Cannes: The cowboys of Almodóvar

Elisa Giudici reporting from Cannes

Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke as lovers in "Strange Way of Life". © Sony Pictures Classics

After 25 years, two former hired guns meet again in a small town in the Far West. After crossing the desert, Silva (Pedro Pascal) arrives at Bitter Creek where his old friend and ex-lover Jake (Ethan Hawke) has become sheriff. The two share a dinner and then a night of passion, but as they make the bed together (a tender first time in Western movies history, according to the director) hidden meanings, old wounds, and possible hidden agendas on both sides emerge in a heated discussion.

As usual, 30 minutes of Almodovar can be more impactful and memorable than three hour from other auteurs...

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Doc Corner: 'Museum of the Revolution'

By Glenn Charlie Dunks

In director Srđan Keča’s Museum of the Revolution (Muzej revolucije), the titular building is never seen as it was once envisioned. A tribute to communism in an area now recognised as Serbia, plans were abandoned following the breakup of Yugoslavia. The opening frames of this sobering documentary feature silent, sepia-toned (to the point of orange) archival footage of what appear to be a groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation of Belgrade after the war full of hope and promise (however politically misguided). The museum was never completed.

We quickly learn that the remnants of it sit abandoned and derelict, a shelter from the elements for homeless peoples. Among them is Mara and her daughter, Milica, as well as an elderly woman named Vera who acts sometimes as babysitter, attempting to empart any bit of wisdom onto the girl. In what was meant to be a monument to revolution, now sits as a stark reminder of what society does with the remains of progress.

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Cannes at Home: Day 3 – A Cinema of Violence

by Cláudio Alves

The third day of the festival, second day of competition screeners, brought with it our first big Cannes stinker of the year, as well as a potential prize magnet. Starting with the catastrophe, Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire's Black Flies, which stars Sean Penn, incurred the wrath of many a critic. In more positive news, Chinese documentarian Wang Bing presented the first part of a tetralogy project (Youth or Spring are the alternate English language titles), a three-hour-plus epic of observational cinema concerning the lives of young laborers in China's garment industry. Could this be a significant contender for end-of-the-festival honors?

For the Cannes at Home project, let's consider how these two auteurs have dedicated much of their careers to depicting violence – Sauvaire the brutality of war and combat, Wang the horrors of exploitation. With that in mind, our films for today (both available to stream) are Johnny Mad Dog and Bitter Money…

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Cannes: Harrison Ford in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"

Elisa Giudici reporting from Cannes

I was one of the lucky ones able to reserve a ticket to one of just two screenings of the hottest movie of 2023. So I felt like an intruder at the end, when a substantial portion of the audience clapped and cheered. I couldn't stop thinking of the incredible amount of money used to do absolutely nothing original or relevant. The good news, at least, is that those who feel a particularly special bond to the Indiana Jones franchise will probably enjoy seeing Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

While James Mangold is no Steven Spielberg, it's important to note what he's up against here... 

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The great James Ivory is getting a documentary!

by Nathaniel R

Image credit: Frazer Harrison at Getty ImagesThose of you who have read The Film Experience for a long time know that we're huge fans of 94 year old living legend director James Ivory. I've personally interviewed him (a total dream) and we've done a deep retrospective dive on his 1986 classic A Room With a View. and talked about many of his other films too like Howards End, Call Me By Your Name, and Remains of the Day. Now comes word that this master is getting the biographical documentary feature treatment from Christopher Manning, who previously directed award-winning shorts in the UK. 

The film, currently in production, will be called James Ivory: In Search of Love and Beauty. It follows Ivory's life from his youth to his rise to international acclaim.  

A bit more from the press release...

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