Cannes Film Festival 2019
Premieres & Screenings
Monday the 20th
Frankie
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Week two this year appropriately kicked off with the return of the queen of Cannes to the festival, as prolific French film legend Isabelle Huppert joined her American writer/director Ira Sachs for a premiere of their Palme d’Or contender ‘Frankie’—an international family drama centred around a famous French actress whose days are numbered, and whom opts to spend them on a family vacation in a picturesque Portuguese town.
Huppert and Sachs were joined by the film’s co-stars Jeremie Renier, Pascal Greggory and Ariyon Bakare, ‘Frankie’ is out on the 28th of August in France, with no other dates yet.
Frankie press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Young Ahmed (Le jeune Ahmed)
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Monday’s official competition proceedings also brought a return to the festival for Belgian filmmaking siblings and Cannes regulars the Dardenne brothers, for a premiere of their latest socially reflective and confronting contemporary human drama ‘Young Ahmed’; the story of a young a Belgian teenager caught between the influence an extremist version of Islam and the temptations of adolescence, as he is drawn towards a monstrous act to prove his so-called dedication.
Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne were joined at the riviera by their stars Olivier Bonnaud, Idir Ben, Victoria Bluck, Myriem Akeddiou and Othmane Moumen, ‘Young Ahmed’ is out on the 22nd of May in Belgium and France, with no UK or US dates yet.
Young Ahmed press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Adam
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Cannes also got its first and only taste of Moroccan cinema this year on Monday, as writer/director Maryam Touzani brought her Casablancan human tale to the Un Certain Regard competition. The story of a single mom and modest home baker, whose life is completely transformed and thrown into turmoil by the unexpected arrival of a pregnant young woman at her door, setting both women off into an unexpected journey. Touzani was joined by her producer Nabil Ayouch and her two stars Nisrin Erradi and Lubna Azabal, ‘Adam’ has no confirmed release dates yet.
Adam Cannes photocall (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
La Belle Époque
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Monday’s out-of-competition action was a light-hearted French affair, as experienced comedy/drama writer and burgeoning director Nicolas Bedos brought along his stars Doria Tillier, Daniel Auteuil, Fanny Ardant, Guillaume Canet and Michael Cohen for a premiere of their film ‘La Belle Époque’. The story of a melancholy and disillusioned sixty-something Frenchman, whose life is transformed by an immersive entrepreneurial offer which allows him to plunge back into a past period of his choice, and he opts to re-live a crucial week in his twenties when he met the love of his life. ‘La Belle Époque’ is out on the 16th of November in France, with no other dates yet.
La Belle Époque press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Tuesday the 21st
Upon a Time … in Hollywood
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The pick of the festival action on Tuesday was surely the return to Cannes of their American prodigal son Quentin Tarantino, as the visionary filmmaker and walking film encyclopedia graced the Côte d’Azur for an out-of-competition premiere of his ninth film and love letter to the end of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and arguably its innocence, ‘Upon a Time … in Hollywood’. Set in 1969 when a washed up TV actor teams up with his stunt double to take one last shot at making it big in Hollywood, as their story intersects with a host of quirky Tinseltown characters, and the bleakness of the Manson Family.
Tarantino was joined on the red carpet by his stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Daniela Pick and Brad Pitt, ‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’ is out on the 26th of July in the US, and the 14th of August in UK cinemas.
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Parasite (Gisaengchung)
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Tuesday’s Palme d’Or competition brought South Korean cinema back to the festival and saw a return for writer/director Bong Joon-ho to the riviera for a premiere of his latest, and eventual top award winner, ‘Parasite’—the socially conscious and semi-satirical tale of a struggling young man and his unemployed family, who are drawn to a wealthy local family in the hopes of changing their fortunes, only to become entangled in a web of deceitful misfortune and tragedy.
The director was flanked by his stars Lee Jung-Eun, Park So-dam, Cho Yeo-jeong, Chang Hyae-Jin, Choi Woo-shik, Lee Sun-gyun and Song Kang-ho, ‘Parasite’ is out on the 30th of May in South Korea, with no UK or US dates yet.
