Cannes 2007 Part 1

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May 27, 2007Cannes Wrapup: The Winners Photo: GettyCANNES -- May 27, late morningOkay, the winners will be announced around 1 p.m. EST. I'll betraveling, but I'll post them as soon as I can. Traditionally, Cannesspreads around the wealth and tends to give no more than two topprizes to a single film. So if you win the Palm D'Or, chances aresomeone else will win Best Director. And if you win two actingawards, your shot at the big prize is over. And of course the tiny paneljudging films is in their own little world; they are immune from thebuzz along the Croisette and can and do frequently produce whollyunexpected winners.Considered front runners for Best Actress: the elderly woman inSokurov's Alexandra, the young woman helping her friend get anVisit our other sitesAdvocate.comOut.comOutTraveler.comPopnographyAdvocate GenQMr SardonicAdvocate InsiderOut.com StyleListHereTV.comGayWired.comAdvertisement CategoriesBingham Cup 2008BooksCannes 2008Cannes Film FestivalCelebsCoachellaComic-Con 2007Current AffairsFashionFilmFilm FestivalsFood and DrinkAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/cannes_ﬁlm_festival/ 1 of 117/22/09 4:37 PMabortion in Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days, and the lead inSecret Sunshine who gets to act her ass off (laughing, crying,screaming, etc.). For lead actor: Mathieu Almaric in The Diving Belland the Butterfly, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem in No Country ForOld Men, and the absurdly pretty young man from Une VieilleMaitresse (okay, that one is just me). For Best Picture: the long-timebuzz has been for Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days, theCoen Brothers (again?) for No Country For Old Men, and theReygadas film Silent Light (which would be divisive but haspassionate minority support).Virtually ignored by the American press since it already openedthere, I think Zodiac is a real wild card: it got very good reviews and Ithink it's one of the best movies of the year, so maybe David Finchercould sneak in and surprise everyone. Every five years they give out aspecial award designated for some unique reason and I suspect theanimated film Persepolis might get attention there. Voila. Here arethe winners:PALM D'OR: Four Months. Three Weeks and Two DaysGRAND PRIZE (RUNNER-UP): The Mourning ForestJURY PRIZE (THIRD PLACE): (TIE) Persepolis and Silent LightBEST DIRECTOR: Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and theButterflyBEST SCREENPLAY: Fatih Akin for The Edge of HeavenBEST ACTOR: Konstantin Lavronenko for The BanishmentBEST ACTRESS: Jean Do-Yeon for Secret SunshineUN CERTAIN REGARD: Romanian film California Dreamin'60th ANNIVERSARY PRIZE: To Gus Van Sant for his career and"because he made a lovely film"CAMERA D'OR (best first feature): Jellyfish with special mention forControlDIRECTOR'S FORTNIGHT: Anton Corbjin swept it, winning threemajor awards for Control, his biopic about Joy DivisionCRITIC'S WEEK XXY, perhaps my favorite film of the fest, wins theGrand Prize for Critics' WeekPosted at 05:42 AM in Cannes Film Festival, Celebs, Film, FilmFestivals | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Cannes Wrapup: Movies I Saw, Things I DidHere are all the movies I saw at Cannes, with a rating out of fourstars. I follow that with major events and the movies I missed butwanted to see. MOVIES I SAW AT CANNES 2007 (24, plus onerevival and two excerpts from future films)My Blueberry Nights * (out of four)Iowa Caucus 2008LesbianMusicOutfest 2008PartiesPoliticsProvincetown Film Festival 2008Queen Mary 2 Historic CrossingReligionScienceSexSportsSydney Mardi Gras 2008Taylor Hanson for The AdvocateTelevisionThe DinahThe HRC Logo ForumThe L WordTheaterTravelRecent PostsMTV Video Music Awards... Cheap, Or What?Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles: 30 Years YoungEric McCormack Auctions Off Porsche for ProjectAngel FoodWhat is the Advocate Insider? On 90210!OUTFEST REVIEW: Another Gay SequelAwards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, and Mama"Sordid Lives" Screens to a Sold-Out CrowdOUTFEST REVIEW: The World UnseenOUTFEST REVIEW: The Lost CoastOUTFEST REVIEW: Eleven MinutesRecent Commentscelebrity picture on OUTFEST REVIEW: The LostCoastvimax on Awards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, andMamapenis enlargement pills on Michael Guest is all smilespenis enlargement on Michael Guest is all smilespenis enlargement on Amman SegregatesLou on Cruise programming we missed...michaelj72 on "XXY" -- Another Terrific Queer FilmAt Cannesvigrx on Awards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, andMamavimax on Awards Night: Miniskirts, Musicals, andMamaomar on Amman SegregatesArchivesAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/cannes_ﬁlm_festival/ 2 of 117/22/09 4:37 PMFour Months, Three Weeks and Two Days *** 1/2Water Lillies *** 1/2The Banishment *** 1/2Les Chanson D'Amour **Savage Grace **No Country For Old Men *** (but want to see again, soon)Sicko ***Fashion Victims **Tehilim ** 1/2U2 mini-concert ***Chacun Son Cinema ***XXY ****Import Export **Paranoid Park ** 1/2A Mighty Heart ***The Golden Compass footage *** 1/2 (but I wanted more)Ocean's 13 ** 1/2The Diving Bell and The Butterfly *** 1/2You, The Living ***We Own The Night * 1/2Days Of Darkness ** 1/2Larry Charles/ Bill Maher God documentary footage ****Une vieille maîtresse **Never Apologize: A Personal Visit With Lindsay Anderson * 1/2The Mourning Forest ***Promise Me This **12 Angry Men *** 1/2MOVIES I REGRET MISSING:Bela Tarr's The Man From LondonReygadas's Silent LightControl (about Joy Division)Alexander Sokurov's AlexandraFatih Akin's The Edge Of HeavenSecret SunshineThe Band's VisitPleasure Factory (gay element)My Brother Is An Only Child (screenwriters of The Best Of Youth)September 2008July 2008June 2008May 2008April 2008March 2008February 2008January 2008December 2007November 2007September 2008SunMonTueWedThuFriSat 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930 Subscribe to this blog's feedAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/cannes_ﬁlm_festival/ 3 of 117/22/09 4:37 PMBefore I ForgetEVENTSJerry Seinfeld flying over Croisette in bee costumeSeinfeld, Chris Rock and Jeffrey Katzenberg roundtableWater Lilies one-on-one w director Celine Sciamma; she comes out inprint for first time.Savage Grace round tables with Tom Kalin and Julianne MooreNo Country For Old Men round tables with Coen Brothers, JavierBardem and Josh BrolinSt. Trinian's Press Conference/Round tables w Rupert Everett andColin FirthGolden Compass footage sneak peek Golden Compass pressconference and round tables w Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Sam Elliot,director Chris Weitz, star Dakota Blue, etc.Angelina Jolie "intimate" press conference at Hotel Du Cap (about 12reporters present)Golden Compass PartyOcean's 13 one-on-one w George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt DamonParanoid Park round table w Gus Van SantAmFAR auction/dinner w Sharon StoneXXY interview -- one-on-one w director and starSecret peek at Larry Charles/Bill Maher religion documentaryfootageBOOKS I READ FOR/DURING CANNESPersepolis 1 and 2 by Marjane Satrapi ***No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy ****Savage Grace by Natalie Robins and Steven M. Aronson *** 1/2Paranoid Park by Blake Nelson **A Mighty Heart by Mariane Pearl ***The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby *** 1/2The Spirit Archives, Vol. 1 by Will Eisner *** (for graphics) ** 1/2 forstoryWar Horse by Michael Morpurgo ** 1/2The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano ****Kipling's Choice by Geert Spillebeen **The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris *** 1/2POSTINGS ON ADVOCATE INSIDER: 67Posted at 05:30 AM in Cannes Film Festival, Film, Film Festivals |Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)Advocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/cannes_ﬁlm_festival/ 4 of 117/22/09 4:37 PMMay 26, 2007"XXY" Wins Critics' Week Grand PrizeXXY, one of the best films I saw at this festival and certainly one ofthe best of the year, won the top prize at the Critics' Week awards onFriday night. Congratulations to director Lucia Puenzo. XXY is thestory of an inter-sexed teenager named Alex who is harassed by localswhile grappling with the choices (sexual and surgical) that Alex faces.It's an exceptional film and at least one US distributor has beencircling it. Now if only Water Lillies can snag the Camera D'or, I'llhave had a great fest and spoken to some of the top winners. Onemovie I did miss was Anton Corbjin's Control, a bio-pic about JoyDivision that swept the top awards at the Directors' Fortnight. I reallywanted to see it, but I can't be everywhere. -- Michael GiltzPosted at 11:48 AM in Cannes Film Festival, Film, Film Festivals |Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Quieter and QuieterCANNES -- May 26, late afternoonCannes is quieting down quite a bit. And I think the lack of starpower in the closing night film (Denys Arcand's Days Of Darkness) iswhy the streets aren't even that full. By Saturday, the market is closedand the Palais is very empty, with the few remaining journaliststrudging to just one more screening.On Sunday, they replay all the movies in Competition, which is agreat way to catch up...if you speak French. For some reason, the"reruns" don't include English subtitles. So unless you need to see anAmerican film or a French film (which usually has the Englishsubtitles on the actual negative itself), you're out of luck. Here's theplan: I'm going to go see Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men at 7:15. If Ican't get into that, Ill go see a delightful early animated movie calledThe Adventures of Prince Achmed at 7:30. (It's from 1926, is barelyan hour old and is made with paper cut-outs -- the film's on DVD,check it out.) Then I'll grab one more decent meal (by my cheapstandards) then head to a market screening of the new Gregg Arakistoner comedy Smiley Face. (No subtitles needed for that one.) Thisfilm was at Sundance, so it's not a high priority (and apparently, it'sno Harold & Kumar). But it's a good palette cleanser after all