In an era where AI is rapidly evolving, it’s not just tech enthusiasts discussing its implications. Even action star Arnold Schwarzenegger weighed in, saying at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, Today, everyone is frightened of it, of where this is gonna go. AI-Directed Romantic Comedy The French film The Second Act, directed by Quentin Dupieux, takes comedic scenes to the next level by featuring a movie made entirely by AI. It has French actors playing roles in a romantic comedy knowing it’s written and directed by an AI. Cinematic Reception Variety‘s Peter Debruge reviewed The Second Act: Practically every...
- 6/9/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
Thomas Bangalter, one half of Daft Punk, has revealed Chiroptera, an original piece composed for artist Jr and choreographer Damien Jallet’s dance/art project of the same name.
The project debuted in front of Paris’ Place de l’Opera last November, featured over 150 dancers, and ran for two exclusive performances on the same night. Now, Bangalter is sharing the music he composed for the dance project: Chiroptera, the 17-minute “single” version, and Chiroptera Matiere Premiere, a much longer, “uncut”-styler version that clocks in at five hours and 50 minutes. You can stream both versions below.
In addition to releasing Chiroptera and Chiroptera Matiere Premiere digitally, Bangalter is also offering an exclusive 10xLP vinyl of the latter. The vinyl is a strictly limited edition release comprised of 200 numbered and signed copies, available in person at the Galerie Perrotin in Paris and on Atelier Jr webshop. Pre-orders for the 10xLP vinyl are on-going.
The project debuted in front of Paris’ Place de l’Opera last November, featured over 150 dancers, and ran for two exclusive performances on the same night. Now, Bangalter is sharing the music he composed for the dance project: Chiroptera, the 17-minute “single” version, and Chiroptera Matiere Premiere, a much longer, “uncut”-styler version that clocks in at five hours and 50 minutes. You can stream both versions below.
In addition to releasing Chiroptera and Chiroptera Matiere Premiere digitally, Bangalter is also offering an exclusive 10xLP vinyl of the latter. The vinyl is a strictly limited edition release comprised of 200 numbered and signed copies, available in person at the Galerie Perrotin in Paris and on Atelier Jr webshop. Pre-orders for the 10xLP vinyl are on-going.
- 6/7/2024
- by Paolo Ragusa
- Consequence - Music
The French box office bounced back in May after an April plunge to reach 15.6 million admissions, up 13.5% from the same month last year.
Ticket sales year on year from January through May are down by 11.6% compared to the same period in 2023 after a slow start to the year and admissions to French cinemas falling by 35.5% in what was an abysmal April.
However, the June-May total of 171 million admissions is equal to the same period year on year. More was merrier for a month when 74 new films were released compared to 63 in 2023.
The renewed May momentum was mostly due to local-language phenomenon A Little Something Extra,...
Ticket sales year on year from January through May are down by 11.6% compared to the same period in 2023 after a slow start to the year and admissions to French cinemas falling by 35.5% in what was an abysmal April.
However, the June-May total of 171 million admissions is equal to the same period year on year. More was merrier for a month when 74 new films were released compared to 63 in 2023.
The renewed May momentum was mostly due to local-language phenomenon A Little Something Extra,...
- 6/3/2024
- ScreenDaily
The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival concludes today with the Closing Ceremony and presentation of the coveted award, the Palme d’Or which was awarded to Sean Baker’s Anora, on Saturday, May 25.
The Jury, chaired by director Greta Gerwig was tasked with awarding the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in the Competition.
Related: Cannes Film Festival: ‘Anora’ Wins Palme D’Or; ‘All We Imagine As Light’ Takes Grand Prize; ‘Emilia Perez’ Jury Prize & Best Actresses
The jury included Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, American actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green and Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, as well as Spanish director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona, Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino, Japanese director Kore-eda Hirokazu, and French actor and producer Omar Sy.
Related: ‘Emilia Pérez’ Cannes Film Festival Premiere Photos: Édgar Ramírez, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña & More
Hu Guan’s drama Black Dog...
The Jury, chaired by director Greta Gerwig was tasked with awarding the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in the Competition.
Related: Cannes Film Festival: ‘Anora’ Wins Palme D’Or; ‘All We Imagine As Light’ Takes Grand Prize; ‘Emilia Perez’ Jury Prize & Best Actresses
The jury included Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, American actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green and Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, as well as Spanish director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona, Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino, Japanese director Kore-eda Hirokazu, and French actor and producer Omar Sy.
Related: ‘Emilia Pérez’ Cannes Film Festival Premiere Photos: Édgar Ramírez, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña & More
Hu Guan’s drama Black Dog...
- 5/25/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
Few periods on the calendar mean more to cinephiles than the two weekends in May occupied by the Cannes Film Festival. Since its founding in 1946, the French festival has been a launchpad for some of the most artistically significant films of all time. The Palme d’Or is one of the most coveted film awards on the planet, and the festival’s ability to balance subversive arthouse work with major Hollywood premieres has led many to view it as the world’s most significant celebration of cinema.
The 2024 lineup featured a mix of buzzy premieres from New Hollywood titans like Francis Ford Coppola and Paul Schrader alongside exciting new works from emerging directors. Between the Main Competition, Un Certain Regard, special screenings, and sidebars like the Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week, the onslaught of new films can be overwhelming for anyone who isn’t able to give the festival their 24/7 attention.
The 2024 lineup featured a mix of buzzy premieres from New Hollywood titans like Francis Ford Coppola and Paul Schrader alongside exciting new works from emerging directors. Between the Main Competition, Un Certain Regard, special screenings, and sidebars like the Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week, the onslaught of new films can be overwhelming for anyone who isn’t able to give the festival their 24/7 attention.
- 5/23/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Illustrations by Maddie Fischer.For more Cannes 2024 coverage, subscribe to the Weekly Edit newsletter.The Second Act.There is a filmmaker who makes movies that are above all conceptual, with the story but a brittle skeleton barely holding the thing together. He makes at least one movie a year, all under 90 minutes, all modestly casual affairs with various doses of drollness; and all feature a philosophical premise or metaphysical quandary at their core. He writes, directs, shoots, and edits the films himself. Dissenters tend to think he isn’t funny and that all his movies are tedious and basically the same; fans, of course, hold the opposite opinion. He opened the Cannes Film Festival this year, but despite what you may assume, this filmmaker isn’t Hong Sang-soo; rather, it’s Quentin Dupieux, who also shares with Hong a cinema of welcome brevity and levity. These might be the reasons...
- 5/23/2024
- MUBI
The Cannes Film Festival is many things: A prestigious platform for the best of world cinema, a massive industry event where film acquisitions get made, a testament to the French film industry’s classism and rampant sexual abuse. But more than anything, it’s one of the world’s greatest photo opps.
Sure, sure, everyone wants the Palme D’or. But even more people would kill to get seen on the iconic Cannes red carpet, and get their picture snapped by the hordes of press that camp on the Croisette. Some of the world’s most glamorous and beautiful celebrities can be seen on the steps outside the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès every year posing for the cameras, and while it’s not quite the fashion moment that the Met Gala is, it still offers a great opportunity for us pleebs to gawk at some particularly shiny stars in all of their finery.
Sure, sure, everyone wants the Palme D’or. But even more people would kill to get seen on the iconic Cannes red carpet, and get their picture snapped by the hordes of press that camp on the Croisette. Some of the world’s most glamorous and beautiful celebrities can be seen on the steps outside the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès every year posing for the cameras, and while it’s not quite the fashion moment that the Met Gala is, it still offers a great opportunity for us pleebs to gawk at some particularly shiny stars in all of their finery.
