Cannes 2016

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yoshimori
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Re: Cannes 2016

#76 Post by yoshimori » Wed May 18, 2016 7:01 pm

hearthesilence wrote:Agree about the booing, unless it's in response to someone doing something reprehensibly offensive, I can't defend it.
Really? Isn't booing just a kind of public, gut version of the trash-talking everyone does with whoever is listening after a bad movie? How is that indefensible?

I myself don't boo movies. Seems a bit silly to me to boo or to applaud, for that matter, an inanimate object. But if you're OK with the latter, then ...

For me though, wasting 15 million USD (or however much) on a piece of garbage, along with wasting a couple hours of my time, feels pretty "reprehensibly offensive". Much more problematic than my booing ... were I the booing type ... which I'm not ... at least not usually ... ah, wtf ... boo.

Anyway. I missed the Dolan tonight, though I'm not surprised by the reaction. I'll try to catch it tomorrow.

The Kore'eda, unfortunately, was another waste of time. Worse, even, than that one about the two boys and the bullet train. In this one we learn that we should try to be what we want to be, given our talents or lack there of. Revelatory, huh? It's super-low key, even relative to recent Kore'eda. To the point where the critics on both sides of me actually slept through more than half the film. Brief polite applause (Kore'eda and his cast were there) as the credits rolled. I refrained from booing. C-

Ah Distance. Ah After Life. Ah Maboroshi.

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Brian C
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Re: Cannes 2016

#77 Post by Brian C » Wed May 18, 2016 8:10 pm

I've yet to read anything about the Assayas that would make me not want to see it. The reaction reminds me of the overwrought Cannes reception of ANTICHRIST some years back, which in retrospect was pretty embarrassing for that film's detractors. Cannes just doesn't seem to be the place to be celebrated for taking artistic risks.

But, we'll see. I reckon it'll be some time before the Assayas makes its way stateside. Hell, we still haven't gotten DHEEPAN yet.

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Oedipax
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Re: Cannes 2016

#78 Post by Oedipax » Wed May 18, 2016 8:28 pm

It's Kristen Stewart, somewhat genre-based, and (mostly?) in English, I imagine it won't take too long.

I'm in Paris and will be seeing a decent number of these films over the weekend (Dardennes, Park, Filho, de Wit, Guiraudie, Arnold, Farhadi, Assayas, Refn). Unfortunately some I'd rather see (like the Ade, Puiu and Jarmusch films) weren't part of the selection. Others, including Almodovar, Verhoeven, Dumont and Shane Black are in general release so I'll hopefully get to most of those as well afterwards. Though I am dreading the Dumont even just based on the trailer.

Does not seem like a particularly strong crop of films this year, though, given the all-star line-up.

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nosy lena
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Re: Cannes 2016

#79 Post by nosy lena » Thu May 19, 2016 12:53 am

booing is just primitive behavior in general.

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cdnchris
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Re: Cannes 2016

#80 Post by cdnchris » Thu May 19, 2016 2:11 am

I was saying "boo-urns."

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Finch
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Re: Cannes 2016

#81 Post by Finch » Thu May 19, 2016 3:27 am

Brian C wrote:Cannes just doesn't seem to be the place to be celebrated for taking artistic risks.
This. I find Cannes rather middlebrow to be honest, especially when it comes to the Palme D'Or winners, with some exceptions of course. I also find the attitude of a lot of critics really offputting: the arrogance almost of acting like someone who is extremely hard to please. The glib responses from some critics are really alienating. Get off your high horses already. It's fine if you have high standards but I think some people are definitely guilty of dismissing some achievements too easily. I'm a filmmaker myself and I'm totally appreciative of the blood, sweat and tears that must have gone into a lot of films. Some critics have bigger egos than filmmakers and it shows in their writing.

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Trees
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Re: Cannes 2016

#82 Post by Trees » Thu May 19, 2016 3:34 am

One argument might be: If you are willing to accept the cheers, you should be willing to accept the boos?

