CINEMA
Best of Cannes Film
FESTIVAL The annual Cannes International Film Festival brings the world’s cineastes to Southern France. For decades, some of the most extraordinary films ever made have debuted on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, with the glitz and glamour often contrasting films that can be far bleaker or melancholic than the resplendent surroundings. By Jason Gorber
W
hile many international festivals have been quite vocal for the need for greater representation from a wider range, Cannes has steadfastly suggested it’s a celebration of cinema, not identity. While this is certainly debatable, given some of the risible films that did make it into competition, it does somewhat obviate claims about additional considerations, making the celebration of certain works free from some of the otherwise metatextual considerations. Here are three remarkable films that emerged from the festival, showcasing some of the immense talent to come out of such an event.
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Portrait of a Lady on Fire
A perfect film to fit the surreal and seductive allure of the Croissette, Céline Sciamma’s sumptuous story about a painter falling in love with her subject was awarded best screenplay and the Queer Palm (the first film directed by a woman to win the latter). Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is tasked to paint a reticent Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) in order to provide a potential husband with the image of the woman he’s to wed. Instead, the two strike up a close connection, eschewing convention and propriety as their love draws them near. The story could easily descend into melodrama or more maudlin period drama silliness, yet Sciamma guides her fantastic cast with a steady hand, using moments of quiet intimacy and intense introspection to keep the film from falling into farce. There’s an electric mood at play, as perfectly drawn as the portrait being commissioned.
