Elusive video-essayist-turned-filmmaker Kogonada blew me away with his 2017 debut “Columbus.” In the hotly-anticipated “After Yang,” which screens as part of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, he teams up with A24 to adapt Alexander Weinstein’s short story “Saying Goodbye to Yang.” “After Yang” is a meditative sci-fi movie involving a father (Colin Farrell) and daughter who attempt to save the life of a robot family member after it stops functioning. The search for a cure leads them to a path that investigates not just the origins of Yang, but the secrets he’s held from them for so many years. If his masterful “Columbus” worked so well due to its staggering beauty and simplicity, this latest effort from Kogonoda has too many ideas to contend with and a failed execution. As expected, some awe-struck visuals are on display, but not much to grab onto. The film grows and grows, but doesn’t attain the quiet greatness it so badly wants to achieve. This is tightly-controled, unassuming and ultimately very forgettable stuff. [C]
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Malkovich, a two-time Oscar nominee, fought back tears while the audience cheered him, which has become a first-stop tradition to kick-start an Oscar campaign — tears need to be shed!