3 Days in Cannes: Day 1

The first real day of my adventure in Cannes began bright and early with a 9 AM screening at the venue's premier theater, the Grand Theatre Lumiere, for a screening of Xavier Dolan's latest work. We also had a chance to see a film at another venue, the Salle Debussy, which on the outside looks like a tent, but on the inside had some of the best seats in the entire festival. We also took advantage of our accreditation program and saw two films at the Les Arcades, including the best film I saw at the entire festival. Onward!

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​Matthias & Maxime

Matthias & Maxime (2019): A drama focusing on a group of friends in their late 20s.

My first In Competition screening at Cannes goes to visionary young filmmaker (and actor) Xavier Dolan's latest work. This is may first experience with Dolan, a young Canadian filmmaker known for his heartfelt, genuine, and emotionally moving stories. Matthias & Maxime had the potential to be another such entry, but it falls short focusing entirely too much time on its "Will they or won't they?" Premise. The story focuses on two men coming to grips with their sexuality with the impending departure of one of them, but most of the film centers around their individual struggles to come to grips with their sexuality, versus discovering it together. This approach, certainly from the eyes of a straight white filmmaker, is a frustrating one, despite the fact that the story told is fairly engaging. The strength of this film is in the bonds of its friendships, both with the title characters and the people around them. Everyone feels fleshed out and personal, despite some only having 3 or 4 lines of dialogue. But, the decision to delegate this premise to a "Will they or won't they?" story with two gay characters for the majority (don't worry: a film showcasing what happens when you move past this quickly is forthcoming) makes this film feel lazily familiar, despite its strengths.

My Number: 6/10

The view inside the Grand Theatre Lumiere. Easily a 2k capacity movie theater!

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Nina Wu​ 

Nina Wu (2019): Nina Wu, a girl who leaves small theatre company in the country for the big city in pursuit of her actress dream.

The first of several heartbreaking films today, Nina Wu is a Taiwanese film that follows its lead character through her struggle to make a film, promote said film, all while trying to rise above the horrific sexism and male dominance of the film industry. In 2019, it is a depressingly relevant film, with a lot of emotionally devastating moments at the expense of the protagonist. Ke-Xi Wu, who plays the film's title character, (and also co-wrote the screenplay) is exceptional. Easily the best performance I've seen at Cannes to this point, (I'm writing this review Friday AM, with about 5-6 films left to see) Ke-Xi Wu's performance is raw, enduring, pragmatic, and demanding…. And that's before you even consider the heartbreaking events that happen to her throughout the film. From the first moment, I was sucked in by this performance, a performance that will at least endure with me for the rest of the festival. (Of course, it has nothing on Armie Hammer in Wounds, but that goes without saying.) That said, I do believe director Midi Z was slightly too ambitious with the overall narrative, as there's a few too many points left unexplained and simply untenable at points. But, the further I've separated myself from this film, the less this ambition has bothered me. Third act issues aside, (that's where many of the zealousness occurs) this film is good, maybe even great, held together by a powerful performance and a wild ride. 

My Number: 7.5/10

The view inside the Salle Debussy venue.

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​Sorry We Missed You

Sorry We Missed You (2019): A hard-up delivery driver and his wife struggle to get by in modern-day England.

I'm moving right along with these reviews. (Can you tell I found a cafe to catch up at?) It continues to be Friday AM, and to this point the latest film from Ken Loach is my number one film at the festival so far. Sorry We Missed You is an emotional trainwreck, a devastating look at a British blue collar family working 90 hour weeks while struggling to keep the apartment together. Its completely captivating from the first moment to its last and the only film that's elicited a solid ugly cry from yours truly. (Though that may be because I have a cold, dead heart.) Ken Loach's strength, similar to Xavier Dolan, is in the genuineness of his characters. And because Loach keeps his story deeply intimate, the emotion payoffs and heartbreaks are felt that much more. The acting is exceptional, with Ricky, (Kris Hitchen) Abbie, (Debbie Honeywood) Seb, (Rhys Stone) and Lisa (Katie Proctor) all excelling. They all benefit from a master auteur (Ken Loach has won multiple Palme d'Or's in his career, and may be hoisting another tomorrow) impeccable directing: every scene, every cut, every shot feels deliberate and intentional. The only complaint I had was some of the dialogue felt forced: there were a few moments of hand-fisting dialogue (seemingly) to ensure the viewer knew what was going on. But these errors were few and far between. This British film is well worth your team and my first must-see recommendation of the festival. Go see it when it comes to theaters later this year.

END OF FESTIVAL UPDATE
I wanted to add a quick blurb on this review, because while films like Portrait of a Lady on Fire, The Lighthouse, and Parasite have stuck with me long after the credits finished rolling, this film has not. That’s not to take away from the harrowing events depicted here at all. This is a marvelous film, but it’s also a surprisingly fleeting one.

My Number: 9/10

The schedule at the Arcades, a program set up exclusively for those in the accreditation program

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​Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019): On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.

ALMOST not to be outdone by Sorry We Missed You is the film Matthias & Maxime should have been. A powerful queer drama that spends far more time focusing on its pragmatic characters discovering each other and their sexualities together than separately, all wrapped up in the best filmmaking I've seen at Cannes so far. The actual craft here is incredible: think Call Me By Your Name but with a vastly superior story. (Yes, I know.) The cinematography is second-to-none, with one scene in particular around a fire between our main protagonists standing out. (And also EASILY the best scene I've seen in a film since the beach sequence of Roma.) How the main characters interact with each other is wonderfully and masterfully represented visually by director/writer Céline Sciamma and her cinematographer, Claire Mathon. This film, starring women, filmed by women, with almost no male characters whatsoever, (I'm fairly certain there's exactly one line from a man the whole film, and it's a rather dunce-looking dude saying "Bonjour!") is cinematic briliance. While it spends some time on the "Will they or won't they?" Aspect, (about its only notable fault) once Marianne (Noémie Merlant) and Héloïse do begin their relationship Sciamma turns it up to 11 with a mesmerizing film. I also have to focus on Héloïse for a moment. There's a certain gravitas to her that is absolutely stunning. From her 🔥 costumes (well done, costume department) to her unwavering personality, she is probably the best written character I've seen at the festival so far. Marianne is great too, but Héloïse is straight 🔥. My second must-see recommendation from Cannes, I can certainly see why some are calling it the best film this festival has to offer. And if it were it not for the overlong "Will they or won't they?" Shenanigans, I'd probably agree with them.

END OF CANNES UPDATE
So, I must say, the further I've gotten away from this film, the more I have fallen in love. Yes, it spends a hair too long on the somewhat ordinary opening, but after that this film is a legend. It's resonated with me more than any other film at this festival, and is safely my number 1 film I saw at Cannes 2019.
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My Number: 10/10

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The view from the top of the Festival de Palais, the primary venue at Cannes