“Booksmart” and its bad box-office are no doubt of concern this weekend as the female version of “Superbad,” from director Olivia Wilde, just didn’t cut the mustard for audiences. It garnered some rather tepid numbers, in fact. Critics have been pushing this film ever since its triumphant SXSW debut. Fact of the matter is this; the film itself, “Booksmart,” felt like it was set in a faux world. If “Lady Bird” was lived-in and authentic then “Booksmart” turned out to be quite the opposite. The movie is entertaining enough as it goes but much of the comedy feels implausible. It isn’t the second-coming that many critics have claimed it to be (85 Metascore, 97% on RT) and it sure as hell isn't remotely close to “Superbad”-level goodness.
Read moreGeorge Lucas on ‘The Phantom Menace' 20 Years Later: “I love Episode I very much"
The official Star Wars site has a nice little “looking-back “ anecdote on the 20th anniversary of “Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace.”
Read moreCannes-Winning ‘Diamantino’ Is A Surreal Hybrid of Sci-fi, Comedy, Fantasy and Satire [Review]
Sometimes a film cannot be pinned down to a specific genre. "Diamantino," now screening at the New York Film Festival, is that perfect example. A hybrid of sci-fi, comedy, fantasy, romance, and surrealism, it defies explanation and follows its own beautifully dark and twisted creative freedom.
Read moreCannes 2019 Wrap-up: Tarantino and Sciamma Stole the Show — Cannes
It's always interesting to go through the competition lineup at Cannes, especially if, like me, you've been attending the fest for quite a few years now. The stakes are always high for world cinema whenever this film fest to end all film fests kicks off. A good chunk of the European film industry counts on Cannes to produce a fair number of successes with every passing edition. Sometimes it doesn't pan out. More recently, in 2017, Cannes had a mediocre lineup which was a hint at the terrible year in foreign language cinema to come. During that year, the best films in competition The Safdies' "Good Time," Ruben Ostlund's "The Square," barely made a dent at the international box-office.
Read moreBong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' Wins Palme d'Or
The jury led by director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, awarded the Palme D’or to Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite.” As predicted, no Palme for Almodovar, whose film was a little too distance-filled for many. In fact “Pain and Glory” won a Best Actor award for Antonio Banderas, a real slap-in-the-face honor. Great news that, despite mixed reviews, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne won the Best Director award for the excellent “Young Ahmed.” Also, Don’t get me started on “Atlantics” winning the Grand Prix, which I found middling and amateurish
Read more‘Lighthouse' Snubbed by Cannes ...
Wasn’t sure if I was going to write about this, but HE beat me to it with a simple and satisfactory blurb, 5.24.19:
“So why wasn’t Robert Eggers‘ The Lighthouse offered a Cannes competition slot? Jordan Ruimy‘s French-speaking festival whisperer, who’s been fairly accurate this year, confirms that it was fiat–out rejected for competition by Cannes topper Thierry Fremaux. A midnight slot was offered as compensation, but Eggers and A24 decided instead on a Director’s Fortnight slot, and it all worked out in the end”
‘The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao’ Wins Un Certain Regard — Cannes
Un Certain Regard Award: Karim Ainouz, “The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao”
Jury Prize: Oliver Laxe, “The Fire Will Come”
Best Director: Kantemir Balagov, “Beanpole”
Best Performance: Chiara Mastroianni, “On a Magical Night”
Un Certain Regard Heart Prize: Michael Angelo Covino, “The Climb” & Monia Chokri, “A Brother’s Love”
Special Jury Prize: Albert Serra, “Liberte”
Special Jury Mention: Bruno Dumont, “Joan of Arc”
Harrison Ford Thinks Nobody Should Ever Replace Him as Indiana Jones
A 76-year-old Harrison Ford is supposed to play Indiana Jones in a fifth installment due to be released in 2021. He will 78 by that time. Steven Spielberg is set to direct, right after he completes production of his “West Side Story” remake.
Read moreLuca Guadagnino Defends Woody Allen
Luca Guadagnino has many short films under his belt. However, this year’s “The Staggering Girl,” which just premiere at Cannes, broke his croissette cherry: “I’m a Venice man,” he tells IndieWire’s Anne Thompson. “I am a nouvelle vague person, this is my first time. I felt at home. Maybe this is the beginning of a new phase for me.”
Read more‘Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo' Review: Abdellatif Kechiche's Male-Gazing Shocks Cannes
Abdellatif Kechiche‘s “Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo” is a 212-minute cinematic revolution. It means to destroy our notion of what a movie should be in 2019, and the fact that the film was included in Cannes competition is a message in itself from Thierry Fremaux and the gang.