- 5/22/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Quentin Dupieux’s new film The Second Act (Le deuxième acte) opened the 77th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival. It’s noteworthy that it’s a Netflix co-production and, although this could mean that Dupieux eventually reaches many more people, there’s nothing to worry about in the sense that his cinema remains very peculiar. Likewise, Dupieux continues a prolific and high-quality streak, which includes recent titles such as Incredible But True (Incroyable mais vrai), Smoking Causes Coughing (Fumer fait tousser) and Yannick. At the beginning of The Second Act we see friends David (Louis Garrel) and Willy (Raphaël Quenard) walking together and chatting about a peculiar proposal: David wants Willy to help him get rid of a woman who has been trying to seduce him for...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 5/22/2024
- Screen Anarchy
Stars: Raphaël Quenard, Pio Marmaï, Blanche Gardin, Sébastien Chassagne, Agnès Hurstel, Jean-Paul Solal, Laurent Nicolas | Written and Directed by Quentin Dupieux
With a lengthy directorial career since the early 2000s, French director Quentin Dupieux has made a name for himself as an interesting surrealist. It helps that his unique takes on relatable issues are quick watches, with films rarely lasting longer than 80 minutes, and Yannick is a fascinating example of what the creative delivers so effectively.
Dupieux’s twelfth feature opens with a play entitled The Cuckold, as three actors perform on-stage to a half-empty room. While the consistent laughs make it clear that the audience is enjoying the play, the performance is interrupted by Yannick (Raphaël Quenard), a night watchman who stands up to share his displeasure. His reasonings are that he took a day off work and travelled an hour to see this play, yet it does not...
With a lengthy directorial career since the early 2000s, French director Quentin Dupieux has made a name for himself as an interesting surrealist. It helps that his unique takes on relatable issues are quick watches, with films rarely lasting longer than 80 minutes, and Yannick is a fascinating example of what the creative delivers so effectively.
Dupieux’s twelfth feature opens with a play entitled The Cuckold, as three actors perform on-stage to a half-empty room. While the consistent laughs make it clear that the audience is enjoying the play, the performance is interrupted by Yannick (Raphaël Quenard), a night watchman who stands up to share his displeasure. His reasonings are that he took a day off work and travelled an hour to see this play, yet it does not...
- 5/22/2024
- by James Rodrigues
- Nerdly
Illustrations by Maddie Fischer.For more Cannes 2024 coverage, subscribe to the Weekly Edit newsletter.In a welcome twist, the most pressing questions I heard on my way to Cannes this year didn’t concern the festival lineups but events that seemed to transcend them. In the days leading up to the opening night, Sous les écrans la dèche, a collective of festival workers, announced it would be striking over salary increases and unemployment benefits; as I type, the strikes haven’t materialized, nor has the rumored list of new sexual abuse allegations about men in the French film industry. “Last year, as you know, we had some polemics,” artistic director Thierry Frémaux told the press on the eve of the fest, hinting at the decision to open the 2023 edition with Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, a film that would have been forgotten a lot faster than it was had it...
- 5/21/2024
- MUBI
Elisa Giudici reporting from Cannes
Meryl Streep, photographed by Elisa Giudici
I was fortunate enough to secure a ticket to the much-coveted rendezvous with screen goddess Meryl Streep. She was in town to receive the Honorary Palme d'Or. Herewith 10 of the most memorable moments from her interview panel.
What did you do after winning the Palme d'Or?
"I stayed up until three in the morning at Quentin Dupieux's film party, so I'm a bit disoriented. I really enjoyed the opening film and talked a lot about it with Quentin."
How seriously do you take your role as a member of the Academy? ...
Meryl Streep, photographed by Elisa Giudici
I was fortunate enough to secure a ticket to the much-coveted rendezvous with screen goddess Meryl Streep. She was in town to receive the Honorary Palme d'Or. Herewith 10 of the most memorable moments from her interview panel.
What did you do after winning the Palme d'Or?
"I stayed up until three in the morning at Quentin Dupieux's film party, so I'm a bit disoriented. I really enjoyed the opening film and talked a lot about it with Quentin."
How seriously do you take your role as a member of the Academy? ...
- 5/18/2024
- by Elisa Giudici
- FilmExperience
Illustrations by Maddie Fischer.As part of our Cannes 2024 coverage, we invited critics, filmmakers, and programmers to give their first impressions of the festival. Sign up for the Weekly Edit to receive exclusive reports from the Croisette straight to your inbox.Giovanni Marchini CamiaThe reconstruction of Napoléon, as seen by Abel Gance, was the first film to play at this year’s festival—after the Berlinale’s TinyHouse, this is symbolism at its most ready-made. Impossible to watch this inordinately glorious, inordinately chauvinistic film at Cannes without thinking of Thierry Frémaux, the festival world’s very own Napoleon, the man everyone loves to hate. As rumors of an impending labor strike and #MeToo bombshell crescendoed ahead of that evening’s opening ceremony, no image could have been more fitting than Napoleon braving a furious storm on a rickety fishing boat, a French flag fashioned into a sail as his only lifeline.
- 5/17/2024
- MUBI
This year’s Cannes Film Festival should prove particularly festive for Mediawan Pictures managing director Elisabeth d’Arvieu. With five in-house productions premiering in the official selection and another in Critics’ Week, the exec and her team will hit the Croisette with cause for celebration.
As an ardent cinephile, she bolstered an extracurricular passion for movies while getting an Mba from Baruch College in New York. She still takes in a film a day.
The Cannes celebration promises to start early for Mediawan, kicking off with Quentin Dupieux’s festival opener “The Second Act,” then Palme d’Or contending Hearts” from Gilles Lellouche and Kirill Serebrennikov’s “Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie,” the epic “The Count of Monte-Cristo” screening out of competition and Un Certain Regard player “Le Royaume” from
emerging talent Julien Colonna.
When taken as a whole, the strong showing nicely reflects the group’s wider ambitions, from...
As an ardent cinephile, she bolstered an extracurricular passion for movies while getting an Mba from Baruch College in New York. She still takes in a film a day.
The Cannes celebration promises to start early for Mediawan, kicking off with Quentin Dupieux’s festival opener “The Second Act,” then Palme d’Or contending Hearts” from Gilles Lellouche and Kirill Serebrennikov’s “Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie,” the epic “The Count of Monte-Cristo” screening out of competition and Un Certain Regard player “Le Royaume” from
emerging talent Julien Colonna.
When taken as a whole, the strong showing nicely reflects the group’s wider ambitions, from...
- 5/16/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy and Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
The usual Cannes opening night ritual — introduce the jury and its president (auteur Greta Gerwig) who will weigh in on 22 competition titles — was co-opted by the larger-than-life presence of Meryl Streep, resplendent in white. She graciously accepted the Palme d’Or from a sincere Juliette Binoche, resplendent in red, who wrote her heartfelt tribute from one artist to another.
“You changed how women are portrayed,” Binoche said, crying. The two actresses were well-matched. And the black tie audience at the Palais gave Streep a lengthy, sustained ovation, which clearly both delighted and embarrassed her. She pretended to leave.
That ovation repeated Wednesday at the packed Salle Debussy, as Streep, a little worse for wear after debating the merits of Quentin Dupieux’s acting comedy “The Second Act” at the Cannes after-party, answered questions from Didier Allouch. “I didn’t go to bed until 3 talking about the amazing film,” she said.
“You changed how women are portrayed,” Binoche said, crying. The two actresses were well-matched. And the black tie audience at the Palais gave Streep a lengthy, sustained ovation, which clearly both delighted and embarrassed her. She pretended to leave.
That ovation repeated Wednesday at the packed Salle Debussy, as Streep, a little worse for wear after debating the merits of Quentin Dupieux’s acting comedy “The Second Act” at the Cannes after-party, answered questions from Didier Allouch. “I didn’t go to bed until 3 talking about the amazing film,” she said.