Parasite press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily (La Fameuse Invasion des Ours en Sicile)
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The second Tuesday at this year’s festival also brought a rare animated feature to the Un Certain Regard competition, in the form of director Lorenzo Mattotti’s Franco-Italian anthropomorphic fantasy and wildlife parable novel adaptation ‘The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily’. The story of a Bear king and his clan, who invade the land of men to recover his kidnapped son and stave off a famine in winter, but soon discover why the world of bears and men should not mix. Mattotti was joined by his voice actors Arthur Dupont and Leila Bekhti, and one of his screenwriters Thomas Bidegain, ‘The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily’ is out on the 9th of October in France, with no other dates yet.
The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily Cannes photocall (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Wednesday the 22nd
Matthias & Maxime
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Wednesday saw the return of a Cannes darling and the festival’s new favourite son to the Côte d’Azur in official competition mode, as Canadian writer/director and actor Xavier Dolan was joined by his stars Pier-Luc Funk, Antoine Pilon, Catherine Brunet, Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas, Samuel Gauthier, Adib Alkhalidey and producer Nancy Grant for a premiere of their French-Canadian drama ‘Matthias & Maxime’. It tells the tale of two childhood buddies whose friendship if forever changed when they share a kiss for a student film, changing the dynamic in their circle of friends and leaving them questioning their identities. ‘Matthias & Maxime’ has no UK or US dates yet.
Matthias & Maxime press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Oh Mercy! (Roubaix, Une Lumière)
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The second Palme d’Or contender of the day was a French affair which brought another Cannes regular back to the festival, as writer/director Arnaud Desplechin premiered his crime story ‘Oh Mercy!’—a Northern French drama revolving around a police chief and a rookie cop who must unravel the murder of an elderly woman, and the mystery of her two troubled neighbours who are the prime suspects. Desplechin was flanked by his stars Antoine Reinartz, Lea Seydoux, Sara Forestier and Roschdy Zem, ‘Oh Mercy!’ has no confirmed dates yet.
Oh Mercy! press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil
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The out-of-competition gala screening of the day came to us from South Korea in the form of writer/director Lee Won-tae’s crime thriller ‘The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil’—the story of a feared gangster whose reputation takes a hit after a random attack, leaving him no choice but to team up with a local detective to restore his street cred by tracking down his illusive attacker, whom they believe to be a brutal serial killer on the loose. The director was joined in the riviera by his stars Moo Yul Kim, Don Lee and Sung Kyu Kim, ‘The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil’ is out on the 7th of June in the US, with no UK date yet.
The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil Cannes photocall (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Thursday the 23rd
The Traitor (Il Traditore)
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‘La Cosa Nostra’ stalked the riviera on Thursday when Italy showcased its own Palme d’Or contender this year, as writer/director Marco Bellocchio brought along his stars Pierfrancesco Favino, Maria Fernanda Candido, Luigi Lo Cascio, Fabrizio Ferracane and Fausto Russo Alesi for a premiere of their crime drama ‘The Traitor’—the biography of Sicily’s first mafia boss-turned-government informant Tommaso Buscetta. A 1980s-set story of of a fallen don who flees to Brazil to escape the all-out mafia war in Sicily, only to be dragged back home in chains and forced to make a decision which would change the entire world he helped to build. ‘The Traitor’ is out on the 28th of August in the US, with no UK date yet.
The Traitor press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo
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The second official competition film of the day was not only another French affair but a rare sequel to compete for the festival’s top prize, as Palme d’Or winning Tunisian writer/director Abdellatif Kechiche brought to the riviera his follow-up to 2017’s romantic drama and adaptation of François Bégaudeau’s novel La Blessure ‘Mektoub, My Love’.
