Reverb

So there’s one more week left of the Cannes Film Festival and there’s a lot of great competitors for the Palme d’Or this year. There’s a couple of directors I have my eye on. First and foremost would be Sofia Coppola she’s lived up to the pressures of her famous surname quite well with The Virgin Suicides and Lost In Translation.

It’s her debut in this competition with her 3rd feature “Marie Antoinette” which will be a stylized depiction of this famous queen. From the previews I’ve seen it has a pseudo Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo & Juliet” feel to it. Baz Lurhmann also happens to be a director who’s work I quite admire, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy Marie Antoinette. I think Sofia Coppola is definitely more talented behind the camera than in front it’d be nice to see this film take it home.

Then theres Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s contribution “Babel”. It’s another multiple storyline occuring in multiple locations film which should be good coming from the same director that brough “21 Grams”.

Another one to watch for is Shanghai born Ye Lou’s piece “Summer Palace”. It mixes romance with politics and has drawn quite a controversy from it’s own country of origin. It’ll certainly draw more if it wins this year. The film was completely funded with French money even. It’s story follows the love between two university students set against Tiananmen Square and also the fall of the Berlin wall. So you can just imagine.

I’m sure it’ll be completely fair judgement, but hey a few of China’s exports are on the jury this year. Presiding is Wong Kar Wai himself possibly the greatest creator of romance movies, as well as Zi Yi Zhang the youngest person ever to be on the jury.

If you can’t wait for this one to come out check out Ye Lou’s “Suzhao River”. It’s got a very Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” feel to it, including that classic Hitchcock colour to the flick.

Too bad Darren Aronofsky’s film “The Fountain” wasn’t picked for Cannes this year. Apparently they offered a non-competing spot for it to be shown, but it was more an all or nothing kind of affair for them.