What an iconic pose DiCaprio strikes dancing with a trio of modest school girls in "Once Upon A Time In...Hollywood." The film opens on July 26th. Be there or be square. Continue reading

Liberals do not demand change; they ask nicely. Because they oppose violence and credible threats of violence, they tacitly oppose fundamental change in the existing structure of politics and society. Unlike leftists they are unwilling to risk their petty privileges in order to obtain the reforms they claim to crave. So, when push comes to shove, liberals will ultimately sell out their radical allies to the powers that be. And they will run away at the first sign of state oppression.If you can’t trust your ally, they are no ally at all. Continue reading

Cinema is dead. Good thing then that we have Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood" to serve as our mutual cinematic memorial service. QT says this is his last film. There's your proof that Cinema is truly over. I'll never forget meeting Quentin by the press lockers in the Palais in Cannes the day after the premiere of "Reservoir Dogs." I'd slept in my tux the night before when I shook T's hand and told him how his movie had kicked my ass. He said, "that's exactly what I wanted to hear."Quentin was generous enough to record a three-hour podcast for his L.A. cinema The New Beverly. Check it out! Continue reading

At a time when Hollywood has lost its mojo, low budget indie films such as “Ghost Light” come with simple theatrical pleasures that remind us there is a world of talented, inspired artists who have not fallen prey to America’s industrial Cinema complex of military indoctrination — see any superhero movie made in the last 15 years Continue reading

Poor lighting and a production design that puts your feet to sleep, underscore a film whose hollow religiosity and misdirected sentimentality sit in your stomach like a slow-working poison. “The Outsider” could be taught in film classes as an example of what not to do as a screenwriter. Exploitation is one thing (see “Machete” for an example of a good one), but you have to know the rules of the game. Director Timothy Woodward Jr. and his screenwriter just want a paycheck. Theirs is not a product worth paying to see. Continue reading

Hindered by faulty construction and lax editing that tires out the audience long before its two-hour run time passes, “Rocketman” is nonetheless an energetic fantasy version of Elton John’s incredible career in music. Continue reading

COMPETITIONPalme d’Or: “Parasite,” Bong Joon-hoGrand Prix: “Atlantics,” Mati DiopDirector: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, “Young Ahmed”Actor: Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”Actress: Emily Beecham, “Little Joe”Jury Prize — TIE: “Les Misérables,” Ladj Ly; “Bacurau,” Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano DornellesScreenplay: Céline Sciamma, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”Special Mention: “It Must Be Heaven,” Elia SuleimanOTHER PRIZESCamera d’Or: “Our Mothers,” Cesar DiazShort Films Palme d’Or: “The Distance Between the Sky and Us,” Vasilis KekatosShort Films Special Mention: “Monster God,” Agustina San MartinGolden Eye Documentary Prize: “For Sama”Ecumenical Jury Prize: “Hidden Life,” Terrence MalickQueer Palm: “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” Céline SciammaUN CERTAIN REGARDUn Certain Regard Award: “The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão,” Karim AïnouzJury Prize: “Fire Will Come,” Oliver LaxeBest Director: Kantemir Balagov, “Beanpole”Best Performance: Chiara Mastroianni, “On a Magical Night”Special Jury Prize: Albert Serra, “Liberté”Special Jury Mention “Joan of Arc,” Bruno DumontCoup de Coeur Award: “A Brother’s Love,” Monia Chokri; “The Climb,” Michael Angelo CovinoDIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHTSociety of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: “An Easy Girl,” Rebecca ZlotowskiEuropa Cinemas Label: “Alice and the Mayor,” Nicolas ParisierIlly Short Film Award: “Stay Awake, Be Ready,” An Pham ThienCRITICS’ WEEKNespresso Grand Prize: “I Lost My Body,” Jérémy ClapinSociety of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: César Díaz, “Our Mothers”GAN Foundation Award for Distribution: The Jokers Films, French distributor for “Vivarium” by Lorcan FinneganLouis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award: Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, “A White, White Day” Continue reading

French actor/writer/director Rebecca Zlotowsky strikes Cannes gold a second time with her fourth feature. Ms. Zlotowsky's second film "Grand Central" won the François Chalais Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2013 Continue reading

Congratulations to Bong Joon-Ho on his Palme d'Or win in Cannes this year! I'm really looking forward to seeing "Parasite"! Continue reading

