“Least marketable movie” doesn’t necessarily mean “worst film.” Far from it: challenging features, whether they be chat-fests or thinly plotted spectacles, usually don’t lend themselves to Instagram-ready campaigns or Twitter-fueled debates. That said, sometimes a challenging film—from proven talents, and…
Even before it started, the 72nd Cannes Film Festival had one of the most commercial line-ups in years. High-profile international auteurs always help—gracias, Pedro Almodóvar—as do a few American brand names like Quentin Tarantino and Jim Jarmusch. Throw in a…
“Would you like to open the black box with me, madame?” says a mischievous young woman in Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. Wait-a-minute – don’t tell me what happens next! Although I won’t see your movie unless you do. That’s the compelling…
When movie stars like Julianne Moore, Gong Li, Adam Driver and Tilda Swinton strutted up the red carpet to attend the opening ceremony of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, those who had journeyed to the French Riviera beach…
It’s hard to believe that over the past two decades filmmaker Christopher Nolan has made 11 feature films yet has never once been to the Cannes Film Festival with a movie. That changes this year, as Nolan has made his…
Had it not been for Harvey Weinstein the biggest controversy at this year’s Cannes Film Festival might have been the red carpet selfie ban. “Thank you Harvey [Weinstein] and Kevin [Spacey]; you helped women find their voice,” declared director Kate…
The movies that play at the Cannes Film Festival almost always skew pro-art and anti-commercial – by definition, and to their credit, they usually defy easy categorization. But this year is even more of a challenge, with a line-up of…
As much as the question over whether films made by Netflix are “legitimate” movies if they aren’t released in cinemas was front and center at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, this year it seems the topic is being raised less…
In bright daylight, a man, in his thirties or early forties, pushes into a crowd. He wears a lanyard around his neck; a badge that reads “Cannes – 70 – Presse” dangles from the end. Others wear them too. The…
No doubt the Cannes Film Festival wishes to put the discussion surrounding their programming two Netflix titles at this year’s festival behind them. Yet in an ironic moment that underscored the ongoing debate of selecting films that will never be…