2007 Cannes

The 2007 Cannes Film Festival has concluded with the dispensing of the festival's top award, the Palme D'Or, to Cristian Mungiu's (pictured) 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, a drama that Variety describes as "a stark, trenchant drama about a woman's experiences receiving an abortion in the waning days of Romania's communist era."

Taking second place (the Grand Prix) was The Mourning Forest, "an ultra-arty, arid and slow French-Japanese co-production that had viewers and critics streaming for the exits early." Gus Van Sant, whose Elephant took the Palme D'Or in 2003, was awarded the third place prize for his Paranoid Park, a drama about a teenager trying to cope with having accidentally caused someone's death.

The biggest surprise according to many critics is that the Coen Brothers latest, No Country for Old Men, failed to bring home any of the top honors though it was predicted to be a festival favorite. Based on the Cormac McCarthy novel, the film's description sounds like classic Coen Brothers fare: "Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande." You can currently check out five clips of the wry, dusty movie and decide for yourself if it was robbed of Cannes awards.

Source

For the most part critics are heralding Michael Moore's latest documentary Sicko for providing an eye-opening look at the health insurance crisis in the U.S. Many are also uttering sighs of relief that Moore's political viewpoints are relatively subdued in the film, unlike his previous documentaries in which many found Moore's opinions shoved down their throats, ultimately undermining the messages of the films.

Curiously, even the Fox News website is giving Sicko a favorable review, though the critic is quick to note this is because Moore isn't "confronting" anyone. The most common complaint for Sicko is that in comparing American system to that of Cuba, Canada and England (among other countries), Moore paints an absurdly rosy picture of other systems in order to highlight just how horrifying things are here, but the rosiness isn't exactly accurate, either.

Check out some excerpts from various reviews of Sicko:

Variety:
“...An entertaining and affecting dissection of the American health care industry that documents how it benefits the few at the expense of the many. Pic's tone alternates between comedy and outrage, as it compares the U.S system of care to other countries.

Chief criticism of the film is that it paints too rosy a picture of the national health care of the countries he compares America to, including Canada, England, France — and Cuba.”

More views if you read more

Admittedly, I was nervous to read the reviews for A Mighty Heart, a movie based on the horrific story of journalist Daniel Pearl who was kidnapped in Pakistan in 2002 and ultimately beheaded. The real-life story is heartbreaking, and I worried that a movie might trivialize rather than honor Daniel Pearl's story.

So far, the reviews have been positive with critics giving kudos for the respectful way in which the Pearls' story is told, though also mentioning that the movie presents moments of discomfort having to do with such ripped-from-the-headlines tales of torture and terrorism. Jolie is being lauded for her sensitive and accurate portrayal of Mariane Pearl, tasked as she was with the precarious challenge of playing a person who is still alive. So far, the only reviewers to write about A Mighty Heart have been from Variety and Hollywood Reporter — though over on Popwatch, the reviewer was too moved to write a review yet. UPDATE: New excerpt from the Guardian's review after the jump.

Variety:
“But this is ultimately — and very intimately — Mariane Pearl's story, and much of it rests on Jolie, who fits comfortably into the naturalistic mold that shapes the entire ensemble... this isn't the sort of commanding star turn in which the performer vanishes behind a well-known celebrity mask, but rather a subdued, carefully considered portrait of a woman caught between premature grief and persistent hope.

Jolie plays Mariane as sharp and prickly, but also highly principled and completely devoted to her husband. Wisely, Winterbottom opts to shoot her more high-pitched outbursts from a distance or in near-darkness, as if refusing to milk more histrionics than necessary."

More thoughts if you read more

Since I'm not able to attend the Cannes Film Festival this year, I'm scouring the Web for reviews of movies that look the most interesting. First on my list: My Blueberry Nights, the first English-language film by director Wong Kar Wai which stars Norah Jones, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Rachel Weisz.

Overwhelmingly, the critics' message is this: Wong Kar Wai is masterful at creating a visually evocative film, though the dialogue is lacking, thus making the performances feel empty and pointless. Some say the script's shortcomings are a result of language issues, but that in the end none of it matters because the film is so beautiful. Check out these excerpts from various reviews:

Hollywood Reporter:
"Nothing truly profound gets discovered... The director is chasing a mood here — a mood, an atmosphere and feelings... The glue here is Jones, who holds a wispy, wistful film together with a deeply felt, unself-conscious performance that strikes the right notes without ever falling into repetition or banality. She brings her singer's talent of knowing when to go for emotions and when to hold back to her acting. It's a remarkably assured work; one hopes she will further explore acting in other movies."

Variety:
"Jones proves agreeable but bland company in the role; she's attractive, but lacks mystery, emotional vitality and that something special behind the eyes... Visual beauty is a given in Wong's films, as is the use of pop songs and old standards, and nothing has changed on those counts here."

More viewpoints if you read more

Today the Cannes Film Festival kicks off in France, and starting things off is Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai's first English-language film, My Blueberry Nights. The movie is about a lovelorn road trip and stars Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman and... Norah Jones?

Yup, Norah Jones. Apparently, Kar Wai specifically sought out the musician for the starring role. More details if you read more

We can dig it! The lineup has been released for the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, which begins May 16 and where Brad and Angelina will grace everyone with their presence. That's not totally random, since they both have movies in the festival, though neither of their films are competing for the top prize, the Palme d'Or.

Twenty other films are in competition for the Palme d'Or, however, including:

• Wong Kar Wai's first English-language film My Blueberry Nights (pictured), which kicks off the festival and weirdly stars Norah Jones alongside Jude Law and Natalie Portman. According to IMDB, the story follows a young woman (Jones) during a "soul-searching journey across America to resolve her questions about love."
• We Own the Night, a Russian mafia drama starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, and Eva Mendes.
• Quentin Tarantino's half of Grindhouse, Death Proof.
• David Fincher's well-done thriller Zodiac, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo.




• The Coen brothers' latest crime drama No Country for Old Men, starring Woody Harrelson and Tommy Lee Jones and based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy.

To see the great films that aren't competing for the top prize, read more