- 5/15/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Léa Seydoux with her The Second Act co-star Raphaël Quenard Photo: Richard Mowe Léa Seydoux, the star of The Second Act, Quentin Dupieux’s Cannes Film Festival opening film, considers herself fortunate at the start of her career not to have been subjected to the kind of inappropriate behaviour suffered by some of her contemporaries.
At a media gathering after last night’s world premiere in the 77th edition of the festival the one-time James Bond girl confessed: “I’ve been a very fortunate person as an actress. From the beginning I worked with people who respected me - more or less. It’s difficult to compare, however, as some women were really victims and went through a very serious experience.”
Having emerged relatively unscathed she sensed that her stature and standing had protected her. “When you’re a young actress, you are vulnerable,” she said.
Director Quentin Dupieux treats...
At a media gathering after last night’s world premiere in the 77th edition of the festival the one-time James Bond girl confessed: “I’ve been a very fortunate person as an actress. From the beginning I worked with people who respected me - more or less. It’s difficult to compare, however, as some women were really victims and went through a very serious experience.”
Having emerged relatively unscathed she sensed that her stature and standing had protected her. “When you’re a young actress, you are vulnerable,” she said.
Director Quentin Dupieux treats...
- 5/15/2024
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
by Cláudio Alves
Léa Seydoux and Vincent Lindon in The Second Act.
Another year, another edition of the Cannes at Home miniseries, specially made to combat cinephile Fomo for those of us not at the French Riviera. For the next week or so, let's explore the filmographies of directors in competition. However, since the festival opened with the latest Quentin Dupieux project, it seems fitting to start our at-home festival by considering the auteur's career and the oddball creations that have made him something of a king of weirdness within contemporary French cinema. Not that such status comes with guaranteed acclaim. The opposite is true, with Dupieux's cinema caught in perpetual polemic, each work more divisive than what came before.
Such is the case with The Second Act, where the director proposes a comedy on the absurdities of making an AI-based film. Not even Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Vincent Lindon,...
Léa Seydoux and Vincent Lindon in The Second Act.
Another year, another edition of the Cannes at Home miniseries, specially made to combat cinephile Fomo for those of us not at the French Riviera. For the next week or so, let's explore the filmographies of directors in competition. However, since the festival opened with the latest Quentin Dupieux project, it seems fitting to start our at-home festival by considering the auteur's career and the oddball creations that have made him something of a king of weirdness within contemporary French cinema. Not that such status comes with guaranteed acclaim. The opposite is true, with Dupieux's cinema caught in perpetual polemic, each work more divisive than what came before.
Such is the case with The Second Act, where the director proposes a comedy on the absurdities of making an AI-based film. Not even Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Vincent Lindon,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep revealed her admiration for actresses who move into production having achieved fame on the big screen in an onstage conversation Wednesday at the Cannes Film Festival.
“There are so many women are producing for themselves and I’m so in awe of the ones who have done that. Reese [Witherspoon] and Nicole [Kidman], Natalie Portman. Everybody has their own production company,” she said.
“I have a production company of babies and that’s what I’ve produced, but I didn’t ever want to get phone calls after seven o’clock at night. So, I never did that. I’m in awe of people who do that. There are only so many hours in the day,”’ said Streep, who had highlighted earlier that she was a mother of four, and grandmother of five.
Streep was speaking to a packed Debussy Theatre in Cannes, where she was the...
“There are so many women are producing for themselves and I’m so in awe of the ones who have done that. Reese [Witherspoon] and Nicole [Kidman], Natalie Portman. Everybody has their own production company,” she said.
“I have a production company of babies and that’s what I’ve produced, but I didn’t ever want to get phone calls after seven o’clock at night. So, I never did that. I’m in awe of people who do that. There are only so many hours in the day,”’ said Streep, who had highlighted earlier that she was a mother of four, and grandmother of five.
Streep was speaking to a packed Debussy Theatre in Cannes, where she was the...
- 5/15/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Cannes regular Léa Seydoux joined playful press conference for fest opener The Second Act, where talk occasionally turned serious as the actress was peppered with several questions from the international press about her thoughts on the #MeToo era.
“I have been a very fortunate person as an actress. At the beginning of my career, I worked with people who respected me, more or less,” said Seydoux. “Some women were really victims. But in my case, I can’t compare with someone women who really went through and experienced very serious things.”
#MeToo is a contentious issue in France, where the perception is the entertainment industry has been slow to evolve. Seydoux has previously spoken about challenging conditions on Blue is the Warmest Color, her 2013 Palme d’Or winner that landed her international fame, and featured a 7-minute lesbian sex scene that took 10 days to shoot, while the film involved upwards...
“I have been a very fortunate person as an actress. At the beginning of my career, I worked with people who respected me, more or less,” said Seydoux. “Some women were really victims. But in my case, I can’t compare with someone women who really went through and experienced very serious things.”
#MeToo is a contentious issue in France, where the perception is the entertainment industry has been slow to evolve. Seydoux has previously spoken about challenging conditions on Blue is the Warmest Color, her 2013 Palme d’Or winner that landed her international fame, and featured a 7-minute lesbian sex scene that took 10 days to shoot, while the film involved upwards...
- 5/15/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In Quentin Dupieux’s new satirical comedy The Second Act, which kicked off the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday night, the pic takes poke at myriad culture wars, including France’s latest #MeToo movement. Asked front and center about her take on the latest wave, the pic’s star Léa Seydoux said “It’s a wonderful thing that women are speaking out. It’s about high time they did.”
“This change has been taking place. The film also plays with this idea. It also talks about very current events, and this movement where women are now speaking out and that was a fundamental importance of that change to take place,” said the 007 actress.
“I see there’s been a change, we’ve moved on,” said Seydoux, who came up as a young actress in the biz.
Later expounding, the actress emphasized the changes she’s seen in the industry due...
“This change has been taking place. The film also plays with this idea. It also talks about very current events, and this movement where women are now speaking out and that was a fundamental importance of that change to take place,” said the 007 actress.
“I see there’s been a change, we’ve moved on,” said Seydoux, who came up as a young actress in the biz.
Later expounding, the actress emphasized the changes she’s seen in the industry due...
- 5/15/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Léa Seydoux addressed France’s growing #MeToo movement at the Cannes Film Festival press conference for Quentin Dupieux’s comedy “The Second Act,” which opened the fest on Tuesday night.
“It’s a wonderful thing that women are now speaking out. Things are clearly changing and it was high time it did,” she said. “I have the impression that this change has indeed taken place. The film also plays with this idea, it also talks about very current events and this movement, where women are now speaking out, and that was of fundamental importance for this change to take place.”
Seydoux continued, “#MeToo is very important. It’s a very serious issue. However, I think it is also necessary to be able to talk about it with humor. In the film, this is highlighted in a very funny way.”
Addressing the impact of #MeToo on the way actresses are treated on set,...
“It’s a wonderful thing that women are now speaking out. Things are clearly changing and it was high time it did,” she said. “I have the impression that this change has indeed taken place. The film also plays with this idea, it also talks about very current events and this movement, where women are now speaking out, and that was of fundamental importance for this change to take place.”
Seydoux continued, “#MeToo is very important. It’s a very serious issue. However, I think it is also necessary to be able to talk about it with humor. In the film, this is highlighted in a very funny way.”
Addressing the impact of #MeToo on the way actresses are treated on set,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Meryl Streep says that a meeting is “imminent” where she’ll hear about the proposals for her to return for a third helping of Mamma Mia!
