It’s really hard to describe Cannes. They screen the crème de la crème of films (according to the fest, anyway) but they also have a market with lowbrow fare like “Dudes and Dragons.” It is a contradiction of epic proportions, and that’s what makes it so interesting.
The festival kicked off with controversy — the world premiere of Woody Allen’s “Cafe Society.” There’s been lots of noise here regarding his estranged son’s feature in the Hollywood Reporter. Here’s my piece in the Guardian about why I won’t see Allen’s movies.
The first film I saw here was Jodie Foster’s “Money Monster.” This is her biggest and most commercial movie to date. One of the themes that has been emerging at the fest is class; this movie really shows how the 99 percent get fucked by the 1 percent, and about how one guy says, “Enough,” and tries to fight back. Foster was in town and talked about how, once she got involved with the movie, they augmented the female lead, the character of the director (played by Julia Roberts). This is what happens when you have women directors: they notice when the female parts are shit, and to get stars of Julia Roberts’ caliber, you need to have a well-written part.
I took in the debut film of Stéphanie Di Giusto: “The Dancer.” The headlines of the film have focused on Lily Rose Depp, and you would think that she is the lead based on the press (I certainly did before I saw the film) but she’s not actually the star. The lead is a woman named Soko and she is stupendous. It’s about unknown pioneer Loie Fuller and the invention of modern dance. If you think Isadora Duncan created it, this movie will show you how wrong you are. Check out our interview with Stéphanie Di Giusto.
Maren Ade’s “Toni Erdmann” was the first film from a female director screening in competition and it is one of the most original movies I have ever seen. It tells the story of a career woman and how she is able to find herself through a reconciliation with her long estranged father. The film is hysterical and has a fantastic scene of Sandra Huller, as Ines, belting the hell out of Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All.” The rendition was so awesome that the crowd erupted in applause afterwards. “Toni Erdmann” also features a naked birthday party scene which will never be forgotten.
Other observations:
The Good: Seems like the issue with women wearing heels had been put to bed. Julia Roberts shed her shoes on the red carpet and many women are walking the red carpet in flats.
The Bad: The lines and the crowds. I still cannot get used to having to wait in line for an hour to see a film — but I have made it into all the films so far, so at least there’s that. And this year the security is super intense because France is on high alert since the recent attacks.
The Ugly: The lack of bathrooms and the ban on water in the main theaters. So you’re dehydrated and you have to pee. Super fun.
