Netflix Movie World: Day 5 at #Cannes2017

Day five marks the beginning of Nicole Kidman in Cannes as the first of the four films is screened today and not less-relevant, today is the first film (out of two) with Isabelle Huppert in the lead. But day will be on the soft side for me as not really interested in much of the films screened today, with a few exceptions, of course.

Know that Happy End by Michael Haneke will screen tomorrow but press screening is today and I'm dying to find my favorite film critics reactions. Not that will matter (lol) as will see film no matter whoever says whatever. But as many in the world, I'm curious.

Will not publish until me learning press reactions to Haneke's film as will talk about them today to compensate for the films screened today at fest. By-the-way, imagine that not many have realized that Happy End poster is a cell phone... similar to what you see when you're about to take photo with your phone. This is something that has been puzzling me as wish to know why there is a phone but at the same time I hate to have a movie spoiled and somehow suspect that if learn reason why will spoil something (big) in the movie.

So here I go with some press reactions about Happy End by Michael Haneke but there is one that hit me HARD as made me wonder if Happy End is Haneke saying goodbye! Oh, no! I know he's 75-years-old but he has time for more masterpieces and truly wish for him to be the first director to win three Palme d'Or.

Most unusual/strange/odd comment comes from finding Sia's Chandelier is in a Haneke movie! Then you have iconic tweet by Kyle Buchanan that reads as follows: "Michael Haneke is 75 and his new film has Instagram Live, YouTubers, Facebook chat about piss play, *and* Sia. When will your elderly faves?"

Lines to get in at first press screening were long, second screening are longer ... some saying not seen in Cannes since Carol by Todd Haynes lines.

Press Reactions
Film critics I know tend to have positive reactions; but in general, film divided opinions.
-Michael Haneke's Happy End is a satirical nightmare of European prosperity - stark, brilliant and unforgiving as a halogen light. Peter Bradshaw-The Guardian,UK
-Haneke's HAPPY END: Cinema of despair at its finest, including the most depressing karaoke scene in film history. Eric Kohn-indiewire, USA
-Michael Haneke has made a serious bid for his third Palme d'Or with insidious family drama Happy End. It grips and never lets go. TotalFilm, USA
-'Happy End' is the film I wanted Haneke to make after 'Amour.' A unique & original vision that demands every frame 2 be studied. Jordan Ruimy-The Playlist, USA
-Haneke's HAPPY END talks back to all his previous films while existing starkly in the here and now. Career epilogue?Final film? Dave Calhoun-TimeOut, London
-Happy End: the sweet agony of Michael Haneke. Who else could keep you engrossed in a story about suicide, social media& family? Alicia Malone-FilmStruck, USA
-HAPPY END de Michael Haneke es como un pastiche de sí mismo; o resumen de su obra, que no suene mal. También frío, pero eso no es novedad. Ricardo Aldarondo, Spain.
-Haneke's HAPPY END. A perplexing meditation on the bourgeois nightmare. Wilfully lacks a centre. Uncurls like a snake. Donald Clarke-The Irish Times, Ireland
-Plus aride et déspéré que jamais, #Haneke filme un monde déjà mort. TroisColeurs, France
-Happy End. Un Haneke menor con aires de 'greatest hits'. Y aun así, tiene su fuerza. Como un diesel, arranca lento y contamina mucho. Alex Vicente-El Pais, Spain

LOVE press reactions as on the surface they're controversial and that's exactly what I was expecting: controversy, division, incredulity as IF everyone was in accord on the extreme positive or the extreme negative THEN I'll be really worry. Michael Haneke is complex, not easy to digest and seems his latest film has his unique filmmaking style. There was one tweet that say something smart, goes something like this: will sleep tonight, probably will dream about it but tomorrow will try to separate the many films I saw today in one Haneke film. Brilliant!!!

Official Selection

Competition

Le Redoutable by Michel Hazanavicius
I'm not ignorant about Godard's life story, so it's no surprise that most people find a story about him not pleasant to watch. Still this is a film that probably will see because of the lead actor as really do not like films by the director.

Press Reactions
Reactions tend to go to the not positive side of the scale but there are some film elements that find their way into a more positive reception. Most interesting to find that reactions in the English-language tend to be a lot more positive than in French.
- ... [positive words] ... Only hardcore Godardians -a pretty unforgiving bunch- would reject it out of hand. Jonathan Romney-Screendaily, UK (LOL!!!)
-Pétillant, drôle, inspiré, inattendu.L'audace de Hazanavicius et la perf de Garrel.Grand8 passionnant sur Godard. Alexandre Caporal, Switzerland
-Plaisant et léger #LeRedoutable. Louis Garrel est un sérieux candidat au prix d'interprétation masculine. Mehdi Omaïs, France
-Comédie pop, (auto)portrait d'un réalisateur égocentrique #leredoutable confirme surtout que Louis Garrel est un acteur comique qui s'ignore. Yannick Vely - ParisMatch, France
-Amusante utilisation des tics filmiques de JLG pour un portrait vif et léger, clin d'oeil aux cinéphiles, qui tourne à vide. David Verhaeghe-TF1, France
-Si ya odiaba a Hazanavicius por 'The Artist', con 'Le redoutable' se ha ganado mi absoluto desprecio; un verdadero cáncer del cine... Hans Lucas.

