Having now seen all 21 films in competition at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, it’s time for predictions. A general observation upfront: Of the 8 times I’ve been to Cannes so far, this year’s comp lineup is – by some margin – the strongest. So many films deserve recognition some truly great ones are destined to go home empty-handed. In...

As we enter the home stretch of the 76th Cannes Film Festival, two old-timers join the competition and may have gifted us with this year’s acting winners. First off, we have 74-year-old French director Catherine Breillat’s Last Summer, a remake of the 2019 Danish drama Queen of Hearts – with a French twist. Léa Drucker plays Anne, a successful lawyer...

Welcome to Part Two of our countdown of the greatest Best Picture winners of all time! In Part One, we delved into the assorted range of films that have won this coveted prize through the 95 years of Oscar. Measuring impact, enduring legacy, and overall quality of films, the first portion of the list revealed how some of Hollywood's earliest...

In the long history of women escaping abusive men, few stories are more well known than that of Tina Turner’s eventual exit from her husband and band leader Ike. There are several reasons why we know Tina’s story: Her own fame, the matter of public record, her autobiography with Kurt Loder “I, Tina,” but of course, it’s the cinematic dramatization...

Official release: Nantucket, MA (May 25, 2023) - The Nantucket Film Festival® presented by Bank of America® (NFF) announced additional films, Signature Programs, and special guests for the 28th annual edition, which will run June 21-26. American journalist and veteran television news anchor Brian Williams is set to return as host of the 2023 Screenwriters Tribute presented by Bank of...

There’s nothing quite like the joy of discovery at film festivals. Being blown away by a Malick or a Tarantino is one thing. Getting the first taste of what will become known as an “Eggert” or a “Ducournau”? That’s just unforgettable. Premiering in the Critics’ Week sidebar of the 76th Cannes Film Festival, South Korean writer/director Jason Yu’s Sleep is...

I first saw Todd Haynes’ May December last Saturday at a punishingly late press screening at 11pm, shortly after watching Killers of the Flower Moon. My exhausted brain, which was very much still processing the Osage murders, registered something exciting that it struggled to unpack. So I made it a point to see the film a second time today, and...

It was never hard to pick Ray Stevenson out in a scene. All you had to do was look for the toughest looking guy in the frame, and if Ray’s in the scene, well, he’s that guy. Stevenson, from Northern Ireland, had a lengthy and varied 30-year career. He broke through on film playing Dagonet in Antoine Fuqua’s ill-fated King...

Wowsers the hits just keep on coming at Cannes this year. As it turned out, the two competition films that screened today are both absolute winners. It’s not going to be easy for Ruben Östlund and his jury to reach a consensus by week’s end. First up we have Austrian director Jessica Hausner’s English-language satirical drama Club Zero. Set at...

Warner Bros. released the first full look at the upcoming The Color Purple musical, starring Fantasia, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Danielle Brooks, H.E.R., The Little Mermaid sensation Halle Bailey, and many more. It's immediately apparent that the film, hailing from director Blitz Bazawule, looks to stand totally on its own when compared to Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated original...

Poor unfortunate soul. That's what I'd call anyone daring to attempt a live-action remake of the insanely beloved 1989 animated classic The Little Mermaid. That film, widely credited for re-energizing a sagging Disney animation industry, made the animated musical a hot property and gave millions of children around the world their first modern day princess. And it wasn't beloved by...

Today’s dispatch may turn into a Sandra Hüller tribute, but I suspect few people would complain. The German actress, who broke out big time with Toni Erdmann, stunned in the early Palme d’Or favorite The Zone of Interest two days ago. And now, she’s wowed again for her starring role in French director Justine Triet’s courtroom drama Anatomy of a...