It’s very easy to get lost in the Cannes lineup. Considering the flurry of the expected choices you’re quite excited for, the disappointment of what didn’t work its way in (whither Weerasethakul?), and the occasional appearance of an unknown name — we all have our blind spots, and even some contemporary films are rather difficult to find — one might spend years tracking down everything within. So there’s pleasure in highlighting a trio of under-the-radar titles, including an animated feature that, as far as my perfectly curated Twitter feed is concerned, few (if any) are talking about.
Most important, I think, is Amnesia, the new picture from the great Barbet Schroeder. His first since 2008’s Inju: The Beast in the Shadow stars Marthe Keller and Max Riemelt as Martha and Jo, respectively, an older woman and younger man (also respectively) whose burgeoning relationship begins revealing her dark, tormented inner self. Then there’s Radu Muntean‘s One Floor Below, which follows a man, Pătraşcu, whose life is complicated after witnessing a neighbor murder his wife. Being the director’s follow-up to Tuesday, After Christmas, it’s among Un Certain Regard’s most promising offerings. Finally, Mark Osborne‘s The Little Prince, featuring the voice talents of Mackenzie Foy, Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, James Franco, Marion Cotillard, Benicio Del Toro, and Riley Osborne, and which is expected to arrive in the U.S. via Paramount. [The Playlist, ION Cinema, Variety]
Watch them below (along with a poster for Prince), and then check out the Critics Week lineup:
OPENING FILM
LES ANARCHISTES Elie Wajeman (France)
CLOSING FILM
LEARN BY HEART (LA VIE EN GRAND) Mathieu Vadepied (France)
SPECIAL SCREENING
COIN LOCKER GIRL HAN Jun-hee (South Korea)
LES DEUX AMIS Louis Garrel (France)
FEATURE FILMS IN COMPETITION
DÉGRADÉ Arab & Tarzan Nasser (Palestine, France, Qatar)
KRISHA Trey Edward Shults (USA)
MEDITERRANEA Jonas Carpignano (Italy, France, USA, Germany)
PAULINA Santiago Mitre (Argentina, Brazil, France)
SLEEPING GIANT Andrew Cividino (Canada)
LA TIERRA Y LA SOMBRA (LAND AND SHADE) Cesar Augusto Acevedo (Colombia France, Netherlands, Chili, Brazil)
THE WAKHAN FRONT (NI LE CIEL NI LA TERRE) Clément Cogitore (France, Belgium)
SHORT AND MEDIUM-LENGTH FILMS IN COMPETITION
ALLES WIRD GUT (EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY) Patrick Vollrath (Germany)
BOYS Isabella Carbonell (Sweden)
COMMAND ACTION João Paulo Miranda (Brazil)
THE DRAGON’S DEMISE (LA FIN DU DRAGON) Marina Diaby (France)
THE FOX EXPLOITS THE TIGER’S MIGHT Lucky Kuswandi (Indonesia)
LOVE COMES LATER Sonejuhi Sinha (USA)
MONSTERS TURN INTO LOVERS (JEUNESSE DES LOUPS-GAROUS) Yann Delattre (France)
RAMONA Andrei Cretulescu (Romania)
TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL Kevin Phillips (USA)
VARICELLA Fulvio Risuleo (Italy)
Which of these films are you most anticipating?