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AidanKing
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Re: Cannes 2016

#83 Post by AidanKing » Thu May 19, 2016 6:51 am

The UK critics, at least Peter Bradshaw and Robbie Collin seem to like Personal Shopper so opinion is certainly divided.

Nick James of Sight and Sound also seems to think this is a good year for Cannes so it might be best to let the dust settle before writing off this year's selection already on the basis of a few bad reviews.

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Finch
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Re: Cannes 2016

#84 Post by Finch » Thu May 19, 2016 9:19 am

The three critics Aidan mentions above are my very definition of middlebrow, particularly James and Bradshaw. I don't think that it sounds like a poor year, either: Cannes always has at least one absolutely terrible film in competition (which appears to be the Garcia) and one or two titles sharply dividing opinions, and there's usually a handful of excellent films on display. If the rest of the competition is going to be received lukewarm or negatively, then it wouldn't be the first time the Director's Fortnight has had a better all-round lineup.

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AidanKing
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Re: Cannes 2016

#85 Post by AidanKing » Thu May 19, 2016 11:28 am

While I would normally agree with Finch about Bradshaw, I think going to Cannes brings out the best of him. I remember his review of Tree of Life being very perceptive, for example, and he generally seems to appreciate the opportunity he's got in going to the festival. His review of Cristian Mungiu's film this year seems a fairly good piece of writing, as was his review of Son of Saul last year.

I'm not so keen on his weekly film writing, which can often seem flippant, but then The Guardian allegedly passed on the opportunity to appoint Jonathan Romney as film critic because he knew too much about films. I suppose Bradshaw seems to support the more mainstream arthouse films (if that's not a contradiction) and I understand that a good review in The Guardian can have an effect on the box office success of this type of film.

I think it may be unfair to call Nick James middlebrow, particularly given that Sight and Sound seems to be commissioning work from younger critics, such as Kieron Corless and James Bell, who really don't seem middlebrow at all but in fact seem more aligned with the critics of Cinema Scope.

Having said that, I imagine Cinema Scope will be complaining about the Cannes selection in its next issue!

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hearthesilence
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Re: Cannes 2016

#86 Post by hearthesilence » Thu May 19, 2016 11:53 am

Exactly, it's primitive. It's pretty much why I've lost a lot of interest in sports over the years, so much of what's considered acceptable gut reaction behavior is just a person feeling entitled about being boorish.

Also the problem with rationalizing one case of justified booing is that it doesn't create some standard of moral outrage that all will follow - that's not how it plays out in reality. People aren't booing because they believe that millions that could be used for a greater good have been wasted on a deliberately bad movie. That's certainly not why Akerman's "No Home Movie" was booed.

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Re: Cannes 2016

#87 Post by Brood_Star » Thu May 19, 2016 12:30 pm

AidanKing wrote:Having said that, I imagine Cinema Scope will be complaining about the Cannes selection in its next issue!
https://twitter.com/CinemaScopeMag/stat ... 4911782912" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Toni Erdmann seems to be unanimously adored, and La Mort de Louis XIV seems to be off to quite strong word. Whether they are "middlebrow" or "highbrow", I'll leave up to you guys.

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Finch
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Re: Cannes 2016

#88 Post by Finch » Thu May 19, 2016 12:52 pm

Brood_Star wrote:Toni Erdmann seems to be unanimously adored
If you check yoshimori's critics' poll from page 3 (I think), and scroll across, you'll find that two or three critics only gave that film 6 out of 10, so even the Ade is not universally loved (neither is the Jarmusch which Michel Ciment gave 1 out of 4 stars) but the reviewers who weren't all that impressed by Toni Erdmann or didn't like Paterson at all, seem to be in a negigibly small minority. But it goes to show that you can't and shouldn't try to please everyone.

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colinr0380
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Re: Cannes 2016

#89 Post by colinr0380 » Thu May 19, 2016 12:58 pm

On the critics aspect I'm usually fine with Peter Bradshaw's pieces (and particularly the podcast reviews when a bit of back and forth debate occurs) but then I don't know how much my relatively positive take is coming about purely as a relief hangover from the Jason Solomons era!

