teese, Heidi Klun, and even John Travolta, Adrian Brody, etc.

Photos of the Day

Marion Cotillard last night red carpet

Isid Le Besco

Jessica Chastain

53rd Semaine de la Critique Award Winners

The 53rd Semaine de la Critique big winner is the sign language with no subtitles very intriguing film The Tribe by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy

The parallel section Award ceremony started a few minutes ago and winners are the following:

Grand Prize: ПЛЕМЯ Plemya (The Tribe), Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine and Netherlands

Visionary Award: ПЛЕМЯ Plemya (The Tribe), Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine and Netherlands

SACD Award: Hope, Boris Lojkine, France

The Gan Foundation Support for Distribution award: ПЛЕМЯ Plemya (The Tribe), Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine and Netherlands

Short Films
CineAlta Discovery Prize: A Ciambra (Young Lions of Gypsy), Jonas Carpignano, Italy and France
Canal+ Award: Crocodile, Gaëlle Denis, UK



---///---
4/21/14
A few minutes ago organizers release the usual video with Charles Tesson, Semaine Artistic Director, announcing this year selection with films that also as usual, seem strange/weird, which I think is absolutely Great! Alright admit that I do not like horror films and there are too many horror films in the competition, still very curious about the Danish film that was in the Berlinale and now in Cannes! That's quite unusual for a film.

As always there are seven (7) films in the Selection of 1st or 2nd films.

Boreg (Self Made), Shira Geffen, Israel
Gente de Bien, Franco Lolli, Colombia and France
Hope, Boris Lojkine, France
It Follows, David Robert Mitchell, USA
Più Buio Di Mezzanote (Darker Than Midnight), Sebastiano Riso, Italy
ПЛЕМЯ Plemya (The Tribe), Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine and Netherlands
Når dyrene drømmer (When Animals Dream), Jonas Alexander Arnby, Denmark

Jury of the Grand Prize for La Semaine de la Critique
President: Andrea Arnold, director, UK
Daniela Michel, film critic, Mexico
Fernando Ganzo, film critic, Spain
Jordan Mintzer, film critic, USA
Jonathan Rommey, film critic, UK

Special Screenings
Opening Night: Faire l'amour (aka FLA), Djinn Carrénard, France
Closing Night: Hippocrate, Thomas Lilti, France
Ha-Ganenet (The Kindergarten Teacher), Nadav Lapid, Israel
Respire (Breathe), Mélanie Laurent, France

Short and Medium-length Films
A Ciambra (Young Lions of Gypsy), Jonas Carpignano, Italy and France, 17'
Boa Noite Cinderela (Goodnight Cinderella), Carlos Conceicao, Portugal, 30'
Crocodile, Gaëlle Denis, UK
La contre allée (Back Alley), Cécile Ducrocq, France, 29'
Les fleuves m’ont laissée descendre où je voulais, Laurie Lassalle, France
Niebieski Pokój (A Blue Room), Tomasz Siwiński, Poland and France, 15'
Petit frère, Rémi St-Michel, Canada, 14'
Safari, Gerardo Herrero, Spain, 13'
The Chicken, Una Gunjak, Germany and Croatia, 15'
TrueLoveStory, Gitanjali Rao, India, 18'

Jury of the Discovery Sony CineAlta Prize for short film
President: Rebecca Zlotowski, director, France
Tine Fischer, producer, festival programer, Denmark
Abi Sakamoto, manager film department, Japan
Benny Dreschsel, producer, Germany

Jury of the France 4 Visionary Award
President: Rebecca Zlotowski, director, France
Louise Riousse, film critic, France
Sergio Huidobro, film critic, Mexico
Adrei Rus, film critic, Romania
Guido Segal, film critic, Argentina

A reminder, all feature films in the main selection are eligible to compete for the Camera d'Or.

Check info, stills and/or trailer here for feature films and here for short/medium-lenght films.

Film info is not yet at site, but you can see the video with the announcement (has English subtitles).