Our picks from Cannes 2024
Like last year, we’re highlighting our favorite films from the competition section of the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Last year, we featured “Anatomie d’une chute,” which not only won the Golden Phoenix but also enjoyed a successful award season, ultimately reaching the Oscars and winning Best Original Screenplay award.
This year, a fierce battle is expected between Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” and Yiorgis Lanthimos’ “Kind of Kindness,” with Lanthimos aiming for another win after his Golden Lion triumph.
Could there be room for a surprise? Let’s see what caught our eye.
Parthenope
Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Previous work: The Great Beauty (2013), Youth (2015)
Duration: 2h 6m Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Italy, France
Cast: Gary Oldman, Stefania Sandrelli (Adult Parthenope), Celeste Dalla Porta (Young Parthenope)
Plot: Parthenope’s life spans from her 1950 birth to the present, a feminine tale marked not by heroism but by a deep passion for freedom, Naples, and various forms of love. From idyllic Capri summers and youthful spirits, to observing and loving the disillusioned yet vital Neapolitans, life—whether mundane or notable—unfolds long and full of emotion. Against this backdrop lies Naples, an enigmatic city that captivates, enchants, and profoundly affects those within it.
Why it might be interesting: Following Michael Caine, another distinguished actor, Gary Oldman, is set to collaborate with the esteemed Paolo Sorrentino, promising an exciting pairing.
The Substance
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Previous work: Revenge (2017)
Duration: 2h 6m Genre: Horror
Country: Italy, France
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Demi Moore, Dennis Quaid
Plot (as presented to Cannes Festival website): HAVE YOU EVER DREAMT OF A BETTER VERSION OF YOURSELF. You, only better in every way. You should try this new product, it’s called The Substance. IT CHANGED MY LIFE. With the Substance, you can generate another you: younger, more beautiful, more perfect. You just have to share time – one week for one, one week for the other. A perfect balance of seven days each… Easy right? If you respect the balance…what could possibly go wrong?
Why it might be interesting: The plot seems very mind-twisting
Limonov: The Ballad
Director: Kirill Serebrennikov
Previous work: Leto (2018), Tchaikovsky’s Wife (2022)
Duration: 2h 18m Genre: Biography
Country: Italy, France, Spain
Cast: Ben Whishaw
Plot: Eduard Limonov’s life story unfolds across Russia, America, and Europe during the second half of the 20th century.
Why it might be interesting: Because this film marks the reappearance of Paweł Pawlikowski (as a writer) after ‘Cold War’, plus the acting of Ben Whishaw.
The Shrouds
Director: David Cronenberg
Latest work: Crimes of the Future (2022)
Duration: 1h 59m Genre: Horror
Country: Canada, France
Cast: Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce
Plot: Karsh, a 50-year-old distinguished businessman, has been devastated since his wife’s passing. To cope, he creates GraveTech, a groundbreaking yet contentious technology that allows people to observe their deceased loved ones in their graves. However, one evening, several graves, including that of Karsh’s wife, are vandalized. Driven by a mix of grief and determination, Karsh embarks on a mission to find those responsible.
Why it might be interesting: We want to see how David Cronenberg would handle this intriguing plot.
Other movies include Andrea Arnold’s Bird with Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski and recently BAFTA TV winner Jasmine Jobson.
We conclude this mini presentation with the first two mentioned movies:
Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis”
Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), an idealistic architect with the power to control time, sets out to rebuild the city as a sustainable utopia. Meanwhile, his adversary, the corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), is determined to maintain the regressive status quo. Caught between these conflicting visions is Cicero’s daughter, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), a socialite weary of her inherited influence, who seeks to discover her life’s true meaning.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kind of Kindness”
A man seeks to break free from his predetermined path, a cop questions his wife’s demeanor after her return from a supposed drowning, and a woman searches for an extraordinary individual prophesied to become a renowned spiritual guide. The cast includes ‘Poor Things’ star Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, and Jesse Plemons.
Films So Good 