Despite the resurgence of Hollywood, the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festivalwhich is about to come to an end, has more or less agreed international criticism on just one point. According to many, the 21 films in competition have an acceptable level but nothing exceptional.
Which translated means: none stands out as THE title of the year. In short, they do quite well but without obtaining the longed-for WOW effect. All there to time the duration of the applause in the hall, of course, but that is not the thermometer that pushes the jury to assign the various awards, first of all the special Palme d’Or in a renewed version by Chopard. The ceremony takes place on Saturday evening 28 May and represents the first piece of the new Award Season, the season that culminates in the night of the Oscars and decrees the best of the seventh art during the year.
Last year on the Croisette the victory of Julia Ducourneau with Titane it went down in history because for the first time a woman behind the car won the most coveted prize of the event. This year there are five directors in competition, but what immediately catches the eye is the presence of filmmakers who are already loyal and loyal to the event. Too bad this time it seems that the signature of the film does not automatically determine its excellence.
On the Italian front they challenge each other Nostalgia by Mario Martone with Pierfrancesco Favino, The eight mountains with Luca Marinelli and Alessandro Borghi e Les amandies by Valeria Bruno Tedeschi (even if the film is French). None of the three seems to have great chances for best film but the jury chaired by Vincent Landon (which also includes Jasmine Trinca) could always surprise with a swipe of the tail. And hopefully at least Pierfrancesco Favino will be recognized as best leading actor.
They do not seem to have appeared on the horizon – perhaps thanks to the pandemic? – masterpieces of the caliber of Apocalypse Now And The sweet life, to name a couple of the most famous Golden Palms in the history of the festival. At least this is a certainty, even if not very welcome in the eyes of those who already dreamed of a Croisette pulled to luster as in the pre-Covid era.
In reality the balances have shifted and in the last period there Venice Film Festival it seems to have a greater pulse on the scenario of world cinema, to the point of anticipating many of the winners at the Academy Awards.
Cannes 2022 sees a series of titles reported as eligible candidates for the Palme d’Or for best film. There is the Belgian Close, the tragic coming of age of a twelve year old directed by Lukas Dhont. But also the singular EO: made in Poland, the latter has a donkey as its protagonist and many critics have noted how much it manages to move much more than most of the human counterparts present in the competing films. And, on the wave of a new wave of Asian creativity, the South Korean Decision to leavean unconventional romantic noir.
The great horror comeback of David Cronenberg (Crimes of the future) nor the erotic drama Stars at noon by Claire Denis, while a part of the press got lost behind the mentioned and perhaps not consumed incest of Brother and sister by Arnaud Desplechin.
If, on the other hand, the old guard, a proud stronghold of tradition (so loved in Cannes), would win, there would be another record: the Dardenne brothers they would be the only ones in the history of the event to win the Palme d’Or for the third time. He will probably not get on the podium, but the autobiographical Armageddon Time deserves a mention. To simplify, we would say that it is one of the few films “resolved”, that is, capable of leaving no doubts after the credits. Others, competing, boast such a level of contortion and involution that they deserve a session with the therapist.
The games, in short, are open, indeed very open, but without too many jolts or jolts, but an extra handful of politically correct. After the most famous cat of social media, in the arms of Khaby Lame on stage, awarded this honor for having managed to escape from Ukraine, even the donkey could go so far as to demonstrate how much better a dog actor is than a dog actor. Or, in this case, mule.
Other stories of Vanity Fair that may interest you:
Cannes Film Festival 2022, the suite of stars
Cannes 2022, Viola Davis and the Oscar
Cannes 2022, Borghi and Marinelli
Source: Vanity Fair
