And the winner is… “Anora” by Sean Baker. If Greta Gerwig, the president of the jury of the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, compared the Palme d’Or-winning film to Lubitsch or Howard Hawks, we will have to wait to verify. To date, no release date has been announced in France. This is the case of certain other feature films spotted during the fortnight such as “Grand Tour” (Director’s Prize), “Les Graines du figuier sauvage” by Mohammad Rasoulof (Special Prize) or “The Substance” (Prize of the scenario). But others are already in the starting blocks. Here’s an update on the calendar.
FROM THIS SUMMER
“Kinds of kindness”, the new crazy comedy by Yorgos Lanthimos. The new film by Greek Yorgos Lanthimos deploys a top-notch cast with Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Jesse Plemons. The latter won the Male Interpretation Prize on Saturday evening. The scathing comedy from the author of “Poor Creatures” will be released on June 26.
“The Count of Monte Cristo”, the French blockbuster. Presented out of competition during this 77th edition, this adaptation of the work of Alexandre Dumas produced by the duo Matthieu Delaporte – Alexandre de La Pattelière (already screenwriters of “The Three Musketeers”), promises to be one of the big blockbusters of the summer, with a release on June 28. Carried by Pierre Niney in the title role, the film also brings together Anaïs Demoustier and Bastien Bouillon.
“Emilia Perez”, Jacques Audiard’s masterpiece. The musical comedy by the 72-year-old French director excited festival-goers, and that’s an understatement. The film tells the story of the change of sex and life of a Mexican drug trafficker. Everything is enchanting here: the music, the dances, the dialogues, the swirling direction and the astonishing acting of the actresses Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez , collectively rewarded on Saturday evening. Jacques Audiard’s feature film, which also won the Jury Prize, will be released at the end of the summer vacation period, on August 28.
IN SEPTEMBER
“The Trial of the Dog”, a film with bite. Winner of the Palm Dog, a prize which rewards the best canine performance of the festival, “The Trial of the Dog” directed by Lætitia Dosch will be on display on September 11. A little marvel of the first film selected for Un Certain Regard, this social, canine and feminist comedy distils a humor that matches that of its author and enlists François Damiens and Jean-Pascal Zadi for epic performances.
“All We Imagine as Light”, Indian nugget. Directed by Indian director Payal Kapadia, this sensitive and dreamlike drama which features two nurse roommates in Bombay trapped in their love life, won the Grand Prix, the second “biggest” award of the festival. It will be released on October 2 in France.
“L’Amour ouf” and its luxury casting. An ultra-romantic and vibrant film, but punctuated by scenes of complacent violence, “L’Amour ouf” divided the Croisette. But the new feature film by Gilles Lellouche after “Le Grand Bain” will inevitably arouse expectations proportional to the quality of its casting: Adèle Exarchopoulos, François Civil, Raphaël Quenard, Benoît Poelvoorde, Alain Chabat, Karim Leklou, Jean-Pascal Zadi … Release scheduled for October 16.
“Rough diamond”, the French surprise. Within the French selection, this is the feature film that no one expected, directed by the little-known Agathe Riedinger. “Rough Diamond” was not necessarily cut out for a Palme d’Or, but this powerful first film about a young girl dreaming of reality TV was one of the first shocks of the fortnight. It will be on screens on October 9.
“The Most Precious of Goods”, Hazanavicius’ animated gem. It was the only animated film shortlisted for the Palme d’Or this year. If “The Most Precious of Goods” does not appear in the list, it has made an impression and could make up for it at the next Annecy festival. This masterful work, carried by the voices of Grégory Gadebois and Dominique Blanc, enhanced by the score of Alexandre Desplat, is expected in theaters on November 20.
