The likelihood of cinephiles actually getting a chance to see Abdelatif Kechiche’s controversial Cannes entry, “Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo,” is getting slimmer by the day.
There were various accusations that Kechiche was subjected to post-screening at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Specifically, an anonymous source telling the pages of French publication Midi Libre that the director purposely inebriated his actress Ophélie Bau in order for her to perform a non-simulated sex scene. There was also, supposedly, a very awkward photocall between actress and director during the premiere of the film at the Palais des Festivals. Kechiche was even seen exiting the theater when the screening started, probably not wanting to sit next to his cast. '
Kechiche eventually released a statement about the drama surrounding his film [via Les Inrok]. In a public letter addressed to Bau’s agent, Kechiche claimed to be the victim of a conspiracy orchestrated by the French media and the agents of other actresses who have worked with him in the past (Sara Forestier, Hafsia Herzi, Léa Seydoux, and Adèle Exarchopoulos); he claimed their sole purpose is to destroy his career. The director also noted that Bau was more than happy to take on the sexually-charged role and show her body in all it’s beauty, and that she specifically requested a change in actors for the cunnilingus scene in order to perform it with her boyfriend. He concludes the letter by saying that he invited her into the editing room to suggest any changes that she would like to be made to the scene.
Well, whether Kechiche invited Bau into the editing room or not, a French source had told me last year that Kechiche was editing a new version of “Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo,” a version which has completely erased Bau from the movie. All of the actress’ scenes have completely been cut out. That cut still hasn’t materialized. The decision to release this latest cut would be a mind-boggling thing to do, especially considering that Bau has the most screen time of any of the actors in ‘Intermezzo’ and is the highlight of this polarizing but brilliant movie.
The decision to release this cut is still being considered due to the film, quite surprisingly, still not having found a French release date, a country where Kechiche has become a household name after winning the Palme d’Or in 2013 for “Blue is the Warmest Colour.”
As for the third, and final, chapter of the “Mektoub” series, it was already shot before controversy hit. A final cut has been ready for a few years now and Kechiche is just waiting for Cannes or Venice to pick it up, the problem is that these two festivals don’t want to come near it … for now. Venice had originally scheduled a “special screening” of the film in 2019 before finally balking and letting go of the film. If I had to guess, they are most likely waiting for the controversy to die down.
And so, Kechiche is patiently waiting, maybe a Cannes 2022 bow is possible, it’ll depend on how the zeitgeist is by then.
I was a fan of “Intermezzo” when I saw it at Cannes 2019, writing “212-minute cinematic revolution. It means to destroy our notion of what a movie should be in 2019 …"Intermezzo" is the darker, more ambitious companion to "Canto Uno." It can feel overwrought at times, but the urban naturalism Kechiche pushes for is damn-near breathtaking to behold. Kechiche has always had a keen eye for the way people speak and act in real life. As you watch these two Mektoub films, no doubt being turned into a trilogy, you do wonder how much of it is improvisation, how much of it is written dialogue and how much of it may very well have been actually experienced on camera. That blurring of the lines is absolutely fascinating to watch here.”