Here is our very first image of James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” set to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Given the absence of Hollywood at this year’s Cannes, most of the attention from Oscar bloggers and the trades seems aimed at Gray’s film. Will it deliver? Last month, Neon — who else? — picked up North American distribution rights for “Paper Tiger.”
The film, which stars Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson, follows two brothers pursuing the American Dream, only to find themselves drawn into a seemingly flawless scheme that slowly collapses into violence and corruption. As the situation spirals, their family becomes targeted by the Russian “Mafiya,” testing their loyalty and bonds to the limit.
Joaquin Baca-Asay, who hasn’t lensed a film since Gray’s “Two Lovers” — which also happens to be the filmmaker’s very best work — released 17 years ago, is the cinematographer on this film. Gray has worked with a handful of DPs over the years: Harris Savides (“The Yards”), Darius Khondji (“The Immigrant,” “Armageddon Time”), and Hoyte van Hoytema (“Ad Astra”).
Gray, 57, is a filmmaker with a loyal cult following, revered for his classically influenced style that echoes cinema’s golden eras. While not always a mainstream favorite, he’s earned consistent critical praise — especially from the French — which has helped sustain his career, even as his movies failed to make much money.
A native of Queens, Gray can be hit or miss, but when he’s on his game, with films like “Two Lovers” — arguably his finest work — and “The Lost City of Z,” a rare, haunting beauty seeps into every frame. “We Own the Night” is underrated. “The Immigrant” is worth a look. “Ad Astra”? It has its fans; I’m not one of them.
Gray’s last film, 2022’s “Armageddon Time,” also premiered at Cannes. In fact, Gray has now premiered six of his last seven films on the Croisette — but he has yet to win a prize. Maybe “Paper Tiger,” which his producer, Rodrigo Teixeira, swears is the best film of his career, will break that spell.
