There are a lot of films that are selected in this year’s Cannes Film Festival. From all different genres and in diverse languages there is as ever a great selection of wonderful movies to see.
Here are some films that are on my list to see.
HIGHEST 2 LOWEST
Directed by the legendry Spike Lee who is reunited with long time collaborator Denzel Washington and featuring the versatile Jeffery Wright, this story is about a powerful music mogul facing a deadly moral crisis when he’s targeted in a ransom scheme. This is a modern-day New York thriller where Spike blends crime, power and conscience on the city’s gritty streets. This should be a good thriller to watch as most Spike Lee films have a deeper meaning to them that just traditional action.
DOSSIE 137 (Case 137)
I think I have come to terms with liking subtitle films, and I love detective stories, so I think this will be right up my street. This French crime drama is about a detective who investigates a case, which takes a personal turn when she discovers the victim is from her hometown. I find that sometimes the international detective films have a better script and more twists and turns than their American rivals. It is directed by Dominik Moll and stars Lea Drucker.
HISTORY OF SOUND
This might be the movie that I am looking forward to the most. I love historical and romance movies, so this drama directed by Oliver Hermanus is perfect viewing for me. It is based on a short story about the relationship between two men who first meet in 1916 and then travel together in the summer of 1919 to record folk songs of their countrymen in rural new England. The actors that are playing these men are Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal. Both actors are brilliant, and I am intrigued how this movie will turn out.
ELEANOR THE GREAT
This production is Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut. Eleanor the great is about 94-year-old women who is unexpectedly thrust into New York for a fresh start and longing for connection, befriends a 19-year-old. The witty and troublesome old lady is played by June Squibb and supported by Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor. A moving tearjerker is guaranteed.
THE PROSECUTORS
This is another historical movie. Sorry. In 1937 Stalinist USSR, a prosecutor’s discovery of a hidden prisoner’s letter exposes deep NKVD corruption, sending him on a perilous quest for justice within a regime that consumes its own. Directed by Sergey Loznista and with all the actors Ukrainian/Russian this could prove to be the sensation of the festival.
Let’s see if any of these films will be up for the Palme D’Or and if they will be nominated come award season next year.