Francis Ford Coppola is back at Cannes! Which means “Megalopolis” has most likely won a big prize. Which will it be? If “Megalopolis” wins the Palme d’Or, it’ll be quite something, but I’m thinking it’s something like a Special Jury Prize or, best case scenario, Best Director.
This morning, the filmmaker was in attendance for an encore screening of “Megalopolis.” In the end, Cannes was the right place to premiere this film where “Megalopolis” got a lot of respect from highbrow critics such as Cahiers du Cinema’s Marcos Uzal and Film Comment’s Jordan Cronk — both believe it deserves the Palme d’Or.
Speaking of the Palme, which film can win it? The odds makers have “Megalopolis” in the middle of the pack. The main contenders at the moment are Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” Sean Baker’s “Anora,” Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez,” Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” and Magnus Von Horn’s “The Girl With the Needle” and Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light.” That’s six film, seven if you add “Megalopolis.”
It’s been a good Cannes, not great, and the overall consensus is that last year’s edition was much more fruitful, quality-wise. However, I’ll easily have 10 strong films for my annual “Best of the Fest” list which is set to be published on Monday both in The Globe and Mail and on this site. In the meantime, a Palme d’Or winner needs to be announced, and we’ll cover the “palmares” later today.