that Art.On Sunday, I'll check out the reruns, just to see if for some reasonthey've decided to include English subtitles. Then I'll list all themovies I've seen and the significant ones I've missed. I'll be travelingand have to miss the awards, but on late Sunday or Monday, I'll postthe winners. Deal? -- Michael GiltzPosted at 11:42 AM in Cannes Film Festival, Film, Film Festivals |Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Promise Me This Mr. Kusturica: You'll StopAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/cannes_ﬁlm_festival/ 5 of 117/22/09 4:37 PMMaking The Same Movie Again and AgainCANNES -- May 26, afternoonEmir Kusturica is a two-time Palm D'or winner and if you've neverseen one of his films, please do check out Underground. But likeFellini and many others, once you've seen one Kursturica film, you'veseen them all: endless (if enjoyable) "gypsy" music, lusty laughter,breast-y women, slapstick humor, chases, gunshots, animals, and ifthere's a plate of food in sight a dog is sure to scarf it down. The storyof Promise Me This (whimsical, even by the standards of Kusturica),involves an old man sending his grandson on a quest. The peasantboy -- wholesomely cute in a Tom Sawyer sort of way -- must go totown, buy an icon, buy a souvenir and oh yes get himself a bride. (Thekid is about 14 years old.) Much hilarity ensues. If Kusturica made asolemn drama, I swear he'd win a third Palm D'Or just for shockingeveryone so much. -- Michael GiltzPosted at 11:33 AM in Cannes Film Festival, Film Festivals, Food andDrink | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)"The Mourning Forest"CANNES -- May 26, morningHere's a slow, quiet movie from a director I'd never heard about.Naomi Kawase is a bit of a one-trick pony, according to my hardcorefest-going friends. But since I haven't seen her trick before, I found itsatisfying.A young woman grieving over the death of her son starts working atan old folks' home. She befriends one of the clients, even though hesometimes behaves irrationally and pushes her around. He too isgrieving; in his case, for a wife who died 33 years ago. (In Buddhism,a person who is dead for 33 years becomes a buddha and doesn'tbother you or come around anymore.) They go on a road trip, the carstalls and he runs off into the forest, with the young woman followingbehind. Is he lost or just determined to get somewhere? It's all verydiscrete and obscure, with lots of pretty shots of trees swaying in thewind. But my attention was held throughout.Not bad. This is exactly the sort of film that usually fills up thebeginning and the end of the fest -- worthy in some way, but not achance in hell of winning a top prize. -- Michael GiltzPosted at 11:24 AM in Cannes Film Festival, Film, Film Festivals |Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)May 25, 2007The Funniest Ten Minutes Of The FestivalCANNES -- May 25, late nightIt pays to go out drinking. I made an acquaintance with someone whooffered to let me glimpse the ten minutes of footage available fromAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/cannes_ﬁlm_festival/ 6 of 117/22/09 4:37 PMthe new Larry Charles/Bill Maher project about religion. So today Iwent to the market and sat in a little room and watched the samefootage that has made this one of the hottest properties at thefestival. It's already sold out all over the world with a bidding war inthe US. Everyone's unclear as to what they can expect. Will it doBorat numbers? Bowling For Columbine numbers? Jackassnumbers? Plus there's the added fact of endless contoversy. I'msworn under pain of death not to detail any of the people interviewedin the footage I saw or describe any of the jokes. I will say I saw nomanufactured comic bits, a la Borat. It was all humor derived fromreal people and Maher's mercilessly funny jibes about what theybelieve.I sat there, alone, literally cackling with glee. (I'm a practicingCatholic, by the way; just not easily offended.) $20 million at the USbox office? That would make it the fifth highest grossingdocumentary in history. (Right after Farenheit 9-11 at $119 mil,March of the Penguins -- which isn't really a documentary -- at $77mil, An Inconvenient Truth at $24 mil, and Bowling For Columbineat $21 mil.) I suppose if Sicko doesn't gross $100+ mil, people willcall it a flop. But of course, that's silly. And if this movie grosses just$8 mil, it'll be in the Top Ten. One thing is very clear: they won't needto spend a dime on publicity because this movie is going to generateso much free press it makes your head spin. I can't wait to see the restof it. Bill Maher: movie star. It has a nice ring to it. -- Michael GiltzPosted at 07:09 PM in Cannes Film Festival, Celebs, Film, FilmFestivals, Politics, Religion | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack(0)A Final Catherine Deneuve SightingAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/cannes_ﬁlm_festival/ 7 of 117/22/09 4:37 PMPhoto: GettyCANNES -- May 25, eveningMy new gay roommate -- who has been smoking since he was 14 butswears he's gonna quit at 24, the vow he made when he started -- wasat a breakfast