Cannes 2011: Midway predictions

It's hard to believe we are already more than half way through the festival. It is difficult for all the media to give films the attention they deserve, with all the different selections and multiple screenings. Yet it is always interesting to look back a year later and see that the majority of the best films of the year were in Cannes, be it in the official selection or the parallel ones. So with six days of official selection gone and four more to go, where are we at?

Cannes 2011: The tree of life suffers in the Cannes maelstrom

I was waxing lyrical yesterday about the Cannes film festival, and how it was this magical place for film fans which constantly surprises me. But seeing what just happened to the Tree of life brought back some memories of an uglier side of the festival from the time I used to attend a few years ago, and it seems things have not changed much.

Has Cannes found its Palme d'or already?

Jean Dujardin & Berenice Bejo in The artist

I have said it countless times and I will say it again and again, what I love the most about cinema is that it constantly surprises me. Unexpected films from far corners of the world, unexpected association of talents... And what better place than a film festival, or the best film festival in the world even, to come up with surprises. The artist by Michel Hazanavicius, which was a late addition to the official line up, only announced just over a week ago, and which seemed like a gamble given the unlikely subject, has taken the festival by storm. It is the best reviewed so far and an unexpected yet strong contender for the Palme d'or next Sunday.

Cannes 2011: Cannes and blockbusters, a love-hate relationship

The POTC4 cast in Cannes yesterday

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On stranger tides had its red carpet premiere at the Cannes film festival yesterday evening, guaranteed to have maximum media exposure and a mighty scrum at the bottom of the Palais, with fans pushing to catch a glimpse of their stars and photographers coming to a physical fight for the best spot (I have actually seen it happen, a proper fist fight between two photographers trying to catch the best shot of John Malkovich presenting Of mice and men in 1992, was it really worth it?)

Cannes Film Festival 2011: First day round up

Tilda Swinton in We need to talk about Kevin

With the worse possible timing for film blogs, Blogger suffered its own PS3 moment and was down for a few days during the first few days of the Cannes Film Festival, while some posts got deleted. So I have not been able to write about Cannes much so far and what I did write got deleted. But moving on! The festival went on to a fairly good start so far. This is a round up of the films on day 1, with slight delay!

Cannes 2011: First day of the competition preview

After the entertaining but shallow Midnight in Paris opening the festival, like a light and forgettable aperitif before the main course, the real battle begins tomorrow with a busy day and first day of the competition.

First film of the day, We need to talk about Kevin, by the too rare Lynne Ramsay, with Tilda Swinton. The sole British entry in the main competition, this marks the return tno the screen of an incredibly talented director, after Ratcatcher (1999) and the underrated Morvern Callar (2002). This is the adaptation of the best seller of the same name, and early echoes suggest an Oscar-worthy performance of Tilda Swinton. Being the first film in the competition can be me a mixed blessing. It sometimes sets the bar so high and lingers in jury's memories, that nothing that comes after it can match it. This worked for Secrets and Lies (Palme d'or 1996 and first film showing that year), and for 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days (Palme d'or 1997). Or is can just be easily forgotten, 10 days and 22 films later when the prizes are decided.

Cannes 2011: Almodovar's The skin that I live in teaser

Only a few days before its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, a teaser for Pedro Almodovar's new film, The skin that I live in (La piel que habito), has been released and it looks just fantastic. While the Spanish director has been a regular at the festival for over a decade, as per my previous post about Cannes regulars, the Palme d'or has so far eluded him. (I personally remember briefly meeting him at the festival in 1992 as a shy teenager, along with Jamie Lee Curtis as they were both members of the jury that year, and mustering the courage to go and speak to them, but I digress...)