Volgende maand staat het Cannes film festival weer voor de deur.
From Variety:
U.S. fest flag flies
Cannes loading up on American fare
By DEREK ELLEY
advertisement
LONDON -- With less than two weeks to go before the official unveiling of the lineup, U.S. and American-set fare will share the spotlight at the 58th Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22).
After four years walking a tightrope between experimentation and conservatism, artistic director Thierry Fremaux appears to be aiming for safer ground, with heavyweight Croisette regulars dominating the official selection.
In fact, it's looking like a program with which former artistic director (now fest prexyprexy) Gilles Jacob, 74, would be comfortable.
Some 50% of the competition looks blocked out at this stage, with the following leading the main contenders:
Dimension's noirish drama "Sin City," helmed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, with Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis and Clive Owen.
Lars Von Trier's "Manderlay," the second part of his so-called U.S. trilogy, this time dealing with slavery in the South during the Depression. Willem Dafoe, Chloe Sevigny, Danny Glover and Lauren Bacall star.
Gus Van Sant's "Last Days," with Michael Pitt as a Kurt Cobain-like rocker holed up in his house during his final hours in the early '70s.
Wim Wenders' "Don't Come Knockin'," co-written by and starring Sam Shepard as an aging cowboy star on a journey of self-discovery; Jessica Lange, Tim Roth, Sarah Polley and Fairuza Balk co-star.
David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence," with Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello, about the impact on a family when a father commits a murder in self-defense.
Jim Jarmusch's untitled pic, with Lange, Bill Murray, Sevigny and Sharon Stone.
The latest drama by Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
Austrian helmer Michael Haneke's French-lingo "Hidden," with Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil, centered on a TV host threatened by videotapes featuring him and his family.
Patrice Chereau's chamber drama "Gabrielle," based on a Joseph Conrad story, with Isabelle Huppert and Pascal Greggory.
"Lemming," a two-couples ensembler by Dominik Moll ("With a Friend Like Harry"), starring Charlotte Rampling, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Andre Dussollier and Laurent Lucas.
Gallic flavor
Fest's selection of French pics traditionally goes down to the wire, and other strong candidates for official selection include "Les poupees russes," by France's Cedric Klapisch, a follow-up to his ensembler "L'Auberge espagnole"; Nicole Garcia's male ensembler "Charlie Says," with Jean-Pierre Bacri; a first film by novelist Emmanuel Carrere, "La moustache"; plus, out of left field, Gallic vet minimalist Alain Cavalier's journal of his family and friends that's been five years in the making.
Already skedded as a special event is "Joyeux Noel," by Christian Carion ("One Swallow Brought Spring""One Swallow Brought Spring"), to be attended by French pols and notables. Pic is based on the true story of a Christmas truce arranged by soldiers during WWI.
Being mulled for a spot in the official selection is DreamWorks toontoon "Madagascar," set in GothamGotham's Central Park Zoo. Pic, which opens Stateside May 27, would be the third DreamWorks animated feature to appear in the Competition.
Noncompeting U.S. fare is led by "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," inked for a special screening. Also, fest has invited Woody Allen's first U.K.-shot movie, "Match Point," starring Allen, Scarlett Johansson and Brian Cox, but pic's participation has not yet been confirmed by its producers.
Among strong contenders, but not yet invited, for the official selection are James Marsh's Deep South drama "The King," starring Gael Garcia Bernal and William Hurt, and Italian Marco Tullio Giordana's "Once You're Born," a coming-of-ager set against a backdrop of illegal immigration. Giordana had a surprise hit at Cannes two years ago with his drama "The Best of Youth."
Universal's Ron Howard-helmed "Cinderella Man," about Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe), was originally thought likely for a noncompeting slot but is looking far less certain.
Looking wobbly for Competition is Ang Lee's gay Western "Brokeback Mountain," which is said to have underwhelmed the selection committee.
Dearth of options
Faced with an embarrassment of riches among U.S. and English-lingo fare, Fremaux has reportedly been struggling to find equivalent baubles from other regions, especially European territories such as Spain, Germany and Italy.
East Asia also is proving problematic, with many of the big names (such as South Korea's Hong Sang-soo and "Old Boy" helmer Park Chan-wook) looking more likely to show up at Venice with their latest work. However, already snagged for a spot in official selection is Zhang Ziyi starrer "Raccoon Princess," an exotic fantasy-cum-musical by cult Japanese vet Seijun Suzuki.
Under consideration is "The Bow," by South Korean maverick Kim Ki-duk ("Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring"), about a love affair on a remote island between an old man and a teen girl. This would be the first time one of Kim's pics has officially played the fest.
Still unseen by Cannes' committee but racing to meet its deadline is Zhang Yimou's contempo drama "Riding Alone for a Thousand Li" (literal translation), starring Japanese vet Takakura Ken and set in southwest China. Film is a deliberately smaller production after Zhang's martial-arts spectacles "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers."
East Asian fare looks to be more widely spread among the fest's sections.
Directors Fortnight opens with contempo drama "Be With Me," by Singaporean director Eric Khoo ("12 Storeys"), which was also offered a slot in Un Certain Regard. Other confirmed titles in the Fortnight include Im Sang-soo's "The President's Last Bang," a black comedy centered on the '70s assassination of South Korea's Gen. Park; Iranian drama "Iron Island"; Sundance title "Police Beat"; and Greg McLean's "Wolf Creek."
'Hustle' in
Linked to the annual MTV party but not part of the official fest selection will be a screening of Stephen Chow's Asian smash "Kung Fu Hustle," opening Stateside on Friday.
Fremaux's biggest problem seems to be finding an opening movie.
Originally keen to have Sydney Pollack's "The Interpreter," Fremaux has now expressed interest in Tsui Hark's martial-arts fantasy "Seven Swords," the first film in a planned hexalogy by the Hong Kong helmer (and last year's jury member).
But doubts over whether the pic, still in post, can meet the May 11 opening date, and memories of last year's nail-biting over Wong Kar Wai's "2046," are casting doubts on this option.
(Adam Dawtrey, Alison James, Sharon Swart, Gunnar Rehlin and Nick Vivarelli contributed to this story.)
Date in print: Thurs., Apr. 7, 2005, Cannes Daily