Cannes: The Usual Suspects
Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 1:00PM 
Jose here to discuss the lineup for this year's Cannes Film Festival. I know what I'm about to say isn't "cool" but aren't you tired of Cannes being Oscar's equally traditional but way more highbrow cousin? Why, you ask? During the past decade or so, it's become equally predictable to know what'll be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and what films will show up in the official Cannes lineup.
You don't believe me?
This year alone features films from previous festival winners like Michael Haneke, Ken Loach, Alain Resnais, Jacques Audiard, Carlos Reygadas and Abbas Kiarostami. In fact, out of the 22 films in the "competition" lineup, 11 have been made by directors whose movies have won at least one prize in Cannes before. Yawn.
Yeah, yeah, I know I'm being too picky when the "dullness" in case is brought on by Resnais and Haneke, but whatever happened to film festivals being the way for audiences to discover filmmakers who otherwise would go unnoticed? Even the Un Certain Regard lineup is filled with familiar faces like Xavier Dolan and Pablo Trapero.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's actually rejoice in what are sure to be astonishing entires:
Michael Haneke's last movie won him the Palme D'Or in 2009 and now he's back with an intimate piece called Amour which deals with an aging married couple suddenly struck by tragedy. If the film sounds a bit like it might offer Away From Her tones, just remember Haneke isn't known for his warmth...
Back in 09, Jacques Audiard's A Prophet gave Haneke's film a run for its money at every awards ceremony, including what proved to be the greatest Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars. This time Audiard is back with Rust and Bone a movie with a synopsis that's almost impossible to understand but stars Marion Cotillard and Bullhead's phenomenal Matthias Schoenaerts.
Other entires include Beyond the Hills directed by the maverick Cristian Mungiu and Like Someone in Love, Abbas Kiarostami's "thematic" sequel to Certified Copy.
The full lineup:
Amour Michael Haneke
The Angels' Share Ken Loach
Baad el mawkeaa Yousry Nasrallah
Beyond the Hills Cristian Mungiu
Cosmopolis David Cronenberg
Holy Motors Leos Carax
The Hunt Thomas Vinterberg
Killing Them Softly Andrew Dominik
In Another Country Hong Sang-soo
In the Fog Sergei Loznitsa
Lawless John Hillcoat
Like Someone in Love Abbas Kiarostami
Moonrise Kingdom Wes Anderson
Mud Jeff Nichols
On the Road Walter Salles
The Paperboy Lee Daniels
Matthias Schoenaerts in Rust and Bone
Paradies: Liebe Ulrich Seidl
Post tenebras lux Carlos Reygadas
Reality Matteo Garrone
Rust and Bone Jacques Audiard
Taste of Money Im Sang-soo
You Haven't Seen Anything Yet Alain Resnais
Excited about any of these? What films were you expecting to see in the selection?
Reader Comments (12)
Awesome lineup. Cannes lineup day is like cinephile Christmas. Complain if you want, I guess, but I don't see anything to be unhappy about - except maybe that the new Malick film isn't included!
i say the festival belongs to the great mcconaughey. He is making a serious comeback. He is going to steal Magic Mike hands down. I can't wait to see killer joe too.
Great line-up indeed. This year seems extra star wattagey, doesn't it? And extra American.
Nicole Kidman has two films screening (one in comp, one out)! Good for her.
I was hoping against hope that Malick's new film and The Master would pop up, but it's not surprising that they're not finished. Also expected to see Park Chan-wook's Stoker here but I read earlier that it wasn't finished in time either. It'll probably go to Venice or something.
Good line-up! I'm excited or curious about pretty much all of these.
No mention of the huge showing for American films? It seems to me like the story of the announcement.
So glad to see Andrew Dominik here. Maybe if the artwork formerly known as Cogan's Trade (way better title) leans a little more toward Chopper than Jesse James it won't take so long for people to realize how brilliant he is. (granted its good)
I'm drooling... and not only because of Schoenaerts.
Great line-up. I'm super curious about Jeff Nichols' "Mud", starring McConaughey and Whiterspoon. These two are so the anti-Cannes type!
In Le Journal du Dimanche, the organizer of the festival, Thierry Frémaux said that Kidman will really surprise us. Fingers crossed, maybe we can hope a best supporting actress nomination.
Cannes announcement is like the OTHER Oscar nomination morning. The one that fills my head with auteur names and lets me know about movies I didn't even know were being made. Obviously the biggest names here are Haneke, Cronenberg and Anderson... I'm looking forward to news on Vinterberg's and Carax's entries.
It's also kind of goddess-heavy, with Kidman, Huppert, Binoche, Swinton... Kylie Minogue!
As far as I'm concerned, they can keep throwing Dolan in the ring until we are finally able to purchase all of his films.
I wonder if someone might be taking home a second prize.
From what the press here in Québec is saying, Dolan apparently expected to be in competition with "Laurence Anyways" (his first big budget film, with two French stars), and he's not particularly happy at being relegated to "Un second regard."
Still, the film is way more than 2 1/2 hours (I've seen figures of 2h41 and 2h39), so I wonder....
I love how many of the actors featured at Cannes aren't THESPIANS! McConaughey x2, Zac Efron, Kylie Minogue, Robert Pattinson, Shia LeBeouf. But I don't know anyone who wouldn't be somewhat bored by the likes of Ken Loach apart from, oh, Ken Loach.
Glenn: Hmm? Least sure about McConaughey not being a "serious actor". I mean, don't forget that he knocked it out of the park in Lone Star. The part is below supporting, but he knocked it out of the park nonetheless.