The acting legend, honored with an Honorary Palme d’Or at an emotional presentation Tuesday night during the Cannes Film Festival’s opening ceremony the Grand Théâtre Lumière, confirmed that “of course, I want to do it,” but first she wants to hear how producer Judy Craymer has resolved the issue of how Streep’s character Donna Sheridan can return for MM3 when it was revealed during the during the 2018 sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again that Donna had died.
Will there be some sort of resurrection, I wondered. “I don’t know how they’re going to do it. They have an idea. I haven’t heard it yet but it’s in [my diary] and I’m going to hear about it pretty soon,...
The acting legend, honored with an Honorary Palme d’Or at an emotional presentation Tuesday night during the Cannes Film Festival’s opening ceremony the Grand Théâtre Lumière, confirmed that “of course, I want to do it,” but first she wants to hear how producer Judy Craymer has resolved the issue of how Streep’s character Donna Sheridan can return for MM3 when it was revealed during the during the 2018 sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again that Donna had died.
Will there be some sort of resurrection, I wondered. “I don’t know how they’re going to do it. They have an idea. I haven’t heard it yet but it’s in [my diary] and I’m going to hear about it pretty soon,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Quentin Dupieux returns with The Second Act, a playfully dour satire on the film industry that sees the French absurdist delve further into the apocalyptic mood and gallows humor of his recent Yannick. The Cannes opener stars some of the biggest names in the French film world as heightened versions of themselves: actors working on a film within the film (and perhaps a film within that), a conceit that allows them to break the fourth wall, basically winking at the audience conspiratorially while taking passing shots at themselves and some of the hands that feed them. It’s all in good fun, of course. It’s also quite inside baseball––not that that mattered at the premiere, though you do have to wonder how it might resonate going forward.
Selected to raise the curtain on the world’s most prestigious film festival, The Second Act rolled moments after the opening ceremony closed,...
Selected to raise the curtain on the world’s most prestigious film festival, The Second Act rolled moments after the opening ceremony closed,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
The Art of Saying Nothing: Dupieux Deconstructs Cinema
Had Luis Bunuel approached conveying the reality of cinema produced by artificial intelligence, there may have been some similarities with what Quentin Dupieux is doing in his latest feature, Le Deuxième Acte (The Second Act). Of course, ironically, it is a film which doesn’t technically feature anything resembling a second act, and much like Dupieux’s previous films, actively disrupts notions of coherence or linear expectation. Such is the generally the blessing and curse of the perennial Dupieux, who seems to operating at the same frantic pace of someone like Rainer Werner Fassbinder, only with less of a success rate considering his strict adherence to an absurdism which suggests his films are probably more entertaining for those who made them than an audience trying to grasp at his intentions.…...
Had Luis Bunuel approached conveying the reality of cinema produced by artificial intelligence, there may have been some similarities with what Quentin Dupieux is doing in his latest feature, Le Deuxième Acte (The Second Act). Of course, ironically, it is a film which doesn’t technically feature anything resembling a second act, and much like Dupieux’s previous films, actively disrupts notions of coherence or linear expectation. Such is the generally the blessing and curse of the perennial Dupieux, who seems to operating at the same frantic pace of someone like Rainer Werner Fassbinder, only with less of a success rate considering his strict adherence to an absurdism which suggests his films are probably more entertaining for those who made them than an audience trying to grasp at his intentions.…...
- 5/14/2024
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
It could have been hopelessly self-indulgent but Quentin Dupieux’s anarchic and quirky sense of humour finds full flavour in this amusing “appetiser” which still leaves you hankering after a full meal.
Better that than overstaying its welcome as his cast play around with the foibles and artifice of their craft as they are gathered together to make a romantic comedy.
The collective view is that they are making a pretty dire production and to liven things up they keep interrupting the shoot to voice their own grievances against each other, the script and the unseen director who keeps shouting, “Cut!”
Most of the film unfurls in a roadside pub called The Second Act, presided over by the lumbering barkeeper (played by Manuel Guillot).
Working out where the play-acting stops and the “real” action begins is enough to keep you on the edge of interest...
Better that than overstaying its welcome as his cast play around with the foibles and artifice of their craft as they are gathered together to make a romantic comedy.
The collective view is that they are making a pretty dire production and to liven things up they keep interrupting the shoot to voice their own grievances against each other, the script and the unseen director who keeps shouting, “Cut!”
Most of the film unfurls in a roadside pub called The Second Act, presided over by the lumbering barkeeper (played by Manuel Guillot).
Working out where the play-acting stops and the “real” action begins is enough to keep you on the edge of interest...
- 5/14/2024
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The stormy clouds outside the Palais might have dampened some spirits as the credits rolled on the opening night film of the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Or maybe it was the movie itself.
“The Second Act,” Quentin Dupieux’s talky French comedy about the making of the first movie directed by AI, mustered a lukewarm 3.5-minute standing ovation on Tuesday night in Cannes.
Dupieux attedned the premiere along with his French cast of Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Vincent Lindon and Raphaël Quenard. The four actors all politely stood as a camera quickly passed by through the tepid applause.
In the meta film, these French stars play actors making a romantic comedy they know is pointless, as it’s the first movie written and directed by AI. In the opening scenes, we learn that Florence (Seydoux) wants to take things to the next level with David (Garrel), but he is no...
“The Second Act,” Quentin Dupieux’s talky French comedy about the making of the first movie directed by AI, mustered a lukewarm 3.5-minute standing ovation on Tuesday night in Cannes.
Dupieux attedned the premiere along with his French cast of Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Vincent Lindon and Raphaël Quenard. The four actors all politely stood as a camera quickly passed by through the tepid applause.
In the meta film, these French stars play actors making a romantic comedy they know is pointless, as it’s the first movie written and directed by AI. In the opening scenes, we learn that Florence (Seydoux) wants to take things to the next level with David (Garrel), but he is no...
- 5/14/2024
- by Ramin Setoodeh and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes film festival
With help from an A-list cast, Dupieux brings his customary mischief to an amiable tale of imposture and role play
Cannes can always do worse than choose a comedy for its opening gala, and the festival is off to an amiable, entertaining start. Quentin Dupieux brings the wackiness onstream with this cheerfully mischievous, unrepentantly facetious fourth-wall-badgering sketch. It’s a sprightly meta gag, a movie about a movie, or perhaps a movie about a movie about a movie – or perhaps just a movie, full stop, whose point is to claim that reality as we experience it inside and outside the cinema is unitary despite the levels of imposture and role-play we bring to it. It is all just one unbroken skein of experience like the endless dolly-track (the temporary rail that lets the camera move smoothly) that Dupieux finally shows us.
There are plenty of laugh lines,...
With help from an A-list cast, Dupieux brings his customary mischief to an amiable tale of imposture and role play
Cannes can always do worse than choose a comedy for its opening gala, and the festival is off to an amiable, entertaining start. Quentin Dupieux brings the wackiness onstream with this cheerfully mischievous, unrepentantly facetious fourth-wall-badgering sketch. It’s a sprightly meta gag, a movie about a movie, or perhaps a movie about a movie about a movie – or perhaps just a movie, full stop, whose point is to claim that reality as we experience it inside and outside the cinema is unitary despite the levels of imposture and role-play we bring to it. It is all just one unbroken skein of experience like the endless dolly-track (the temporary rail that lets the camera move smoothly) that Dupieux finally shows us.
There are plenty of laugh lines,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Something has subtly shifted in Quentin Dupieux’s perspective, leaving the one-man-band of French cinema a rather different auteur than the anti-comedy punk that nearly stumbled onto the festival stage so many years ago. Chalk it up to maturity or to an impressive professional rise — reaching new highs this year with the opening slot at the Cannes Film Festival — but the director’s tone has softened and his targets have shifted, even as his working methods (and working ethic) remain set-in-stone.
