The Cannes Film Festival is an extravagant celebration of the best in cinema, though its iconic red carpet stayed empty last year amidst the raging COVID-19 pandemic. But France has seen a drop in cases and a rejuvenated vaccine drive, and the Palais des Festivals is all set to welcome the year's fresh films, and some from last year.
6 July marks the 74th edition of the massive festival and it, perhaps, faces a huge responsibility: rekindle theatrical cinema after a long dormant year. It is expected, since the Cannes is considered the benchmark for the big screen films. The last Cannes' Palme d’Or winner Parasite by Bong Joon Ho won the Best Picture at the Oscars.
Annette by Leo Carax
The Cannes 2021 opens with the Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard starrer musical Annette. The film guarantees an emotional whirlwind of marital love and fatherhood, coupled with an entire rock soundtrack sung by director Leos Carax.
The dark drama is bathed in emerald and black, with the photography helmed by Caroline Champetier who worked with Carax before in Merde. Carax, known for his tragic-romance congruence, is bound to bring the same sensibility to his latest feature.
The French Dispatch by Wes Anderson
The legendary Wes Anderson returns with the highly anticipated The French Dispatch which is an ode to journalism. In Wes' words to Vogue, "It’s more of a portrait of this man, of this journalist, who fights to write what he wants to write. It is not a film about freedom of the press, but when you talk about reporters you also talk about what’s going on in the real world."
The director is joined by a star studded ensemble cast: Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Timothée Chalamet, Bill Murray, Lyna Khoudri, and many others. The director's candy-coloured asymmetric charm makes this movie an anticipated watch.
Ahed's Knee by Nadav Lapid
Nadav Lapid enters the festival with his latest film Ahed's Knee. The filmmaker is no stranger to raw human interest stories meant to tug at your heartstrings and make you vividly aware of one's struggle for identity. His 2019 release Synonyms follows an Israeli expat navigating his identity and Ahed's Knee follows close behind.
The film tells the story of an Israeli filmmaker who travels to a remote village for his film's screening. He is soon dragged into a fight for freedom of speech.
Drive My Car by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Murakami is one of the author's who instills a melancholic belonging to the protagonist, often bordering on self-deprecatory. The last time a Murakami adaptation premiered at Cannes was Burning, three years ago.
Filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi derives Drive My Car from Murakami's short story of the same name. The film is about a stage actor and a director, who is mourning the loss of his wife, and they reunite for the production of a play. Murakami's staple is reflected in the mysterious young woman who meets the hero.
Titane by Julia Ducournau
There is little known about Titane. The film's distributor's refused to give an official synopsis of the film, and just explained the title instead: “A metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys, often used in medical prostheses due to its pronounced biocompatibility.”
Julia Ducournau is no stranger to the genre of horror. Her debut film Raw made its audience squeamish with its cannibal tale, yet making it almost impossible to look away. If Titane's cryptic teaser is any indication, the filmmaker's sophomore film will portray the same art-horror genre rarely experimented by women directors.
The teaser is shows a young woman (Agathe Rouselle) who is on a crime spree coupled with visits to various clublike settings, set to somber music. The teaser unsettles like her debut, which adds to the film's suspense.
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