New films by Clint Eastwood, Coralie Forgeat, Sean Baker, Emmanuel Mouret…

“Anora” by Sean Baker

“To all sex workers past, present and future,” said New York filmmaker Sean Baker when receiving the Palme d’Or for his film. Anora is the first name of the main character, a modern-day Cinderella. However, in 2024, Cinderella knows how to distribute mandals and she is a stripper in Brooklyn. It’s where she works that she meets her prince charming, Vania, son of a Russian oligarch who squanders dad’s dollars. Vania offers Anora to buy her sexual services for a week in her parents’ villa. Sex, drugs and video games on the agenda, before a trip to Las Vegas where they get married. But when Vania’s Russian parents learn of this union, they send a group of nickel-plated feet, including an Armenian priest, to put an end to this childish behavior.

As usual with Sean Baker, for whom this is his 8th feature film, no superstars in the casting. It’s the brilliant Mickey Madison who plays Anora. As for Ivan, says Vania, he is played by Mark Eydelshteyn, nicknamed “the Russian Timothée Chalamet”.

“Juror No. 2” by Clint Eastwood

Make way for a dean of cinema, 94 years old, whose 40th feature film has been in theaters for a little over 15 days. It’s a trial film. While his wife is about to give birth, Justin Kemp finds himself a juror in a trial where a man is accused of murdering his girlfriend. After an argument in a bar, this man allegedly beat up his partner before throwing her over a bridge. But when the facts are presented, juror number 2, Justin, understands that he probably hit this woman accidentally with his car, while he thought he had hit a deer. It seems like I’m telling you a lot, but we know all that from the beginning of the film.

The scenario focuses more on the investigation, on Justin’s moral torments, on the deliberations of the jurors, which is reminiscent of “12 Angry Men” by Sidney Lumet. In 1957, at Lumet, a parricide was judged. In 2024, at Eastwood, a feminicide is being judged. The British Nicholas Hoult is Justin Kemp and Toni Collette is the prosecutor, a character who is also campaigning to be elected and whose program highlights the protection of women.

“The Substance” de Coralie Forget

This is only Coralie Fargeat’s second film and it received the screenplay prize at the last Cannes festival. It’s the story of Elisabeth (Demi Moore) on screen, former Hollywood glory, converted into presenter of an aerobics show on TV. Everything goes well until Elisabeth turns 50. On the very day of her half-century, she was fired (“you’re fired” as Donald Trump would have said) because she was too old. But Elisabeth will obtain a substance which she injects and which makes her give birth to a younger, more beautiful, more perfect version of herself.
The only condition is that she finds her fifty-year-old body every seven days, and without exception.

“Three Friends” by Emmanuel Mouret

The film offers a new variation of the games of love and disenchantment in a filmography which now includes twelve feature films. Joan no longer loves her husband and she entrusts him to her friend Alice. Alice plays down the drama by declaring that she herself has never really felt for her partner, without realizing that he is experiencing passion with Rebecca.

The three friends are Joan, Alice, Rebecca, played by India Hair, Camille Cottin and Sara Forestier. Three friends as three ways of experiencing “I love you”, while the male roles are played by Vincent Macaigne, Grégoire Ludig and Damien Bonnard. The story takes place in the parks, restaurants, museums and high schools of the city of Lyon.

“At full speed” by Lucas Bernard

He’s Marco, he’s a steward. She’s Marianne, she’s a tactical submarine officer. Him in the air, she underwater, it’s the comedy of an irreconcilable duo. They meet by chance during a stopover at a hotel bar and she jumps on him. They meet in the back kitchen to get to know each other more concretely, but Marianne has to board urgently. Marco tracks her until he enters after her – and clandestinely – into the nuclear submarine where Marianne works. This swirling duo is played by Eye Haïdara and Pio Marmaï. José Garcia is also on display as a submarine captain.

Favorites

Xavier Leherpeur : “Carrefour du cinéma d’animation” Festival, 21st edition, from November 22 to 29, at the Forum des images in Les Halles
Ariane Allard : season 3 “Hippocrates” by Thomas Lilti on Canal Plus
Charlotte Garson : Retrospective of Frederick Wiseman in theaters with the films “Law and Order”, “Hospital” and “Juvenile Court”
Pierre Murat : the film “Madame de” by Max Ophüls returns to theaters
Rebecca Manzoni : the podcast “Truffaut et Le Masque” in 26 episodes of 3 to 30 minutes. 40 years after the death of François Truffaut, all the critical forums from Le Masque et la plume dedicated to his films are brought together.