I suppose these are all the difficulties that arise when you are not just having to express your own take on a film but also represent your particular magazine or newspaper's overall take too? I suppose people are expected not to be too crazily idiosyncratic with their tastes in such positions, especially when potential distribution deals are up in the air.

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Re: Cannes 2016

#90 Post by Brood_Star » Thu May 19, 2016 2:41 pm

Finch wrote:
Brood_Star wrote:Toni Erdmann seems to be unanimously adored
If you check yoshimori's critics' poll from page 3 (I think), and scroll across, you'll find that two or three critics only gave that film 6 out of 10, so even the Ade is not universally loved (neither is the Jarmusch which Michel Ciment gave 1 out of 4 stars) but the reviewers who weren't all that impressed by Toni Erdmann or didn't like Paterson at all, seem to be in a negigibly small minority. But it goes to show that you can't and shouldn't try to please everyone.
Of course I use the word "unanimous" liberally.

If we take a look at the fat stack of polls listed elsewhere:
Aggregate Polls:
Apichatpoll: http://www.todaslascriticas.com.ar/cannes/2016" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Le Film Français: http://www.lefilmfrancais.com/tags/3094 ... a-critique" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Screen: http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/ca ... 30.article" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
ICS: http://icsfilm.org/features/cannes-2016-the-grid/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
German poll: http://jury.critic.de/cannes/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Ion cinema: http://www.ioncinema.com/tag/2016-cannes-critics-panel" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Chinese poll:https://twitter.com/CriticsGrid
TF1: https://twitter.com/RomainLeVern" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It is quite literally #1 across them all. Very few people would have predicted an Ade film as a "frontrunner" ahead of Cannes mainstays like the Dardennes, Assayas or Almodovar, but here we are. I don't mean to say that this must mean it is unequivocally the best film, but merely remarking on its success.

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Finch
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Re: Cannes 2016

#91 Post by Finch » Thu May 19, 2016 2:58 pm

Thank you for the links to the other polls; Toni Erdmann's pole position in all of these is really quite remarkable. In a few days we'll know if George Miller's jury felt the same about the film.

yoshimori
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Re: Cannes 2016

#92 Post by yoshimori » Thu May 19, 2016 4:03 pm

Brood_Star wrote: It [Toni Erdmann] is quite literally #1 across them all...
Not in the first poll you linked. The Puiu is tops there.

Nor in the poll I first linked above, where Neon Demon is currently in first, though it may fall as more reviews come in. It was cheered and boo'd -- primitive critics! -- at tonight's press screening. Those, like me, who quite liked Only God Forgives, will probably find enough to hang onto here. [Thanks for the other links, btw.]

The Mungiu is being pretty poorly received.

Walked out on the Dolan. Life is too short. [And wanted to get in line for the Serra.]

The idea, floated above, that the Director's Fortnight eclipsed the Competition this year certainly isn't my experience, nor is it supported by any of the critics polls. The consensus is that this is a disappointing year for the Competition, for UCR, and for the DF. In a good year, the best reviewed films here -- Ade, Jarmusch, Puiu, probably Refn -- should have been relatively quickly forgotten. My two cents.
Last edited by yoshimori on Thu May 19, 2016 4:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Brood_Star
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Re: Cannes 2016

#93 Post by Brood_Star » Thu May 19, 2016 4:14 pm

yoshimori wrote:Not in the first poll you linked. The Puiu is tops there.
Yeah. Oops.
Nor in the poll I first linked above, where Neon Demon is currently in first
As previously mentioned, it does currently automatically track all letterboxd ratings, which (obviously?) boosts its scores. I'm also not convinced every person who rated it actually saw it, but I suppose that can be said about a lot of things. Considering the reaction it got – do you plan on seeing it? – I expect it will drop dramatically to even the lowest scorer. And then, of course, Ade reigns.