Like a distant Gallic cousin to Wes Anderson and Hong Sang-soo (now there are two names you rarely see together), Dupieux has connected a distinctive voice into a well-honed system built for productivity, allowing him to write-direct-shoot-edit-and-score a new film every year. And sometimes, he finds time for two.
Within the past twelve months, he’s brought films “Yannick” and “Daaaaaalí!” to Locarno and Venice, and now steps into...
Like a distant Gallic cousin to Wes Anderson and Hong Sang-soo (now there are two names you rarely see together), Dupieux has connected a distinctive voice into a well-honed system built for productivity, allowing him to write-direct-shoot-edit-and-score a new film every year. And sometimes, he finds time for two.
Within the past twelve months, he’s brought films “Yannick” and “Daaaaaalí!” to Locarno and Venice, and now steps into...
- 5/14/2024
- by Ben Croll
- Indiewire
Updated with ovation for The Second Act: The Cannes Film Festival opened Tuesday evening with a joyously female vibe as Meryl Streep received the Honorary Palme d’Or from an emotional Juliette Binoche and Greta Gerwig became the first female U.S. director to serve as jury president across its 77 editions.
The ceremony at the Palais led into the festival’s opening-night film The Second Act from Quentin Dupieux. The French pic, starring Léa Seydoux and Louis Garrel, received a lukewarm 3-minute, 46-second standing ovation from the audience.
Earlier, resplendent in a long sequin gown, Gerwig said she was still coming to terms with the fact that she was presiding over the Cannes jury.
“I hardly know what to say… This is holy to me; art is sacred, film is sacred… I cannot believe that I’m getting the chance to spend 10 days in this house of worship.”
The...
The ceremony at the Palais led into the festival’s opening-night film The Second Act from Quentin Dupieux. The French pic, starring Léa Seydoux and Louis Garrel, received a lukewarm 3-minute, 46-second standing ovation from the audience.
Earlier, resplendent in a long sequin gown, Gerwig said she was still coming to terms with the fact that she was presiding over the Cannes jury.
“I hardly know what to say… This is holy to me; art is sacred, film is sacred… I cannot believe that I’m getting the chance to spend 10 days in this house of worship.”
The...
- 5/14/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Cannes Film Festival kicked off its 77th edition with opening night film The Second Act, an apt title for the French event that kicked off with clear skies and a festive mood after days of looming strikes, #MeToo rumours and a high tension geopolitical landscape.
General delegate Thierry Fremaux set the tone for the evening by walking casually to the Lumiere theatre with microphone in hand with a simple “good evening everyone - Quentin Dupieux” as the director and his starry cast including Lea Seydoux and Louis Garrel took their seats.
French actress Camille Cottin emceed the evening with a blend of humour and sarcasm,...
General delegate Thierry Fremaux set the tone for the evening by walking casually to the Lumiere theatre with microphone in hand with a simple “good evening everyone - Quentin Dupieux” as the director and his starry cast including Lea Seydoux and Louis Garrel took their seats.
French actress Camille Cottin emceed the evening with a blend of humour and sarcasm,...
- 5/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
These auteurs are ready for their close-up.
When Quentin Dupieux’s comedy about an ill-fated film set, “The Second Act,” opened the Cannes Film Festival May 14, it will be just one of several movies about filmmaking and filmmakers to touch down on the Croisette. After all, directors Christophe Honoré, Paul Schrader and Josh Mond are among the other prominent filmmakers who are ready to premiere semi-autobiographical stories.
Honoré’s in-competition comedy, “Marcello Mio,” casts Chiara Mastroianni as a version of herself who — after a director compares her to her late father, Marcello Mastroianni — dresses in drag and takes on his identity. Schrader’s in-competition drama, “Oh, Canada,” focuses on a documentary filmmaker (Richard Gere) telling his life story in a doc. Mond’s drama “It Doesn’t Matter” follows two friends chronicling their lives on video. Leos Carax’s 40-minute “C’est pas moi” is partly a self-portrait, with footage from his films and life.
When Quentin Dupieux’s comedy about an ill-fated film set, “The Second Act,” opened the Cannes Film Festival May 14, it will be just one of several movies about filmmaking and filmmakers to touch down on the Croisette. After all, directors Christophe Honoré, Paul Schrader and Josh Mond are among the other prominent filmmakers who are ready to premiere semi-autobiographical stories.
Honoré’s in-competition comedy, “Marcello Mio,” casts Chiara Mastroianni as a version of herself who — after a director compares her to her late father, Marcello Mastroianni — dresses in drag and takes on his identity. Schrader’s in-competition drama, “Oh, Canada,” focuses on a documentary filmmaker (Richard Gere) telling his life story in a doc. Mond’s drama “It Doesn’t Matter” follows two friends chronicling their lives on video. Leos Carax’s 40-minute “C’est pas moi” is partly a self-portrait, with footage from his films and life.
- 5/14/2024
- by Gregg Goldstein
- Variety Film + TV
Et voilà, The Second Act, a bubbly apéritif to open this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and the latest bit of mischief from Quentin Dupieux, the Loki of the French cinematic universe. Dupieux turns out a film roughly once a year, featuring protagonists ranging from a rogue rubber tire cruising the highway for victims to a giant fly captured by a couple of petty crooks who try to turn it into a sideshow attraction. Each wacky new romp brings new fans into the tent and, on the evidence of his recent cast lists, entices more big-name actors to run away and join his circus.
So roll up here to see Bond girl Léa Seydoux, the baggy-eyed veteran Vincent Lindon and the usually smoldering Louis Garrel along with a troupe of faces familiar to Dupieux’s audience. The three of them play actors shooting what appears to be an especially banal rom-com.
So roll up here to see Bond girl Léa Seydoux, the baggy-eyed veteran Vincent Lindon and the usually smoldering Louis Garrel along with a troupe of faces familiar to Dupieux’s audience. The three of them play actors shooting what appears to be an especially banal rom-com.
- 5/14/2024
- by Stephanie Bunbury
- Deadline Film + TV
In France, the concept of irony is referred to as “deuxième degré” (second degree), where the “premier degré” is the literal or surface meaning, which can be twisted as audiences read an entirely different, often contrary meaning into the material. But the game doesn’t necessarily stop there. There is also “troisième degré,” “quatrième degré” and so on, as deep as you want to go.
For absurdist trickster Quentin Dupieux (whose films “Deerskin” and “Rubber” have found a cult following), “The Second Act” presents a frivolous fun-house mirror, in which actors Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Vincent Lindon and Raphaël Quenard play actors playing actors in a pointless romantic comedy. They all know they’re making a bad movie, and one by one, they keep interrupting the shoot to air their personal grievances. But that’s only the beginning in a slender meta-textual doodle selected to kick off the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
For absurdist trickster Quentin Dupieux (whose films “Deerskin” and “Rubber” have found a cult following), “The Second Act” presents a frivolous fun-house mirror, in which actors Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Vincent Lindon and Raphaël Quenard play actors playing actors in a pointless romantic comedy. They all know they’re making a bad movie, and one by one, they keep interrupting the shoot to air their personal grievances. But that’s only the beginning in a slender meta-textual doodle selected to kick off the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
- 5/14/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes Competition jury president Greta Gerwig addressed freelance festival workers considering a strike, saying “I support labour movements.”
“I hope that the festival workers can form an agreement that is good for them and supports them and supports the festival,” said Gerwig, responding to a question from Screen about what message she has for the freelance group.
French collective Sous les ecrans la deche (Broke Behind The Screens) is preparing to protest labour reforms that would cut their unemployment indemnities.
A representative for the group told Screen it was awaiting a meeting between the Cnc and the Cultural Ministry during...
“I hope that the festival workers can form an agreement that is good for them and supports them and supports the festival,” said Gerwig, responding to a question from Screen about what message she has for the freelance group.
French collective Sous les ecrans la deche (Broke Behind The Screens) is preparing to protest labour reforms that would cut their unemployment indemnities.
A representative for the group told Screen it was awaiting a meeting between the Cnc and the Cultural Ministry during...
- 5/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival competition jury, led by president Greta Gerwig, met the international press Tuesday — and it didn’t take long before the assembled stars were urged to address the various fraught political issues swirling around this year’s edition of the world’s most glamorous film fest.
On the eve of the 77th festival, Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux had set the tone by attempting to distance the event from hot-button topics, saying at his own press conference on Monday, “We are trying to have a festival without these polemics. In Cannes, the politics should be on the screen.”
The French festival head, who has served in his role since 2001, noted how coverage of Cannes has changed over his tenure, as the international media’s interest has shifted from the films on exhibition to an expectation that the festival be responsive to surrounding social issues. That was certainly the case Tuesday,...
On the eve of the 77th festival, Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux had set the tone by attempting to distance the event from hot-button topics, saying at his own press conference on Monday, “We are trying to have a festival without these polemics. In Cannes, the politics should be on the screen.”
The French festival head, who has served in his role since 2001, noted how coverage of Cannes has changed over his tenure, as the international media’s interest has shifted from the films on exhibition to an expectation that the festival be responsive to surrounding social issues. That was certainly the case Tuesday,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jury duty began Tuesday, May 14 for this year’s Cannes Film Festival competition panelists, led by president Greta Gerwig, the billion-dollar filmmaker behind “Barbie.”
Omar Sy, Eva Green, Lily Gladstone, Pierfrancesco Favino, Hirokazu Kore-eda, J.A. Bayona, Nadine Labaki, and Ebru Ceylan, along with Gerwig, convened at the Palais des Festivals for the annual opening day press conference. Tonight’s festival launches with the world premiere of Quentin Dupieux’s “The Second Act.” The jury will discuss, debate, and deliberate on films including Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” and more.
But the 77th edition of the global leading film festival is on edge right now as Cannes stares down two major scandals plaguing the Croisette and the French film industry at large. There’s a looming potential strike from a labor collective calling itself Sous les écrans la dèch,...
Omar Sy, Eva Green, Lily Gladstone, Pierfrancesco Favino, Hirokazu Kore-eda, J.A. Bayona, Nadine Labaki, and Ebru Ceylan, along with Gerwig, convened at the Palais des Festivals for the annual opening day press conference. Tonight’s festival launches with the world premiere of Quentin Dupieux’s “The Second Act.” The jury will discuss, debate, and deliberate on films including Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” and more.
But the 77th edition of the global leading film festival is on edge right now as Cannes stares down two major scandals plaguing the Croisette and the French film industry at large. There’s a looming potential strike from a labor collective calling itself Sous les écrans la dèch,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Greta Gerwig addressed the growing #MeToo movement in France at the jury press conference on opening day of this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“I think people in the community of movies telling us stories and trying to change things for the better is only good,” Gerwig said when asked how she felt about #MeToo-related rumors swirling ahead of the festival. “I have seen substantive change in the American film community, and I think it’s important that we continue to expand that conversation. So I think it’s only moving everything in the correct direction to keep those lines of communication open.”
Gerwig is serving as the president of this year’s competition jury, which will be awarding the prestigious Palme d’Or at the end of the 11-day festival that kicks off on Tuesday night. The jury is comprised of Spanish filmmaker J. A. Bayona, Turkish actress and screenwriter Ebru Ceylan,...
“I think people in the community of movies telling us stories and trying to change things for the better is only good,” Gerwig said when asked how she felt about #MeToo-related rumors swirling ahead of the festival. “I have seen substantive change in the American film community, and I think it’s important that we continue to expand that conversation. So I think it’s only moving everything in the correct direction to keep those lines of communication open.”
Gerwig is serving as the president of this year’s competition jury, which will be awarding the prestigious Palme d’Or at the end of the 11-day festival that kicks off on Tuesday night. The jury is comprised of Spanish filmmaker J. A. Bayona, Turkish actress and screenwriter Ebru Ceylan,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Matt Donnelly, Tatiana Siegel and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Arthouse streamer Mubi has snatched up Andrea Arnold’s Bird for the U.K. and Ireland ahead of the film’s world premiere in competition in Cannes.
Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski, Nykiya Adams, and Jason Buda co-star in the new drama from the American Honey and Red Road director. The film follows a 12-year-old who lives with her brother and single dad in a squat in North Kent. As she approaches puberty she seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.
Bird was produced by Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Lee Groombridge for House Productions (The Iron Claw, The Wonder).
Cornerstone is handling international sales for Bird and is co-repping U.S. rights with CAA Media Finance.
Recent Mubi releases include Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Wim Wender’s Perfect Days, Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex, and Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, all festival hits. The streamer’s upcoming slate includes Levan Akin’s Crossing,...
Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski, Nykiya Adams, and Jason Buda co-star in the new drama from the American Honey and Red Road director. The film follows a 12-year-old who lives with her brother and single dad in a squat in North Kent. As she approaches puberty she seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.
Bird was produced by Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Lee Groombridge for House Productions (The Iron Claw, The Wonder).
Cornerstone is handling international sales for Bird and is co-repping U.S. rights with CAA Media Finance.
Recent Mubi releases include Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Wim Wender’s Perfect Days, Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex, and Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, all festival hits. The streamer’s upcoming slate includes Levan Akin’s Crossing,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rolling out the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival where #MeToo controversies threaten to cause disruption. Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival Festival director Thierry Frémaux on the eve of the Festival: 'This year we decided to host a festival without polemics to make sure that the main interest for us all to be here is cinema' Photo: Richard Mowe Ahead of tonight’s official opening of the Cannes Film Festival with Quentin Dupieux’s wacky comedy The Second Act, Festival director Thierry Frémaux held his traditional pre-match kick-off media gathering yesterday (13 May) at which he addressed concerns in particular the #MeToo murmurings and how they might affect the festival.
With outspoken Meryl Streep due to be given a career achievement Palme d’Or as part of tonight’s opening ceremony and the UK’s similarly fearless Andrea Arnold due to be honoured by the Directors’ Fortnight as well...
With outspoken Meryl Streep due to be given a career achievement Palme d’Or as part of tonight’s opening ceremony and the UK’s similarly fearless Andrea Arnold due to be honoured by the Directors’ Fortnight as well...
- 5/14/2024
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Cannes Film Festival officially kicks off today with the latest from Quentin Dupieux, but Francis Ford Coppola has decided to truly begin the festivities with a bang. After a brief, enticing tease earlier this month, he’s now debuted the epic first trailer for Megalopolis, chock full of jaw-dropping images that has us counting down the hours until Thursday’s world premiere. “Our new film Megalopolis is the best work I’ve ever had the privilege to preside over,” notes Coppola with the trailer.
Along with French distribution from Le Pacte, the film was also picked up by Constantin Film for Germany and all German-speaking territories, including Switzerland and Austria; Eagle Pictures for Italy; Tripictures for Spain; and Entertainment Film Distributors Limited for the U.K., per Deadline. A U.S. deal has yet to be announced, but here’s hoping it comes during the festival.
“My first goal...
Along with French distribution from Le Pacte, the film was also picked up by Constantin Film for Germany and all German-speaking territories, including Switzerland and Austria; Eagle Pictures for Italy; Tripictures for Spain; and Entertainment Film Distributors Limited for the U.K., per Deadline. A U.S. deal has yet to be announced, but here’s hoping it comes during the festival.
“My first goal...
- 5/14/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Caye Casas’s second feature is audacious and sharp, but the shifts between acidic comedy of manners and humour-free horror are grating
Exhausted new parents Jesús (David Pareja) and María (Estefanía de los Santos) are looking for something to tie their front room together. But in the furniture shop, when an unctuous salesman (Eduardo Antuña) suggests the “famous” Rörret coffee table – glass top, held aloft by two golden nymphs, a snip at €1,099 – old tensions emerge. Jesús is smitten; María thinks it’s a tacky abomination. She gets to choose everything, he says – even forcing him to have kids, and also dictating their son’s name, Cayetano. “A shoddy name for a fascist bullfighter,” he says. The salesman, who shares the moniker, is put out.
The worst happens; they buy the table. Actually, that’s not the worst: it’s what occurs, involving the table, when María heads out to buy...
Exhausted new parents Jesús (David Pareja) and María (Estefanía de los Santos) are looking for something to tie their front room together. But in the furniture shop, when an unctuous salesman (Eduardo Antuña) suggests the “famous” Rörret coffee table – glass top, held aloft by two golden nymphs, a snip at €1,099 – old tensions emerge. Jesús is smitten; María thinks it’s a tacky abomination. She gets to choose everything, he says – even forcing him to have kids, and also dictating their son’s name, Cayetano. “A shoddy name for a fascist bullfighter,” he says. The salesman, who shares the moniker, is put out.
The worst happens; they buy the table. Actually, that’s not the worst: it’s what occurs, involving the table, when María heads out to buy...
- 5/13/2024
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
The Olympic flame is coming to the Cannes Film Festival red carpet.
The 77th edition of the Festival de Cannes will serve as a preview for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the premiere screening of Mickaël Gamrasni’s documentary “Olympiques! La France des Jeux” on May 21.
Paris 2024, in agreement with the Mairie de Cannes, is offering the flame to the film festival as a preview before it’s officially welcomed by the city of Cannes on June 18 along the Olympic Torch Relay, which began in Marseille on May 8. Sports personalities and athletes will be the guests of honor at the special screening: Tony Estanguet (pictured above), Marie-José Pérec, Thierry Rey, Iliana Rupert, Marie Patouillet, Nélia Barbosa, Alexis Hanquiquant, Christine Caron and Brahim Asloum will flank Paralympic champion Arnaud Assoumani, who will carry the Olympic flame onto the red carpet.
“What a joy it is to welcome such a host of Olympic stars,...
The 77th edition of the Festival de Cannes will serve as a preview for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the premiere screening of Mickaël Gamrasni’s documentary “Olympiques! La France des Jeux” on May 21.
Paris 2024, in agreement with the Mairie de Cannes, is offering the flame to the film festival as a preview before it’s officially welcomed by the city of Cannes on June 18 along the Olympic Torch Relay, which began in Marseille on May 8. Sports personalities and athletes will be the guests of honor at the special screening: Tony Estanguet (pictured above), Marie-José Pérec, Thierry Rey, Iliana Rupert, Marie Patouillet, Nélia Barbosa, Alexis Hanquiquant, Christine Caron and Brahim Asloum will flank Paralympic champion Arnaud Assoumani, who will carry the Olympic flame onto the red carpet.
“What a joy it is to welcome such a host of Olympic stars,...
- 5/13/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes festival workers turned a pre-festival meet-and-greet event into a spontaneous strike rally on Sunday, applauding representatives from the Sous les écrans la dèche collective, a group that has called for a walkout by freelance workers to disrupt this year’s event.
On Sunday, May 12, festival workers were invited to meet with management for a pre-festival cocktail and informal welcome, something that happens every year before the festival kicks off.
But this time, members of the Sous les écrans distributed badges and stickers for workers to show their solidarity with the group’s demands, which include a general strike of “all employees of the Cannes Film Festival and of its sidebars” in protest of what the group terms the “precarious” position of freelancer workers at the event.
In a video sent to The Hollywood Reporter by a member of Sous les écrans, workers can be seen applauding the group’s spokesman and cheering him on.
On Sunday, May 12, festival workers were invited to meet with management for a pre-festival cocktail and informal welcome, something that happens every year before the festival kicks off.
But this time, members of the Sous les écrans distributed badges and stickers for workers to show their solidarity with the group’s demands, which include a general strike of “all employees of the Cannes Film Festival and of its sidebars” in protest of what the group terms the “precarious” position of freelancer workers at the event.
In a video sent to The Hollywood Reporter by a member of Sous les écrans, workers can be seen applauding the group’s spokesman and cheering him on.
- 5/12/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nearly 300 film professionals from across Europe and the world have thrown their support behind a group calling for strike action to disrupt the upcoming Cannes film festival.
They have signed a petition backing the demands of a collective representing the interests of French film festival workers who claim changes to labor laws have put freelance workers in Cannes and other festivals in a “precarious” position, threatening their livelihood.
French actor Louis Garrell, who stars in Quentin Dupieux’s The Second Act, this year’s opening night film in Cannes, Portuguese director Miguel Gomes, whose latest feature, Grand Tour, will premiere in Cannes competition this year, actor/director Ariane Labed, whose directorial debut, September Says, is set to premiere in the festival’s Un Certain Regard section, and Japan’s Koji Yamamaura, whose new short film Extremely Short was picked for this year’s Directors’ Fortnight lineup, are among the signatories...
They have signed a petition backing the demands of a collective representing the interests of French film festival workers who claim changes to labor laws have put freelance workers in Cannes and other festivals in a “precarious” position, threatening their livelihood.
French actor Louis Garrell, who stars in Quentin Dupieux’s The Second Act, this year’s opening night film in Cannes, Portuguese director Miguel Gomes, whose latest feature, Grand Tour, will premiere in Cannes competition this year, actor/director Ariane Labed, whose directorial debut, September Says, is set to premiere in the festival’s Un Certain Regard section, and Japan’s Koji Yamamaura, whose new short film Extremely Short was picked for this year’s Directors’ Fortnight lineup, are among the signatories...
- 5/10/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Even after decades of masked killers armed with increasingly ludicrous weapons, cinemagoers still flock to theaters to experience the raw thrills of watching homicidal maniacs hunt the most dangerous game. And while there’s nothing wrong with filmmakers choosing to rely on tried-and-true formulas when depicting classic cat-and-mouse conflicts, the sheer amount of these movies means that horror fans often find themselves wishing for riskier takes on these familiar ideas.
Thankfully, there are some brave filmmakers out there that use of the basic premise of a slasher as a jumping off point to tell more creative stories. A recent example of this is Chris Nash’s highly ambitious In a Violent Nature, a Friday-the-13th-inspired horror film told from the melancholy perspective of the undead killer himself. And with the film impressing genre fans with its artsy reinvention of common clichés, we’ve decided to come up with a...
Thankfully, there are some brave filmmakers out there that use of the basic premise of a slasher as a jumping off point to tell more creative stories. A recent example of this is Chris Nash’s highly ambitious In a Violent Nature, a Friday-the-13th-inspired horror film told from the melancholy perspective of the undead killer himself. And with the film impressing genre fans with its artsy reinvention of common clichés, we’ve decided to come up with a...
- 5/9/2024
- by Luiz H. C.
- bloody-disgusting.com
Music Box Films has acquired U.S. distribution rights to “Daaaaaalí!,” the latest film by Quentin Dupieux whose upcoming movie “The Second Act” will world premiere on opening night at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
A comedic and unpredictable tribute to Salvador Dalí, “Daaaaaalí!” premiered out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, followed by screenings at the BFI London Film Festival and Rotterdam.
In “Daaaaaalí!,” a French journalist repeatedly meets Dalí to begin an interview for a documentary film project that never starts shooting. Anaïs Demoustier stars as a journalist attempting to pin down the eccentric and elusive Salvador Dalí, who is played by five different actors, Edouard Baer, Jonathan Cohen, Gilles Lellouche, Pio Marmaï, and Didier Flamand.
Music Box Films will release “Daaaaaalí!” theatrically later this year with a home entertainment release to follow.
“We were thoroughly charmed by the playful, antic spirit of Quentin Dupieux’s film,...
A comedic and unpredictable tribute to Salvador Dalí, “Daaaaaalí!” premiered out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, followed by screenings at the BFI London Film Festival and Rotterdam.
In “Daaaaaalí!,” a French journalist repeatedly meets Dalí to begin an interview for a documentary film project that never starts shooting. Anaïs Demoustier stars as a journalist attempting to pin down the eccentric and elusive Salvador Dalí, who is played by five different actors, Edouard Baer, Jonathan Cohen, Gilles Lellouche, Pio Marmaï, and Didier Flamand.
Music Box Films will release “Daaaaaalí!” theatrically later this year with a home entertainment release to follow.
“We were thoroughly charmed by the playful, antic spirit of Quentin Dupieux’s film,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Meryl Streep is set to receive the highest honor at the Cannes 2024 ceremony.
The Oscar winner has been announced to be feted with the honorary Palme d’Or on the opening night of the 77th annual festival; Variety first reported the news. Streep has not been to Cannes in exactly 35 years, since winning best actress for 1989’s “Evil Angels a Cry in the Dark” directed by Fred Schepisi.
Michael Douglas received the opening ceremony honorary Palme d’Or award in 2023.
Streep’s career has ranged from Academy Award-nominated turns in dramas such as “Sophie’s Choice” to musicals like “Into the Woods.” Streep’s rom-com efforts have marked collaborations with Nancy Meyers and other iconic filmmakers. She most recently starred in Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building,” following her former “Big Little Lies” TV role. Streep was recently honored by the Academy Museum Gala in 2023 for her career achievements.
As previously announced,...
The Oscar winner has been announced to be feted with the honorary Palme d’Or on the opening night of the 77th annual festival; Variety first reported the news. Streep has not been to Cannes in exactly 35 years, since winning best actress for 1989’s “Evil Angels a Cry in the Dark” directed by Fred Schepisi.
Michael Douglas received the opening ceremony honorary Palme d’Or award in 2023.
Streep’s career has ranged from Academy Award-nominated turns in dramas such as “Sophie’s Choice” to musicals like “Into the Woods.” Streep’s rom-com efforts have marked collaborations with Nancy Meyers and other iconic filmmakers. She most recently starred in Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building,” following her former “Big Little Lies” TV role. Streep was recently honored by the Academy Museum Gala in 2023 for her career achievements.
As previously announced,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Meryl Streep will receive the honorary Palme d’Or on the opening night of the 77th edition of Cannes Film Festival, Variety has learned.
Luring the Oscar winner is yet another feat for this Cannes edition, which will bring together a flurry Hollywood legends. Notably, George Lucas will receive the honorary Palme d’Or during the closing ceremony; Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” and Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada” are playing in competition; and George Miller‘s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and Kevin Costner’s Western epic “Horizon, an American Saga” are playing out of competition. Streep will be also in good company at the festival with “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig serving as jury president. The pair worked together on “Little Women.”
The honorary tribute will mark Streep’s long-awaited return to Cannes after decades. It appears that her last trip to the festival dates back to Fred Schepisi...
Luring the Oscar winner is yet another feat for this Cannes edition, which will bring together a flurry Hollywood legends. Notably, George Lucas will receive the honorary Palme d’Or during the closing ceremony; Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” and Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada” are playing in competition; and George Miller‘s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and Kevin Costner’s Western epic “Horizon, an American Saga” are playing out of competition. Streep will be also in good company at the festival with “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig serving as jury president. The pair worked together on “Little Women.”
The honorary tribute will mark Streep’s long-awaited return to Cannes after decades. It appears that her last trip to the festival dates back to Fred Schepisi...
- 5/2/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
"Total nonsense, don't listen to what they're saying." Unifrance has revealed the first look teaser trailer for the new film from Quentin Dupieux titled The Second Act, which will be the Opening Night premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival this month. The fest kicks off May 14th – and this will be screening on that same day and opening in French theaters, too. Dupieux has been cranking out films non-stop, with Smoking Causes Coughing, Yannick, and Daaaaaali! just in the last few years. This next one stars Léa Seydoux as Florence, Louis Garrel as David, Vincent Lindon as Guillaume, and Raphaël Quenard as Willy, plus Manuel Guillot as Stephane and Françoise Gazio as Rose. Here is the setup: Florence (Seydoux) wants to introduce David (Garrel), the man she's madly in love with, to her father, Guillaume (Lindon). But David isn't attracted to Florence and wants to throw her into the arms...
- 5/1/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Cannes begins, against all reason, two weeks from today, and with it comes the trailer for this year’s opening-night selection. (Arriving in French theaters the same day is no doubt further incentive to get the marketing machine rolling.) Quentin Dupieux’s Le Deuxième Acte (The Second Act) stars Léa Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel, Manuel Guillot, and the director’s mainstay Raphaël Quenard, and at a slim 76 minutes suggest one of the breezier starts the festival’s had in some time.
Although the official synopsis is rather straightforward––”Florence wants to introduce David, the man she’s madly in love with, to her father Guillaume. But David isn’t attracted to Florence and wants to throw her into the arms of his friend Willy. The four characters meet in a restaurant in the middle of nowhere”––this preview hints at the rather meta approach Seydoux revealed in an interview:...
Although the official synopsis is rather straightforward––”Florence wants to introduce David, the man she’s madly in love with, to her father Guillaume. But David isn’t attracted to Florence and wants to throw her into the arms of his friend Willy. The four characters meet in a restaurant in the middle of nowhere”––this preview hints at the rather meta approach Seydoux revealed in an interview:...
- 4/30/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton is set to receive Variety’s International Visionary Award at the Cannes Film Festival where the company will have multiple films playing across the Official Selection.
The award will pay tribute to Capton’s trailblazing track record at the helm of Mediawan, the company he founded with investment banker Mathieu Pigasse and telecom billionaire Xavier Niel in late 2015. Mediawan is now a global production powerhouse encompassing more than 85 labels around the world, having just announced its acquisition of Leonine, a leading German distribution-production company.
The combined group comprises Brad Pitt’s Plan B (“Bob Marley: One Love”) in the U.S., France’s On Entertainment (“Miraculous”), Hugo Selignac’s Chi-Fou-Mi (“Beating Hearts”), Dimitri Rassam’s Chapter 2, Italy’s Palomar (“The Count of Monte Cristo”), as well as Drama Republic and Misfits Entertainment (“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”) in the U.K and Wiedemann & Berg Film (“The Lives Of Others...
The award will pay tribute to Capton’s trailblazing track record at the helm of Mediawan, the company he founded with investment banker Mathieu Pigasse and telecom billionaire Xavier Niel in late 2015. Mediawan is now a global production powerhouse encompassing more than 85 labels around the world, having just announced its acquisition of Leonine, a leading German distribution-production company.
The combined group comprises Brad Pitt’s Plan B (“Bob Marley: One Love”) in the U.S., France’s On Entertainment (“Miraculous”), Hugo Selignac’s Chi-Fou-Mi (“Beating Hearts”), Dimitri Rassam’s Chapter 2, Italy’s Palomar (“The Count of Monte Cristo”), as well as Drama Republic and Misfits Entertainment (“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”) in the U.K and Wiedemann & Berg Film (“The Lives Of Others...
- 4/29/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
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