Crazy for SCORSESE
(from Cannes Luigi Noera and Marina Pavido – Photos are courtesy of the Cannes Film Festival)
Great excitement on the Croisette, during this fifth day of Cannes 76! In the afternoon, indeed, preview screening of Killers of the Flower Moon took place, the latest effort of the great Martin Scorsese, presented here out of competition. and yet, this isn't the only notable title to be unveiled today. Below, indeed, here is an overview of the main feature films in preview.
COMPETITION
MAY DECEMBER di Todd HAYNES
It's almost always a guarantee, director Todd Haynes. And indeed, in this too 76° Festival of Cannes, the filmmaker managed to gain honor within an already rich competition with his May December, in the running for the Palme d'Or. Inspired by a real news story that happened, towards the end of the nineties, shocked the United States, the feature film sees two sacred monsters of the contemporary cinema scene lined up at the forefront: Julianne Moore e Natalie Portman.
Gracie (played by Moore) she is a middle-aged woman, became famous for having, about twenty years earlier, a son from a thirteen year old boy, who later became her husband after the woman was released from prison. Their story is about to become a film and to this end Elisabeth (the Portman), an actress who will have to play the role of Gracie in the aforementioned feature film, he will spend a lot of time with her and her family, in order to fully understand his character and understand how events unfolded.
With May December, therefore, Todd Haynes has given us an extremely complex and layered feature film, in which we are shown sick family dynamics and interpersonal relationships in which we do nothing but manipulate each other, but in which, mostly, a subtle and never banal reflection is made on cinema and on how reality can hardly be reproduced in its true essence. Despite trying, one way or another, of (ri)experience it first hand in all its most controversial aspects.
Double images in the mirror, a rigorous and elegant composition of the painting, settings that give everything a timeless character. Todd Haynes thought of every little detail. This is important May December it is an extremely intelligent and refined work, further confirmation of the extraordinary talent of the Los Angeles director.
BANEL AND ADAMA of Ramata-Toulaye SY
First film by the young Senegalese director Ramata-Toulaye SY, Panel et Adama – in the running for the Palme d'Or a Cannes 76 – it is a tender love story, but also a film of denunciation of a society that is still too closed and patriarchal in which there is no consideration whatsoever for the human being as such and for individual freedom.
The story staged, therefore, it is that of the young Banel, already widowed and very much in love with Adama, her second husband, who, according to tradition, should become chieftain by lineage, but who absolutely wants to refuse this nomination, in order to be able to lead a free life together with his wife. I due, indeed, they dream of going to live outside their village in one of the numerous houses currently submerged by sand, rejecting every social convention. When their land will be hit by a severe drought, however, the inhabitants will blame Adama for this, that, just, dared to break an important tradition.
Panel et Adama, therefore, deals with the evocative landscapes represented (the shots of the houses submerged in the sand are memorable) like real characters, capable of playing a central role when it comes to deciding the fate of the two young protagonists. An overall clean direction - even if at times a little naive - has given life to a sincere feature film, genuine and passionate, which only suffers from a few too long delays. Since it is a first work, however, these "flaws" are more than justified. We'll have to see what other surprises the director has in store for us.
IN SOME PERSPECTIVE
GOODBYE JULIA to Mohamed KORDOFANI
On the eve of the division of Sudan, Mona, a former North Sudanese singer, tries to make amends for accidentally causing the death of a South Sudanese man by hiring his wife as a maid. Luigi Noera saw it for us (REVIEW).
ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS di Wei Shujun
In China in the 90s, three murders are committed in the small town of Banpo. Ma Zhe, head of the criminal police, is tasked with solving the case. A handbag left on the riverbank and the testimonies of passers-by indicate several suspects. While the case stalls, Inspector Ma is confronted with the darkness of the human soul and sinks into doubt… Luigi Noera saw it for us (REVIEW).
OUT OF COMPETITION
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON di Martin SCORSESE
Based on the best-seller by David Grann, critically acclaimed, Killers of the Flower Moon is set in 1920s Oklahoma and follows a series of violent murders of members of the Osage family, became rich thanks to oil, known as the “Reign of Terror”. Luigi Noera saw it for us (REVIEW).
CANNES PREMIERE
TIME TO LOVE by Katell QUILLÉVÉRÉ
- On a beach in Normandy, Madeleine, waitress in a hotel restaurant and mother of a child, meet François, a rich and cultured student. Between them it is immediately love at first sight. Luigi Noera saw it for us (REVIEW).
CRITICS WEEK
Competition
THE RAPTURE by Iris Kaltenbäck
Motherhood, and to, for many women it is a rather delicate issue. Especially when you are afraid of not being so young anymore or of not being able to give birth to children. and yet, sometimes, this controversial issue can take on much more complex connotations, revealing, first of all, a strong, very strong need for love. He knows something, about that, the young French director Iris Kaltenbäck, which, on the occasion of 76° Festival of Cannes, presented within the Week from the Critique The Rapture, his intense and touching first work.
The story staged, therefore, It's Lydia's (played by an extraordinary Hafsia Herzi), who works as a midwife and who, after breaking up with her boyfriend, she discovers that her best friend Salome is pregnant. Once the baby is born, Lydia will meet Milos by chance in the hospital (Alexis Manenti), with whom he had a one-night stand and who he will make believe that his friend Salomé's daughter is, in reality, their daughter.
The Rapture, therefore, it is the story of a fundamentally alone person. Of a person who, although still young, he feels the passing of the years more and more and he is afraid that, by now, It's too late for him to get what he's always wanted. Iris Kaltenbäck staged all this by opting for composed and no-frills direction, ma, at the same time, extraordinarily mature. The camera is constantly close to its magnetic protagonist and gives us a gift, despite the complexity of the topics covered and the wickedness of certain actions, moments of great tenderness. Like when, eg, Lydia looks after pregnant women during labor or when she is caring for her friend's little daughter.
He never judges, the director, Lydia's actions. Unlike, he shows us events practically constantly through his point of view, allowing the viewer to somehow put themselves in his shoes. And so, this small and precious one The Rapture it immediately turns out to be a desperate cry for help, the urgent need to feel loved, to have someone to fight for, to no longer feel alone.
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marina fears