Read more‘Booksmart': Olivia Wilde's Directorial Debut Aims to be the Female ‘Superbad' [Review]
A film like “Booksmart” lives and dies by its two central performances. Beannie Feldstein (Lady Bird) and Kaitlyn Dever (Short Term 12), respectively, play Molly and Amy, two upcoming high school graduates that have built up their own hermit-like worldview together. It’s not like they are anything like the central character in Bo Burnham’s “Eighth Grade” who had to fend her miserable experience all by herself, no, Molly and Amy are two peas in a pod, they are the kind of inseperable friends that complete each other’s sentences and are content with hanging out in their rooms instead of going out and socializing with the rest of their classroom. And yet, they do have a rapport with the rest of their classmates, it’s very apparent in the classroom sequences where the cliches that may have once been apparent in John Hughes and teen movies from the ‘90s completely evaporate. There is no bully, there is no jock, there is no cool kid, the stereotypes are not there and that is incredibly refreshing to witness.
Read moreBond 25: Daniel Craig out for Two Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
Daniel Craig’s ankle has, most probably, not been given enough rest time, at least based on my decent knowledge of how these things work. The Bond producers are claiming that it will just be two weeks before Craig is back on the set of Bond 25. As we all know, a Bond movie these days requires a lot of Bourne-esque activity, a 51-year-old Craig recovering from this injury and running/jumping/diving etc. in such a limited recovery time-frame is unusual, but I’m all eyes and ears. Maybe they’ll pump his ankle with some tranquilizers or maybe they’ll just freeze it, who knows.
Read more‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ Trailer: Hamilton/Cameron/Arnold Are Back.
More to come …
Desplechin Strikes Out With ‘Oh, Mercy!' —Cannes
Arnaud Desplechin‘s “Oh, Mercy!” (aka Roubaix, une lumiere) was an unexceptional police procedural — a pilot episode for “C.S.I Roubaix” as many critics have called it. A real shame since I absolutely love Desplechin. Then again, his last two films, also counting “Ismail’s Ghosts” have been absolute failures. At some point I really wasn’t sure if this was a serious statement from Desplechin or if he was actually pulling an all-time of a joke on us.
This is my final day of screenings today, unless I decide to go ahead and watch an 8:30am of Justine Triet’s “Sibyl” tomorrow. On tap are two films with the highest of potential. Abdelatif Kechiche’s “Mektoub: Intermezzo” which is said to be a near four-hour film taking place in dance clubs, which is supposed to have a 25 minute cunnilingus scene and Marco Bellocchio’s “The Traitor,” a Godfather-style Italian epic. Some feel-good cinema ahead in the next 24 hours.
Will Smith hasn't broken 70% on RT in over 20 Years.
The last 12 days at Cannes have left me missing a few notable press screenings, most importantly, at least for commercial reasons, would be Guy Ritchie’s “Aladdin,” which is not being treated very kindly by critics. However, the biggest surprise for me with these reviews is how most critics actually don’t mind Will Smith’s Genie and that the bigger problems lie elsewhere in Ritchie’s live-action remake. Regardless, the early score for Aladdin is at 58% and this seems to be another Will Smith bomb. How many more chances is this guy going to be given?
Read more‘Matthias & Maxime' Review: Xavier Dolan's Return to Quebec Cinema Misses the Mark — Cannes
30-year-old Xavier Dolan, returns to his native Quebec for “Matthias & Maxime.”
Read more‘Terminator: Dark Fate' Official Poster
People are underestimating the potential of Tim Miller’s upcoming Terminator movie, a sort of back-to-the-basics approach by producer James Cameron and Miller to bring the franchise back to its glory days (the first two films). Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton are back. What more do you need? Also, don’t, for a second, think Cameron is the mastermind behind the whole film; Yes, Miller is credited as director but you very much need to see this film as a directorial duet. Cameron and Miller are the co-directors.
Read moreChristopher Nolan’s New Film Is Titled ‘Tenet'
As per Variety:
“Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Kenneth Branagh will appear in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, “Tenet.”
“Clémence Poésy, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine are also joining the cast that includes John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki, and Robert Pattinson.”
“Tenet,” which is being filmed on location across seven countries, is an action epic evolving from the world of international espionage.”
“Nolan is directing from his own original screenplay and will use a mix of Imax and 70mm film to bring the story to the big screen.”
“Nolan’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Jennifer Lame, costume designer Jeffrey Kurland, and visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson. The score is being composed by Ludwig Göransson.”
‘Young Ahmed' Review: The Dardennes' Latest Is A Minimalist Stunner — Cannes
In the latest Dardenne brothers movie, a young Arabic boy gets indoctrinated by a local Imam's teachings and tries to commit a heinous act.
Read more‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood' Review: Tarantino's Latest is Brilliant, Ambitious and Personal Filmmaking —Cannes
Quentin Tarantino was just 6 years old and living in Los Angeles when Charles Manson sent his gang of toxified flower children to murder Tate and four others at the home she shared with husband Roman Polanski. At the time of her death, she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant. There is absolutely no chance that Tarantino doesn’t remember that time, even at a young age. The Manson murders are credited as changing the landscape of American society and culture.
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