This is quite a weird week to cover Awards and films just because so much of what is considered a “hit” and what is considered a “miss” is still hard to define, as more and more of the Cannes audience sees the films slated to premiere.
As many have stated, Cannes is now a prime launchpad for award titles. At the same time, historically, it has usually been more focused on obscure and auteur projects that originally would not resonate with AMPAS voters. As the voting body became increasingly international, this disconnect became less apparent, with more of these artistic projects becoming present in Oscar nominations, as much as a possible Best Picture nom (as evidenced by Glazer’s The Zone of Interest and Fargeat’s The Substance).
There are a few notable Cannes responses regarding what could get nominated from what has been screened. Some of them include
Mission: Impossible Screens to Lukewarm reactions
Many were looking forward to the conclusion of the Mission: Impossible franchise screening at Cannes, and based on the reviews, it has caused a wide range of reactions, with great stunts. It should do well at the box office but obviously not an Oscar thing.
Sound of Falling Screens to Raves but Word of Mouth is Mixed
If you read my predictions last week you would know that the big swing I made regarding Cannes would be Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling as the one that would break out(considering its experimental look at feminism and womanhood over a century could resonate with AMPAS voters, or at the very least, an international audience). However, though reviews of the film are positive, many believe that it is more “respect rather than love,” which could hurt the project in the long run, considering that passion drives a film in the awards race.
Eddington and The Phoenician Scheme received mixed reviews
Both Ari Aster and Wes Anderson being in the Cannes lineup got many people buzzing, especially the former. Looking at the reviews for both, one finds two projects that fall into the divisive category, one being far more polarized in general (Aster attempting to get political has resulted in discourse, and Anderson creating a truly paradoxical project).
The Secret Agent, Die. My Love, Sirat and Nouvelle Vague Screen Positively
Filho’s, Ramsay’s, Laxe’s, and Linklater’s films have received the most positive attention so far, with many believing that the second film, Die, My Love, could start an awards conversation for Jennifer Lawrence. Mubi’s acquisition of the film for $20 million is a big talking point. Whether or not this goes the distance remains to be seen.
What is still to come
Films from Joachim Trier, Julia Ducournau, Jafar Panahi, Kelly Reichardt, Spike Lee, and Oliver Hermanus have yet to screen, and in the midst of the festival, all we have to do is wait for the initial reactions.
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