Cannes has a soft spot for Scottish director Ken Loach. His latest film, The Angels' Share, is his eleventh film in competition and he even won the Palme d'Or for The Wind That Shakes the Barley back in 2006. His latest, a comedy — or perhaps more precisely a dramatic-comedy — is a rarity of sorts for the director who is accustomed to critical acclaim though his well-crafted films can leave audiences depressed. But The Angels' Share involves a pack of offenders hoping to turn good, a last ditch crime, and a whole lot of high brow whiskey. The story serves as one more canvas for the plight of the working class. And for this screening, Cannes used subtitles to guide audiences through the characters' thick Scottish brogue.
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Politics lurched to the forefront Tuesday in Cannes as director Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly took its turn as the spotlighted world premiere here. But this isn't just any world premiere: This one featured Brad Pitt, who manages to still excite even some otherwise jaded festival attendees.
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Also in Tuesday morning's news round up: Icon will produce Lee Daniels' next project, James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain team for a double-feature, Zac Efron and Seth Rogen will pair for a new project, and more...
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As Cannes hits the half-way mark Monday night with the world premiere of Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's Like Someone in Love, momentum for the coveted top prize, the Palme d'Or, appears — for now — to be with German-born director Michael Haneke's Amour (Love). Not to say there are not some strong fellow contenders, and the whims of any jury member may run counter, near or parallel to general opinion. But here are some of Palme d'Or's other big suitors at the mid-way point.
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It seems Roger Ebert was unable to make the trek to Cannes, but his wife (and Ebert Co. VP) Chaz sends a report from the South of France with a fantastic breakdown of the fest's offerings — and sweet words for Rog back home: "Today there may not be starlets jumping nude in the ocean, but we are still being given stories of young love and old love and passion and feelings and ideas that make life worth living. Thank you for introducing me to this world. Now I just want you to hurry back to it." [Chicago Sun-Times]
Also in Monday morning's mostly Cannes news briefs: Samuel Goldwyn picks up Un Certain Regard debut for U.S., James Franco's collaborator heads to premiere documentary festival, Thomas Vinterberg resurfaces in Cannes with his latest, and for those lamenting a "No-Cannes-Do" this year, the weather has been pretty abysmal.
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Storms and a windy chill in Cannes Sunday morning somehow fit well for the premiere of German-born director Michael Haneke's Amour (Love). Haneke's minimal but powerful story of an elderly Parisian couple who are suddenly faced with illness and life's sunset spurred rapturous applause following a mostly hushed pre-screening this morning ahead of the festival premiere tonight. Again, talk of Palme d'Or or other festival prizes swirled among attendees.
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Also in Saturday's (mostly) Cannes related news round up, actress Isabella Rossellini gets a new festival jury gig, Lincoln Center teams with Dubai to spotlight Arab cinema, and two groups join for a $150 million equity fund for indie filmmakers. Also check out this weekend's specialty film releases.
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Born in Australia and raised in Canada, John Hillcoat spent a lot of time in America growing up taking family vacations through the American south, which provides the backdrop for his Cannes competition feature
Lawless, which will have its world premiere here Saturday night. Starring Shia Labeouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska, the film is inspired by the true-life stories of Matt Bondurant's own family in his novel,
The Wettest County in the World and adapted for the screen by rocker Nick Cave.
Lawless centers on the Bondurant brothers, gangsters who sought success bootlegging in Prohibition-era Virginia.
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Undoubtedly there will be tons of photographers and screaming fans outside as Ben Stiller, Jessica Chastain, Chris Rock, Martin Short, Jada Pinkett-Smith and David Schwimmer ascend the steps at the Palais des Festivals for the world premiere of their latest film. And it will be the best look at them that the crowd will have all night, particularly since they won't be onscreen — the movie is Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted.
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Ain't no party like a Bill Murray dance party? Vulture had a front row seat at Cannes: "At the request of [Moonrise Kingdom co-star Jared] Gilman, who just had his bar mitzvah and has a taste for dub-step, Bill Murray led the troop onto the dance floor, where the four kids and their accompanying man-child wiggled and jumped around with abandon. It was a scene of such next-level adorability that nearly everyone in the immediate vicinity pulled out a camera phone. 'We're just chilling! We're just chilling!' Murray shouted out as he put the kibosh on each video in turn. Then he'd go back to more happy wriggling to songs like 'I'm So Excited.'" [Vulture]
Reality TV is getting the Cannes treatment at the world's premiere film festival. Italian director Matteo Garrone (pictured above right with actor Nando Paone) brought Reality to the fest's competition, following up his critically acclaimed gangster pic Gomorrah several years ago. The film centers on a village fisherman who sacrifices everything for the perceived chance to become a reality-television celebrity.
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The 2012 Cannes Film Festival is underway (catch up with Movieline's coverage from the French Riviera here), and plenty of stars have already traipsed the Croisette. See Marion Cotillard, Sean Penn, Bill Murray, Jada Pinkett Smith, Naomi Watts, Eva Longoria, Freida Pinto, Jane Fonda, Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, and more in Movieline's gallery of red carpet looks and candid shots from Cannes.
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Also in Friday morning's news round up, The Weinstein Company picks up a pair of films (including a documentary by Bernard-Henri Lévy), Boy Toy gets a leading lady, North America is set to Sleep Tight, and more...
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Also in this afternoon's Biz Break: Almodóvar's next is up for grabs at Cannes, Liam Neeson to take a Walk, Elvira is looking for your horror films, and more...
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