You might be right about the fest in general. Early word seemed to be "best fest in years", but last couple of days haven't been too positive, and people do echo your sentiments about how the best of the best might not match up to previous years. Still, there's always Serra.

yoshimori
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Re: Cannes 2016

#94 Post by yoshimori » Thu May 19, 2016 4:26 pm

Brood_Star wrote: ... do you plan on seeing it?
I guess it wasn't clear from the above that I was a witness to the cheers and boos. So, yes, I saw it tonight. For me, the film was moment-to-moment engaging, both visually and re its intentionally on-the-nose dialogue. But there was little of the mystery and tension that made OGF so outstanding. "Comic" Keanu Reeves was a misfire. Rest of the cast fit the Refn mood fine.

Serra. Each composition is beautiful. The wigs were phenomenal. But there's only so much watching people watch Jean-Pierre Leaud eat or laze about I can really enjoy. This one didn't have any of the visual humor that delighted me in Birdsong. That's OK, of course, if something otherwise absorbing takes its place.

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Trees
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Re: Cannes 2016

#95 Post by Trees » Thu May 19, 2016 4:42 pm

yoshimori what's your score for DEMON?

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Re: Cannes 2016

#96 Post by Brood_Star » Thu May 19, 2016 5:29 pm

yoshimori wrote:Serra. Each composition is beautiful. The wigs were phenomenal. But there's only so much watching people watch Jean-Pierre Leaud eat or laze about I can really enjoy. This one didn't have any of the visual humor that delighted me in Birdsong. That's OK, of course, if something otherwise absorbing takes its place.
This seems much more reserved than other reviews I've read, which is a bit disappointing. Still probably my #1 most anticipated.

I don't know if you managed to watch this, but Oliver Laxe's Mimosas won the Critics' Week prize. It's received praise from all sorts, and sits #6th now on the Apichatpoll. It was described as a mixture of Birdsong, Alonso and Gomes. Its filming was actually a prominent part of the last Ben Rivers feature. I don't think there are any more screenings, but there might be a reprise because it won. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on it if you do manage to catch it.

Out of what's left and in all the bars, I'm mostly only looking forward to Elle.

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Re: Cannes 2016

#97 Post by MongooseCmr » Thu May 19, 2016 7:13 pm

My only problem with the booing is how everyone has to have the same conversation about booing year after year.

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nosy lena
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Re: Cannes 2016

#98 Post by nosy lena » Thu May 19, 2016 9:33 pm

hah yes indeed. frankly, reviews out of cannes are usually pretty pointless. people go there and watch 4-5 films a day, it's a terrible way to watch films or appreciate them. especially if it's something that takes more than a couple of braincells to comprehend. i have on a couple of occasions watched three films in a day at NYFF and even that is too much.

alas,
Jessica Kiang ‏@jessicakiang 12h12 hours ago
Cannes, where reviewing a film you saw the day before yesterday feels like trying to remember which shoes you wore on Dec 4th, 1994.

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Alphonse Tram
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Re: Cannes 2016

#99 Post by Alphonse Tram » Fri May 20, 2016 2:48 am

yoshimori wrote: The Mungiu is being pretty poorly received.
Really? I've been seeing mostly great reviews. Unless you read French critics, they have a strange hatred for Romanian cinema for some unknown reason.

The Playlist A-
Time Out: 5 Stars
Guardian 5 Stars
Irish times "Brilliant"
4 Stars
LA Times 5 Stars
5 Stars
Little White Lies

yoshimori
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Re: Cannes 2016

#100 Post by yoshimori » Fri May 20, 2016 3:59 am

One could hand pick a list of positive reviews of any of the films here, including the Assayas, the Loach, the Dolan, etc. If one takes a look at the polls linked above, one'll see more broadly what the reaction has been. By pointing to them though, I'm certainly not trying to indicate whether any individual here will like or dislike any particular film.

That said, it does seem like the Mungiu stock has risen a bit, from slightly below average to slightly above. [It's sixth place, now, on the micropsia and rurban polls; fifth on the Screen jury grid, for example.] I myself found it to be watchable, but hardly memorable, on par with his other work, fwiw. The really polarizing movie here is probably the Refn (again) -- see the LA Times review Alphonse Tram linked to above -- which I'd likely watch again before any of the other films I've seen here.
Last edited by yoshimori on Fri May 20, 2016 4:19 am, edited 4 times in total.

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