Another film with various artists competing for the Cannes Soundtrack award.

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) by Noah Baumbach
Perhaps the most interesting news about this film come from an American film critic reaction: ... "Won't Be An Oscar Contender" apparently because is good as some call it "Best Baumbach" until now with "great" performances by Sandler (!?) and Stiller. (LOL!!!) Truth that besides Emma Thompson, I'm no fan of any one related to film and say something nice about Baumbach, let me share that I sort tolerate his movies where Greta Gerwig is the lead. Sigh.

But since film will be available to the world on the same day (with NO Windows) there are chances that will watch it. (lol).

To be fair there are reports that Adam Sandler performance "drew glowing reviews ... and even buzz about a best actor prize" even when critics "sniffed when Hollywood funnyman got invited to Cannes". Film gets positive reviews and some claim is Netflix best, commenting that seems Netflix is getting very discerning about content. So, seems is a good movie after all.

Press Reactions
- Noah Baumbach made a Kore-Eda movie and it's as sweet and prickly and sad as you might expect. Emily Yoshida-Vulture, USA
-Wow, Adam Sandler might actually belong in Cannes ... it remains hugely frustrating how great he can be when he's not making Adam Sandler movies. The Wrap
-Kind of love that Adam Sandler is so rarely as great as he is in 'The Meyerowitz Stories', because when he is it feels so revelatory. Robbie Collin-Daily Telegraph, UK
-Noah Baumbach’s latest boasts smart writing and a strong ensemble cast, but it’s Stiller who steals the show with a remarkable display of emotion ... is a family comedy on familiar lines, but with real warmth and charm. Peter Bradshaw-The Guardian, UK
-Baumbach has out-baumbached himself in #MeyerowitzStories. Very neurotic, quick-talk NY crazy. It's a love or hate kinda thing. Beatrice Behn-Kino Zeit, Berlin

Cannes Soundtrack award says today:
First time in film competition for Noah Baumbach with The Meyerowitz Stories, the film follows a crisis-riddled siblings gathered round the decline father. Baumbach is a part of american director's new generation. Randy Newman, famous and prestigious composer, gave music to this satirical comedy.

Out of Competition
How to Talk to Girls at Parties by John Cameron Mitchell
Most surprising photo of the day is film photocall with NO Nicole Kidman!!! Where is she? Oh! Yes she is in the red carpet, which is live right now, Kidman and Fanning look like mother and child (!). Have to say that love JCM look, he's very peculiar/particular but not only in cinema events, loved him in his The Good Fight stint as Milo Yiannopoulos. Great!

Believe Cameron Mitchell films are an acquired taste and definitively are not for general audiences, as tend to be quite image and narrative playful and well, even grotesque which easily generates cult following. Nevertheless, his films are quite fun to watch if you do not take them too seriously.

Press Reactions
-Thumbs up for How To Talk To Girls at Parties. It’s like Sing Street with punks, aliens and colour-coded latex. Top tunes too. Jordan Farley-TotalFilm, UK
-Totally bonkers w/ splashes of zany B-camp sci-fi entertaining ridiculousness. Original & fun! Nikola Grozdanovic-The Plalylist, USA

Un Certain Regard
Fortunata by Sergio Castellito
Cannes 2017 has not much Italian films but I'm glad Sergio Castellito's film made it to the Official Selection as I do like his films and this one in particular has a cast that I like. Besides story seems like a slice of life, a style that nowadays seems to be disappearing but that I highly enjoy as stimulates your imagination -if you wish- to see the before and after. Yes, surely will watch this film.

Press Reactions
-Sergio Castellito filme amoureusement la sublime Jasmine Trinca. Hélas, récit convenu et parfois artificiel. Mehdi Omais-TroisColeurs, France
-Bravisima "Fortunata" de Sergio Castellito. Odisea de madre coraje y su hija hacia la libertad de ser ellas mismas. Un disfrute. Nacho Gonzalo-Spain

Sanpo suru shinryakusha (Before We Vanish) by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Yes I'm interested in film basically because I like director's films, even when is another alien invasion film and no matter the critic's reactions that tend to be mixed.

