TIFF '24: For the Dead and the Dying and Those Left Behind

by Cláudio Alves

Vincent Cassel and Guy pearce in David Cronenberg's THE SHROUDS.

All of us are on a long journey into death, set on a collision course with the great end that nothing can entirely prevent and no one can avoid forever. Artists are no different, mere mortals like the rest of us. However, the nature of their work means those persons' relationship with our collective finality may take unexpected forms, many of them public. Whether a creator wants it or not, when the finish line comes into conscious sight, their creation shall reflect it. Mortality subsumes the art, even when buried deep within layers of escapism, deflection, and delusion. The brave ones disregard such distractions and stare at the monster head-on. For them, late style is a cinema of death.

Consider the most recent works from two of our greatest masters – David Cronenberg and Paul Schrader. The Shrouds and Oh, Canada are meditations on mortality, made for the dead and dying and, most importantly, those left behind, waiting for their own end…

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Cannes Diary: "Bird" from Andrea Arnold, "Oh Canada" from Paul Schrader, and more...

by Elisa Giudici

BIRD

A couple of renowned names in competition have presented less-than-perfect movies, while newcomers have showcased some convincing entries today at Cannes Film Festival.

BIRD by Andrea Arnold
Since Fish Tank, I've never quite rekindled my enthusiasm for Andrea Arnold's films. However, Bird came very close. Some may argue that it feels more like a feature-length attempt to mimic Arnold's style than an actual Arnold film, but I personally found it compelling...

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Cannes at Home: Day 4 – Guilt Trips

by Cláudio Alves

KINDS OF KINDNESS (2024) Yorgos Lanthimos

After the uproar Megalopolis caused, day four at the Cannes Film Festival was bound to pale in comparison. Nevertheless, it was a busy time at the Croisette, with three Main Competition films making their bows. First was Emanuel Pârvu's Three Miles to the End of the World, which was thought to be a strong contender for the Queer Palm before being met with tepid reviews. Next was Yorgos Lanthimos' Kinds of Kindness, an anthological reunion between the director and his erstwhile writing partner, Efthymis Filippou. The well-reviewed picture marks their first collaboration since 2017. Finally, beloved auteur and Facebook nuisance Paul Schrader presented Oh, Canada, ruminating on mortality and regret. 

Walking down memory lane into these directors' past work, let's consider a tryptic bound by themes of guilt. They're Pârvu's Mikado, Lanthimos' The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Schrader's Light Sleeper…

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Cannes 2024: Coppola and Cronenberg in Competition

by Cláudio Alves

Early this morning, journalists congregated around Thierry Frémaux for the announcement of the 77th Cannes Film Festival Official Selection. The director shared titles from various sections, confirming some suspected rumors and setting the world of cinephilia abuzz. As ever, the main focus is on the Competition titles, as the next Palme d'Or may be among the films already announced. But of course, a project or two are usually added before the festivities start at the Croisette, so our champion may remain in mystery. Many predicted Audrey Diwan's Emmanuelle remake to be selected, for instance, but the Happening director was notoriously absent from today's dispatch.

In the past few years, The Film Experience has had two parallel coverages, and we hope to keep the tradition. There's Elisa Giudici on the ground, reviewing new films through her festival diary. And then there's my Cannes at Home project, focused on past projects by the competing auteurs. Let's go down the list…

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Everything's coming up Jacob

by Cláudio Alves

With Priscilla in theaters and Saltburn on the horizon, it's a good time to be Jacob Elordi. Or, alternatively, one of his fans. After terrorizing the characters of Euphoria and skating by the Kissing Booth movies without much effort, the Australian actor is proving to be a force to be reckoned with and an auteur magnet to boot. For Sofia Coppola, he's Elvis perceived through a prism of domestic nightmare, proposing a take on the legend that should be antithetical to last year's Luhrmann-directed biopic. In Emerald Fennell's sophomore feature, his statuesque figure is framed as an object of perilous desire cum obsession, like a British twist on Highsmith's Dickie Greenleaf. It's fair to say that the erstwhile HBO hunk is on his way to becoming a movie star…

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