The Festival They Inhabit.
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 2:14PM Jose here to announce this year's Cannes Film Festival lineup.
As usual, Cannes will fill the Croisette with names we've heard year after year, but when those names are Pedro Almodóvar, the Dardenne brothers and Lars von Trier, you won't listen to much complains from our side.
This year the official lineup will include the following films:
La Piel Que Habito (The Skin that I Live In), directed by Pedro Almodovar
This thriller reunites Pedro with his male muse Antonio Banderas, in a tale of revenge, murder and plastic surgery. Almodóvar is a Cannes favorite, having won awards for his actors, direction and writing. Knowing the way Cannes works, will he finally win the Palm D'or?
L’Apollonide, directed by Bertrand Bonello
Drive, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
After 09's Valhalla Rising, Refn returns with Ryan Gosling as a stuntman/wheelman who discovers a contract has been put on him after a heist gone bad. The film also stars Carey Mulligan and Christina Hendricks.
Footnote, directed by Joseph Cedar
Ichimei (Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai), directed by Takashi Miike
Le Havre, directed by Aki Kaurismäki
This film tells the story of a shoeshiner who tries to save an immigrant child in the title city. It's Kaurismäki's second French film.
Hanezu No Tsuki, directed by Naomi Kawase
The Kid With The Bike, directed by Dardenne Brothers
This film by the beloved Dardennes (they've won the top award twice!) tells the story of an 11-year-old boy who turns to a young woman after his father has abandoned him. It stars Cécile de France.
Melancholia, directed by Lars von Trier
Lars announced this was the most depressing film he'd ever made and after the trailer, we don't doubt him right? But as with all of his work, this film comes either as a threat or a blessing. Some are already complaining about Kiki and the director's selfindulgence, while others have seen it as the second coming of the lord. Von Trier's films have been relatively successful in Cannes, with his actresses receiving kudos from the jury on two occassions. Will Kiki be crowned queen of the Croisette?
Michael, directed by Markus Schleinzer (first film!)
Once Upon A Time in Anatolia, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
This drama has Yılmaz Erdoğan as a doctor living on the Anatolia steppe.
Parter, directed by Alain Cavalier
Polisse, directed by Maiwenn
Sleeping Beauty, directed by Julia Leigh
If you thought this was some sort of continuation of the sudden infatuation the movie world has developed with fairy tales, think again. This Australian film chronicles the life of a college girl (Sucker Punch's Emily Browning) who is drugged, drawn into prostitution and "sleeps" through this world of decay.
La source des femmes, directed by Radu Mihaileanu
This Must Be The Place, directed by Paolo Sorrentino
Sean Penn stars as a bored rock star who travels across the United States trying to find the SS officer who tortured his father in Auschwitz.
The Tree of Life, directed by Terrence Malick
While there are still some doubts whether the film will debut in Cannes or not (seems the Brits are getting first dibs a few days before the festival), this is one of the most awaited films EVER.
Nat has discussed it, plenty of times before.
We Have a Pope, directed by Nanni Moretti
Previous Palm D'or winner Moretti, returns to Cannes with his newest film about a recently elected Pope (Michel Piccoli) who decides he doesn't really want the job. Moretti plays the Vatican psychologist who tries to solve the Pope's issues. This could bring some controversy for Moretti, given that films that deal with Catholicism are always welcomed harshly by the Vatican. Moretti recreated the Sistine Chapel inside Cinecitta to tell this story supposedly based on the current Pope, who was seeking quiet retirement before John Paul II passed away. The movie will premiere this Friday in Italian cinemas.
We Need To Talk About Kevin, directed by Lynne Ramsay
Tilda Swinton stars as the mother of a young man who goes on a killing spree in his school. Sounds like The Deep End meets Elephant done by the woman who did Morvern Callar. Do we need to say more?
And that's just the main competition...
This year their parallel selection, called Un Certain Regard, includes films from Gus Van Sant, Kim Ki-Duk, Joachim Trier and Bruno Dumont among others. The festival is set to open with Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris and will screen Jodie Foster's The Beaver out of competition.
As always there will be a blockbuster or two, to draw the big stars and this year Penélope Cruz and Johnny Depp will grace the red carpet to promote Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Hopefully Pe won't feel too bad after she realizes she passed on Melancholia for Captain Jack Sparrow...