Press Reactions
-The new k. Kurosawa was a bizarre, sometimes grotesque and surprisingly poetic. Cesar del Giudice
-commence très très fort mais se perd un peu en chemin pour finir dans une certaine mièvrerie. #cannes2017 Dommage! Christophe Grosjean, France
-Kurosawa fait son Body Snatchers conceptuel, intéressant même si pas toujours réussi. Nicolas Lemerle-Romania

Special Screenings
Keul-le-eo-ui ka-me-la (Claire's Camera) by Hong Sangsoo
Film was made last year while director and actors were in Cannes; so just for this fact is interesting as undoubtedly will reflect peculiar and particular director's style. Then Isabelle Huppert is the lead and no suprise, I see everything with her in it. Unsurprisingly most reviews are on the very positive side with a few slightly negative coming mainly from Spain's film critics.

Press Reactions
-A short and sweet divertissement with a few profound punchlines. Deborah Young-THR, USA
-A big laugh greets Isabelle Huppert's first line in Hong Sang-Soo's CLAIRE'S CAMERA: "I've never been to Cannes before!" Caspar Salmon, UK
-is HSS at his silliest. Features Huppert saying she's never been to Cannes and Y&Y poster. A delight, obviously. tanni Erdmann, US
-Hong Sangsoo reunited with Huppert in a Cannes-set funny film with some downer moments, of course. Mikko Pihkoluoma, Finland
-és un dels Hong Sangsoo que donen menys joc. Un divertiment cannoise catàrtic amb Isabelle Huppert de guest star. Eulàlia Iglesias Huix‏, Barcelona,Spain
-Decepcionante regreso de Hong Sang-soo, pero con algún diálogo de antología y reflexión sobre poder transformador de imagen. Alex Vicente-El Pais, Spain

Also in Special Screenings: Napalm by Claude Lanzmann and Carré 35 (Plot 35) by Eric Caravaca (which got very positive reviews and makes it top contender for L'oeil d'Or award).

Midnight Screenings
Today Ak-Nyeo (The Villainess) by Jung Byung-gil.

Cannes Classics
Masterclass by Clint Eastwood
Człowiek z żelaza by Andrej Wajda
David Stratton - A Cinematic Life by Sally Aitken (documentary)

Cinema de la Plage: Special Event - M in Concert (Matthieu Chedid) who is presenting his new album "ÎL" EST UNE ÂME, le Baptême de LAMOMALI accompanied by Toumani & Sidiki Diabaté, the singer Fatoumata Diawara and the Afro Pop Orchestra.

Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
Today a film by one director I enjoy Amos Gitai but this time he's in Cannes with a documentary, a film by a director that not sure I like his films (don't understand his humor) and the perspective of watching a musical is not attractive for me, and last

Still Dumont's film has very positive reactions (between Dreyer and Metallica), Amos Gitai's doc also tends to get positive reviews (Gitai weaves together a surprisingly uplifting ode to tolerance and peace) and de Fontenay film is called "hidden gem" by THR. So maybe eventually could give films a try. Sigh.

Jeannette l'Enfance de Jeanne d'Arc (Jeannette the Childhood of Joan of Arc) by Bruno Dumont
Mobile Homes by Vladimir de Fontenay
West of the Jordan River (Field Diary Revisited) by Amos Gitai

Semaine de la Critique
Gabriel e a Montanha (Gabriel and the Mountain) by Fellipe Gamarano Barbosa
Not positive reviews for Gamarano's film "wandering toward a dead end" but as we now section has always "strange" films. Also today short films from the Special Screenings section.

News
-Costa-Gavras wins the Prix France Culture Consécration for his lifetime work; Sébastien Laudenbach wins the Prix France Culture Cinéma des Etudiants and Rudi Rosenberg wins Prix International Students Award UniFrance/France Culture. To learn more about the awards given today go to official site here, available only in French.
-Yesterday Elle Fanning Presented Ginger and Rosa At the L’Oreal Paris Cinema Club in Cannes.
-The Short Film Corner will open tomorrow, Monday 22nd and short films screenings will start to happen.
-Tonight is the Women in Motion soirée where Isabelle Huppert will receive the third Women in Motion award.
-Chopard names up-and-coming talent Trophy Award winners: Anya Taylor-Joy and George MacKay. The will receive the award from Charlize Theron at tomorrow night at the Martinez hotel.

Irreverent News
-Last night was the Vanity Fair and HBO diner party plus the afterwards part hosted by Vanity Fair and chopard at the magnificent Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, there are some interesting photos that perhaps should share.
-Today there is the Ace of Spades and Three Six Zero Entertainment party at Les Hauts de Saint Julien which looks the perfect place for a Sunday afternoon, sigh. Nice photos around the usual sites.
-Today, Brittany Snow cuts the red ribbon to open the American Pavillion at Cannes.

Photos

Red carpet duo, Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman