The long strike that paralyzed Hollywood last year impacted film releases, many of which were pushed back to 2025. However, the Americans, from whom a handful of legends are expected on the Croisette, will also be the event at the next Cannes Film Festival from May 14 to 25. Detailed review.
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American cinema can never be missing from the celebration of world cinema, the Cannes Film Festival. The historic actors’ strike of 2023 in Hollywood, which brought filming to a standstill for many months (118 days), has changed (almost) nothing. This year too, the Americans will be in large numbers and will host an event on the Croisette. “American cinema is affected“through the strike because”some films weren’t finished yet“, recognized the general delegate of the festival Thierry Frémaux on Thursday morning during the presentation of the official selection of films in competition. But “American cinema will be fully present“In this 77th issue, he acknowledged in the same breath and gave a passing shout-out to Columbia Pictures.”which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and will celebrate it in Cannes“.
“CCelebrating both young prodigies and living legends has always been the festival’s DNA“, recalled the president of the festival, Iris Knobloch. And in terms of legend, the Americans will be particularly honored from May 14 to 25, 2024.
Three holy monsters from the golden age of Hollywood
First of all, it’s George Lucas, the father of sagas war of stars et Indiana Jones, who will be awarded the Palme d’Or during the closing ceremony on Saturday, May 25th. The 79-year-old producer and director brought so many heroes into the film legend that he himself became a symbol“, summarized Iris Knobloch.
Another monster of American cinema from the golden age of Hollywood, Francis Ford Coppola, the director of Godfather and D’Apocalypse now, will come to present his latest film, Megalopolis, the most anticipated feature film of the entire official competition. ““Better in the heart of the Cannes Film Festival”As Thierry Frémaux pointed out on Thursday morning, the 85-year-old director is part of “from the quite exclusive club“Winner of two Palms of Gold (received for Secret conversation in 1974 and for Apocalypse now in 1979). Pharaonic project that the filmmaker had for a long time, Megalopolis is a science fiction story starring Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito.
Also expected on the red carpet is Kevin Costner, 69, who will present the world premiere of the first part of his tetralogy Horizon, an American saga. Costner, who in addition to his work as an actor “is a very great director who has created a long adaptation of the Conquest of Americae,” revealed Thierry Frémaux on Thursday. “It’s a western, it lasts three hours, everything is there, cowboys, Indians, stagecoaches, caravans” he added when he saw in this feature film “a great persistence on Costner’s part to continue to engage with his country’s history.“
Among the major American studios, Warner “eExtremely loyal to Cannes“, Thierry Frémaux recalled on Thursday. For director George Miller, Warner chose the Croisette to present a world premiere Angrythe new part of the franchise Crazy Maxa prequel whose cast notably includes Anna Taylor-Hoy and Chris Hemsworth.
Young guard, new wave and curiosities to watch out for
As for the young guard, the festival has done a great job by entrusting the keys to the 2024 verdict to Hollywood’s new darling: Greta Gerwig, 40 years old, director of Barbie, last year’s biggest box office hit, will chair the jury. The first American filmmaker to take on the role, who has long been a muse of independent cinema as an actress, screenwriter and director (Frances Ha, Lady Bird, Daughters of Doctor March…) East “a free young woman, full of ideas, life and talent”, emphasized Iris Knobloch. While we don’t yet know the names of the artists who will surround her on this jury, her open and imaginative spirit suggests some delightful, unusual awards to come.
Although the Americans do not dominate the official selection this year, we still notice a handful of attractive films from the USA Oh Canada by Paul Schrader and his great cast: Richard Gere (the return), Uma Thurman and Jacob Elordi. That is'”a dark but not sad comedy about aging, based on a screenplay by Russell Banks, his last to be made into a film, about looking back on youth, about the events and mistakes of a life“, explained Thierry Frémaux.
Among the curiosities to look out for are us Anora by Sean Baker, representative of “the American New Wave“, whose film follows a sex worker’s journey between New York and Las Vegas. And out of competition and in the midnight screening The surfer from the Australian director Lorcan Finnegan, starring the American Nicolas Cage.
Made in the USA but sourced elsewhere
But there are not only American directors in Hollywood. The official selection includes three foreign filmmakers, starting with the Greek Yórgos Lánthimos, whose previous feature film Poor creatures won the Golden Lion at the 2023 Venice Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Actress for Emma Stone. He is back Types of kindnessa fascinating triptych fable for which he reunites with his favorite actress Emma Stone.
The Danish director of Iranian origin Ali Abassi is taking part The Apprentice about Donald Trump’s younger years when he was a young real estate entrepreneur in the 1970s and 1980s. A topic that could not be more timely, a few months before the American presidential elections, which will most likely oppose the former Republican president and current Democratic tenant of the White House Joe Biden, on November 5th.
The Frenchwoman Coralie Fargeat is finally supposed to draw attention to herself with her second feature film, The substance, a genre film produced by Universal and starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Ray Liotta. That is a “It was thought to be a bloody film, which was protected because there is a lot of blood in it., warned Thierry Frémaux. Finally, the general delegate still wished for a celebration.”peaceful, peaceful and generous” Or “We will only talk about cinema“.
