Yes, We Cannes | Film | Advocate.com http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid86570.asp[6/1/2009 8:37:58 PM] SUBSCRIBE Print Edition Digital Edition SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Print Edition Digital Edition RSS FEEDS Daily News ExclusivesNewsstand Issue VISIT OUROTHER SITES OUT.com OUTTraveler.com HIVPlusMag.comMPowrPlus.comAlyson.comHereTV.comGayWired.comSheWired.com | PRINT THIS ARTICLE< Back Comments (0) Post a Comment Pedro Almodóvar and Penelope Cruz || ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT > FILM || Page: 1 | 2 | 3 Yes, We Cannes The annual Cannes Film Festival never fails to combine a sampling of the best in cinema with the not-as-great.</p><p> By Michael Giltz An Advocate.com exclusive posted May 27, 2009 The big news at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival -- at least for queer cineasts --was the ho-hum reception to new films from Pedro Almodóvar and Ang Lee andthe breakout success of Montreal's out talent Xavier Dolan.</p><p> Dolan wrote,directed, and stars in I Killed My Mother, a blisteringly funny account of a mother and son’s love- hate (or, more often, hate- hate) relationship.</p><p> Itdominated the Directors' Fortnight, winning three top prizes, including best French-language film and best first or second feature.</p><p> Dolan’s film will play at the Toronto Film Festival this fall and is rumored to be in the running for the New York Film Festival (which selects only the cream of the crop from other festivals around the world).</p><p> Confident, handsome, and charming, with just the dash of ego needed for a director, Dolan proved himself a serious talent and is certain to be making films for years to come.</p><p> Almodóvar’s Broken Embraces came and went in the competition without causing much of a fuss.</p><p> Starring Penélope Cruz, it features his currently typical mix of melodrama (involving a blind director turned screenwriter, a secretary turned mistress, an angry gay son turned would-bedirector, a dead titan of industry) that adds up to much less than the sum of its parts.</p><p> Critics shrugged after checking with each other to see if they'd missed something.</p><p> Was that all there was, they asked? Yep.</p><p> On the other hand, the brochure that was distributed to the press to promote the film was by far the most lavish and eye-catching of the fest -- it looked more like a fabulous edition of Vogue than something as banal as a promotional item.</p><p> Almodóvar still has style.</p><p> Lee's mild, amiable Taking Woodstock has a gay central role played by Demetri Martin, and that alone is cause for celebration among his gay fans.</p><p> It tells the modestly diverting story of a closeted young gay man in the 1960s helping his parents with their ramshackle Catskills hotel when Woodstock comes to town and upends their lives.</p><p> It too barely caused a ripple even among serious Lee fans and seemed more like a throat-clearing by Lee (who had made a string of serious films)than a substantial work.</p><p> Story continues on next page...</p><p> Page: 1 | 2 | 3FROM THE NEWSSTAND ISSUE Forty Under 40: Dustin Lance Black Wiley World The Man Behind the Strip Honest ArthurEditor's LetterForty Under 40: Media Keep the Win at Your Back Forty Under 40: Activism So This Is London Lounge Act Lordy Lordy, Look Who’s 40: NYCCelebrates Stonewall Downturn? Fuggedaboudit A Smorgasbord of Prides Sprechen Sie Pride?Oedipus Wrecks Bradley Cooper Gays It Up The Lambert FactorHetrick-Martin Turns 30 NEWS POLITICS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS HEALTH & FITNESS SPORTS TRAVEL VIDEO PRINT ISSUE RESOURCES & FEEDBACKYes, We Cannes | Film | Advocate.com http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid86570.asp[6/1/2009 8:37:58 PM] Back to topREADER COMMENTS These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site.</p><p> They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling.</p><p> The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate , or its affiliates.</p><p> Be the first to comment on this story.</p><p> SUBMIT A COMMENT FOR THIS STORY: *Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max.</p><p> HTML formatting and hyperlinks are NOT permitted.): *Name (Required): *Hometown (Required): *E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed) Is this comment for publication? 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If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocatemagazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where youcan be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity.</p><p> Your e-mail addressand telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purposeother than to contact you about your comment.</p><p> See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page.Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on theWeb site.</p><p> The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling,TODAY'S HEADLINES DAILY NEWS Presidential Proclamation for Pride Cheney Supports Marriage Equality India's Little Gay Magazine That Could White House Names Gay Appointment N.Y.</p><p> Exhibit Honors Stonewall Quinn: N.Y.</p><p> Will Pass Marriage-Equality Bill Evangelical: Christians Owe Gays Apology Marriage "Defenders" Meet in Middle Too Roundup: News From Around the Web Nevada Overrides Domestic Partner Veto Type the two words:Yes, We Cannes | Film | Advocate.com http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid86570.asp[6/1/2009 8:37:58 PM]obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent.</p><p> Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.</p><p> MORE EXCLUSIVES Savoring Artistic Freedom Costel Iarca survived the oppression of Communist Romania, became an American citizen, and has watched his art thrive as a result.</p><p> It's All Greek Dante's Cove star Gregory Michael goes gay (again) on ABC Family's Greek, proving the range of gay characters portrayed on TV is bigger than ever.</p><p> View From the Hill: Obama's Silence Next month the Obama administration is expected to present a package of pro-LGBTannouncements.</p><p> But on the heels of his silence surrounding Prop. 8, will it be enough to satisfythe masses? Gay Marriage Debates vs.</p><p> Wipeout! Summer TV is here.</p><p> So where’s the brainless fun? Coverage of the California supreme court's Prop 8 ruling or Wipeout! ? Decisions.</p><p> Designing Women Made You Gay The shoulder-pad sisterhood of ladies from Atlanta that paved the way for Sex and the City is now on DVD -- and Dave White is all over it.</p><p> Going Mental for Marisa In Fox's new drama Mental, Marisa Ramirez plays a lesbian doctor trying to keep the peace and navigate a long-distance relationship in a hospital full of patients gone mad.San Francisco Scene When the California Supreme Court handed down its decision to uphold Prop 8, San Francisco's LGBT community instantly took to the streets, determined to be heard -- whatever the cost.</p><p> Gloria Allred on Losing Prop. 8 She's spent the last five years trying to bring marriage equality to California, and now, afterwinning once, attorney Gloria Allred finds herself on the losing end of the state's marriage battle.</p><p> Legal Experts Concerned by Fed Prop. 8 Case Attorneys responsible for a new federal challenge to Prop. 8 rebuffed apprehension from LGBT legal organizations, which contend that such a case before the U.S.</p><p> Supreme Court could havedisastrous consequences.</p><p> Yes, We Cannes The annual Cannes Film Festival never fails to combine a sampling of the best in cinema withthe not-as-great.</p><p> Home | Contact | Current Issue | LGBT Community Partners | Staff Career Opportunities | Help Subscribe: Print Edition Digital Edition | Subscriber Services: Print Edition Digital Edition Visit our Websites Out.com | OutTraveler.com | HIVPlusMag.com | Alyson.com | HereTV.com | GayWired.com | SheWired.com Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Community Guidelines | Legal Notice Advocate.com © 2009 Regent Entertainment Media Inc.</p><p> All Rights Reserved.