event with the always luminous Catherine Deneuve.She seems to have worn the same unfortunate leopard-print dress forevery event, which I find almost inconceivable. Wouldn't everyclothing designer in France want her to wear their outfits? Anyway,she was at this event and smoking up a storm and drinking coffee,when the attendant came by and asked if she wanted breakfast. "No,no," said Deneuve, "coffee and cigarettes are the only breakfast I everneed." It simply doesn't get any more French than that. -- MichaelGiltzPosted at 06:59 PM in Cannes Film Festival, Celebs, Fashion, Film,Film Festivals | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)The Celibate Homosexual Lindsay AndersonAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/cannes_ﬁlm_festival/ 8 of 117/22/09 4:37 PMPhoto: GettyCANNES -- May 25, eveningI planned a full day of movies, at least five. But one was filled up(really, I think the guards were just ready to stop processing peoplebecause I can't imagine the afternoon film I wanted to see was full).And then the 8 p.m. film had such a long introduction that it ranlong and I forgot to leave 10 minutes early to catch the later movie.So only three films today, capped off with Never Apologize: APersonal Visit With Lindsay Anderson. In essence, this is a tapedchat, with actor Malcolm McDowell delivering anecdotes about hisfriend and mentor, director Lindsay Anderson. I found a UK articleby McDowell, in which he described Anderson as homosexual butcelibate and says the director certainly never made a pass at him.They never spoke about Anderson being gay, either, which is veryBritish I think. They collaborated numerous times and McDowelltells his amusing stories with relish. But this barely constitutes a film;it's as rudimentary as it gets. Seeing it live would have beendelightful. On tape, you get to hear the stories but nothing is gainedby the format. And Anderson's sexuality is never really an issue orillumined (is that a word?) in any way.McDowell was present at the screening, which also had QuentinTarantino in the audience (he got some entrance applause from thecrowd), as well as director Stephen Frears, who worked as anassistant for Anderson. The first speaker intro'd him in French. ThenFrears said, "Do you all speak English?" The crowd all said "Yes" andhe answered, "Good, so none of this French nonsense," which wasquite shocking and amusing, frankly. A pity the film wasn't as good astheir clear love for Anderson. -- Michael GiltzPosted at 06:56 PM in Cannes Film Festival, Celebs, Film, FilmFestivals | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)An Old MistressAdvocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/cannes_ﬁlm_festival/ 9 of 117/22/09 4:37 PMPhoto: GettyCANNES -- May 25, late morningDirector Catherine Breillat is always good at pushing buttons andseeing her tackle a period film was promising. But I was running lateand unsure where to enter the Lumiere at this time of day. I asked aguard (through sign language) if I could enter via his gate and hesimply shoved a ticket into my hand and waved me through, ratherthan making me go all the way around to the other side wherejournalists probably had to go. It's always fun to joke about theFrench and indeed the guards -- especially at the Palais -- arenotorious for not even letting in, say, George Clooney if he didn'thave the right ticket. But they are in general extremely helpful,especially with buffoons like me who barely speak a word of French.Also very friendly are the people who run the press room computercenter. So I end up slipping inside the Lumiere quickly and getting afront row center seat in the balcony, perfect if you don't need to getout quickly. The film reminds one a bit of Dangerous Liaisons -- adissolute young man with no money is marrying a pure young womanof superior rank and many are scandalized and predict he'll neverdump his mistress of ten years. The mistress is played by AsiaArgento. She's not a favorite of mine but she's very good here, as a"vulgar" woman who doesn't care what anyone else thinks. Her amplebreasts are on marvelous display throughout the film. And thedissolute young cad is played by newcomer Fu'ad Ait Aatou, a youngman with plush lips and dimples that reside just at the corners of hismouth. He is almost nervewrackingly beautiful, feminine andprecious without ever being effete. And he's actually quite good.The story, however, is a tad static, though it's amazing that Breillatisn't more over the top, so that's to be appreciated. If nothing else,the film is beautiful to look at thanks to its cast. -- Michael GiltzPosted at 06:46 PM in Cannes Film Festival, Film, Film Festivals |Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Advocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/cannes_ﬁlm_festival/ 10 of 117/22/09 4:37 PMPrivacy Policy | User Agreement | Community Guidelines | LegalNoticeAdvocate.com © 2008 Regent Entertainment Media Inc. All RightsReserved. Advocate Insiderhttp://www.advocateinsider.com/cannes_ﬁlm_festival/ 11 of 117/22/09 4:37 PM

📄 Cannes 2007 Part 1

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