Brazillian filmmaker Karim Aïnouz returns to Cannes; his 2002 debut film "Madame Sata" also screened in Un Certain Regard. Fortune shone on "The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão" yesterday when Aïnouz's seventh film won Cannes Un Certain Regard award. Continue reading

"All unemployed, Ki-taek’s family takes peculiar interest in the Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident." "Parasite" is a critical darling at Cannes this year; it is poised for a Palme d'Or win if the trade winds on the Riviera are true. Continue reading

First-time filmmaker Ladj Ly makes a splash at Cannes by having his debut feature included in the Competition for the Palme d'Or. Festival buzz says Ly's impressive film could take the coveted prize. The Parisian Ly has worked as an actor and documentary filmmaker, and is notably one of the founding members of the Kourtrajamé artists collective that includes a free film school open to students over 18. Ladj Ly seems to be on the verge of rich career as an auteur. Continue reading

Robert Eggers (“The Witch”) is a true renaissance man. Production and costume designer, art director, writer, actor, and director represent Eggers’s resume of work that have brought him to making “The Lighthouse,” a film that promises to make a powerful impact on audiences. This black-and-white darling of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival screens in the old-fashioned style of silent pictures with a 1.19:1 aspect ratio (a nearly perfect square). Continue reading

"Wild Goose Lake" is Chinese director, screenwriter, actor Diao Yinan's third directorial effort behind "Uniform" (2003), "Night Train" (which premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2007), and "Black Coal, Thin Ice" (Winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival. 2014). Continue reading

British actor Matt Smith plays Charles Manson in director Mary Harron's biographical drama. Harron credits Quentin Tarantino's Cannes premiere-screening "Once Upon a Time In Hollywood" for getting her film made. "Charlie Says" opens in limited engagements this week (May 16). Check it out and pretend that it's opening in Cannes. This movie fits the bill. Continue reading

"Colombian director, screenwriter and producer, Franco Lolli graduated from the prestigious cinema school of La Fémis in France, before making short films like Como todo el mundo (Grand Jury Prize, Clermont-Ferrand 2007) and Rodri(selected at Directors' Fortnight, Cannes 2012). His first feature, Gente de bien, was presented at La Semaine de la Critique in 2014, before being selected in more than seventy international festivals. His second feature film Litigante will open the 58th Semaine de la Critique." Continue reading

Journalism is in trouble. Writers of articles pointing this out typically argue that this is really bad for democracy or America or whatever. Anyone who disagrees is too stupid to read this so I won’t bother to repeat this obviousness. Such writers also point out contemporaneous evidence of the media apocalypse; here are the three I came across this week. Continue reading

Kleber Mendonça Filho returns to Cannes since screening his well-received film "Aquarius" in 2016. The Brazilian filmmaker teams up with Juliano Dornelles to co-direct "Bacurau." This one looks to be a crowd-pleaser right out the gate. Continue reading

A look at the friendship between two guys that spans over many years. Continue reading

Unable to manifest love towards her child, she has replaced tenderness with pragmatism. When Samia, a young woman who is heavily pregnant knocks on her door, seeking shelter and overwhelmed by the weight of her burden of giving birth to a child without a father, Alba is unaware that this chance encounter will change her forever. Continue reading

Cannes regulars Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne bring their eighth film to the Competition for the Palme d'Or, for which the brothers have won twice — in 1999 ("Rosetta") and in 2005 for L'Enfant." Known for their sensitivity to the complexities of social issues, "Young Ahmed" will be under a microscope in Cannes. The Dardennes will surely be up for the discussion that follows. Continue reading

French-Senegalese actress/writer/director Mati Diop screens her debut premiere feature in Competition with "Antlantics." Continue reading

"Nedjma, an 18 year-old student passionate about fashion design refuses to let the tragic events of the Algerian Civil War to keep her from experiencing a normal life and going out at night with her friend Wassila. As the social climate becomes more conservative, she rejects the new bans set by the radicals and decides to fight for her freedom and independence by putting up a fashion show." Continue reading

"After discovering a disturbing video from a night she doesn’t remember, sixteen-year-old Mandy must try to figure out what happened and how to navigate the escalating fallout."Writer/director Pippa Bianco's short film "Share," upon which her debut feature film is based, won Cinéfondation’s First Prize at Cannes in 2015."Share" will appear at this year's festival in Cannes Special Screenings. Continue reading

Writer/director Annie Silverstein is an award winning filmmaker and youth worker based in Austin, Texas. Continue reading