It reunites us with now photographer Amin at the end of the summer vacation, as he becomes caught between a burgeoning relationship with his cousin’s ex-girlfriend, and his old flame and childhood friend Ophélie, herself caught in an awkward love triangle and cornered into making some fateful decisions. This film’s stars Athenais Sifaoui, Hafsia Herzi, Marie Bernard, Meleinda Elasfour, Shain Boumedine, Lou Luttiau, Salim Kechiouche and Dany Martial graced the Cannes beachfront and later joined their director on the red carpet, ‘Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo’ has no confirmed dates yet.
Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Once in Trubchevsk
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The Un Certain Regard section brought some Russian participation on Thursday, as writer/director Larissa Sadilova brought along her stars Kristina Schneider and Egor Barinov for a premiere of ‘Once in Trubchevsk’—a small town Russian human drama, where certain residents have to face the consequences of their dirty laundry being aired out in a small public which knows everything . . . and talks a lot, leaving them with the choice of coming clean or starting anew. ‘Once in Trubchevsk’ has no confirmed dates yet.
Once in Trubchevsk Cannes photocall (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Friday the 24th
Sibyl
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The penultimate day at this year’s festival culminated in a couple of in-competition premieres, the last of which was a French comedy/drama affair directed by Justine Triet titled ‘Sibyl’. The story of a jaded psychotherapist-turned-writer, whose passions a re-ignited by her latest patient—a promising but troubled young actress—as she obsessively becomes drawn deeper into the young star’s life, only to be confronted by her own tumultuous past.
Triet was joined on the red carpet by her stars Arthur Harari, Laure Calamy, Virginie Efira, Niels Schneider, Adele Exarchopoulos, Gaspard Ulliel and Paul Hamy, ‘Sibyl’ is out in France now, with no UK or US dates yet.
Sibyl press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
It Must Be Heaven
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The second Palme d’Or contender of the day was a Franco-Canadian production by way of Palestine, written, directed by and starring Elia Suleiman, who brought along his cast and crew including Gael Garcia Bernal, Fatma Hassan Al Remaihi, Yasmine Haj, Karim Ghneim, Fadi Sakr, Laurine Pelassy, Serge Noel, Tarik Kopty, Edouard Weil, Vincent Maraval, Hanaa Issa, Zeynep Ozbatur Atakan, Nancy Grant, Raia Haidar and Yasmine Hamdan, for the premiere of ‘It Must Be Heaven’.
A Woody Allen-esque comedy of errors about identity and belonging, following a man trying to establish new roots and escape the troubles of Palestine by traversing the globe from Paris to New York, only to find echoes of his homeland wherever he goes. ‘It Must Be Heaven’ has no confirmed dates yet.
It Must Be Heaven press conference (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
First Blood
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The ‘Cannes Classics’ programme—which regularly screens oldies but goodies throughout the festival—got an injection of glamour and real star power on Friday, when none other than Sylvester Stallone rocked up for a gala screening of his seminal 1982 classic ‘First Blood’, as well as giving out some prizes and helping to close the festival.
Not one to miss a red carpet opportunity—or indeed a chance at some early promotion for his fifth outing as Vietnam vet and one-man-army John Rambo in September’s upcoming ‘Rambo V: Last Blood’—the Italian Stallion was joined in the riviera by the sequel’s producers Kevin King, Christa Campbell, Avi Lerner, Victor Hadida, Jeff Greenstein and Jonathan Yunger, plus his new co-star Paz Vega. ‘Rambo V: Last Blood’ is out on the 20th of September in UK and US cinemas.
First Blood Cannes red carpet (courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Saturday the 25th
The Specials (Hors Normes)
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The honour of closing the 72nd Cannes Film Festival went to French comedy and the acclaimed writing/directing team of Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano (The Intouchables, Samba), whose latest uplifting tale of unlikely friendship and human connection ‘The Specials’ got a gala out-of-competition premiere. The story of two friends and heads of respective care organisations, who train extraordinary young people to care for children with autism that have been rejected by other institutions. Nakache and Toledano were joined on the red carpet by their two stars Vincent Cassel and Reda Kateb, and many of their young co-stars, ‘The Specials’ is out on the 23rd of October in France, with no UK or US dates yet.
The Specials Cannes red carpet (courtesy of AFP)
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