What Would Isabelle Huppert Do?
If like me you were wondering WWIHD, fear not. Even though it doesn't seem like she'll be there at first glance, she might still be able to sneak in. The official selection has three spots left and two of these could go to films starring the French goddess. She stars in Brillante Mendoza's Captured as a French woman kidnapped by an extremist group in the Philippines. Huppert was the jury's president the year when Mendoza revolted and elated audiences with his Kinatay which won him the Best director award.
Huppert also stars in Michael Haneke's Love a movie about a senior couple dealing with the way their relationship evolves towards the end of their life. Huppert doesn't play the couple (although I don't doubt she could), instead she plays their musician daughter. This has Autumn Sonata written all over it and could very well grace Cannes if it's finished on time. Haneke will probably want to cause an impression after he won the Palm D'or with his previous film in 2009.
Other films that could still make it to the final lineup include the latest by David Cronenberg, Yorgos Lanthimos (who promised something "darker than Dogtooth"!) and Wong Kar Wai.
Sounds like jury president Robert de Niro will have a fun time huh? Which of these movies are you simply dying to see?
Reader Comments (11)
Trailer for Sleeping Beauty is out, in case you've missed it.
Interesting line-up, looks better thasn last year, but I must say, I was hoping to see The Dangerous Method and Wuthering Heights in competition.
Does anyone know if Madonna's W.E. Is in contention at Cannes?? Can't wait to hear the buzz (or lacktherof) about this one :-)
Thanks!
I've been eagerly awaiting "The Tree of Life" since I saw the trailer for the first time last year. Regardless of whatever other merits or demerits Malick's work has earned, there is no doubt that this film is the deluxe box of eye candy with a pretty pink bow. Can't wait...
Dying to see We Need to Talk About Kevin (the novel is brilliantly suspenseful & mordantly funny). Plus I'm interested/slightly weary of Almodovar venturing into darker terrain with The Skin I Live In (does anyone know if this is his first adapted screenplay?). And bien sur, there's l'enfant terrible himself, Mr. Von Trier. Melancholia looks like it's shaping up to be even more ridiculous than Antichrist. I'm also genuinely excited to see Kirsten in a movie again. Can't remember when was the last time I saw her in a substantial role.
Im so glad that Joachim Trier is going to Cannes! Is such a huge honour for him consider the strong talents in this year¨s program. I envy you Nate if you are going to Cannes
MalicK, Almodovar ,Von Trier, Tilda Swinton, Jodie Foster, Gus Van Sand and Brangelina...YEAH Cannes 2011 is gonna be a treat!
David -- i haven't seen W.E. on any of the program lists. But they usually add a few films after this official announcement.
Manuel -- i am not going no. Have never been. :(
The Cannes lineup is always so effing exciting. I can't wait for "Skin," of course (especially having been a tad disappointed with "Broken Embraces"), but I'm dying for "Melancholia." Criticisms be damned, "Antichrist" was with me for weeks. I think von Trier is amazing.
Tilda Swinton! John C. Reilly!! Lyne Ramsey!!! We need to talk about Kevin!!!! I WANT TO GO TO CANNE!!!!!
Yay for a Takashi Miike film being in competition! I'm stoked to see this and stoked to see 13 Assassins.
I'm really curious to hear the word on the new Yorgos Lanthimos film. It's all about momentum, if he can build upon Dogtooth's buzz, he's gonna be huge.
I have a feeling Tilda might be the frontrunner already. If she delivers big, she could easily take the actress prize -- unless one of the Melancholia actresses surprises.
Speaking of frontrunners, Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life might just be the biggest.
I'm kinda hoping Madonna's W.E. project gets selected (if finished in time) because how cool would that be? And I don't wanna sound like too much of a stan but how how AWESOME would it be if she totally surprised everyone with a fantastic film?
LOL, I love WWIHD. I'm gonna start using that now.
I love this time of the year... new movies, fresh buzz, promises of cinema salvation... hum.
Links:
I just saw the Sleeping Beauty trailer, beautifully weird.
http://vimeo.com/22389416
and the "Thus must be the place", beautiful song. Sean Penn third oscar?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDOanG394A8&feature=player_embedded
xoxo