Blackfish

Wow. This is a great poster.

La Lesbienne Invisible

That's the title of the article - Céline Sallete is disputing for the role of a young lesbian.

The film will apparently be an adaptation of the one-woman-show by Océane Rose Marie and co-directed by the same. She's also playing the protagonist.

La Lesbienne Invisible is about a young lesbian who everyone believes is heterosexual. The film will focus on a love story between two women. Link here.

They're really going at it. And that's how the French work, don't they? I love them. In the middle of the current state, just a day after the riots and the current controversy over the Palme D'Or winner, now comes La Lesbienne Insivible!

This is interesting, especially because I'm curious to see Céline Sallette in a supposed comedy. More importantly, she's probably in for a co-lead role and that makes me excited because of course, I love her.

Excruciating

I believe this week I’m heading towards this way, titling my posts with feelings descriptions.
Yes, it went from exhilarating to excruciating.

This time around I name the excruciating feeling because the discussion has already started and I can’t and won’t be a part of it. Obviously, I’m talking about this already famous film called La Vie D’Adèle or depending where you’re from, Blue is the Warmest Color.

I cannot look at this anymore...

The discussion has already started with essays, analysis and articles and letters and on and on. You know, you just have to choose! Obviously, I love to read these articles, but I’m already trying my best to read the least and see the least because of spoiler-ish issues. I already know too much, way too much over what I wanted, which was nothing. I also know it’s my entire fault. I already know about the sex…I know the synopses of the film I read a while ago…actually that’s all I know, oh and the excruciating buzz around it. It’s hard, it’s really hard around this parts.

So you have from the New York Times and…ok, here’s a link:

The Daily Beast talks about the film.

Here’s from the New York Times.

From The HollywoodReporter, already proclaiming the film as a French symbol for the gay marriage debate.

The Real sex issue from Ultraculture.

Sasha Stone from Awards Daily also being a part of the conversation.

From a female perspective, from VillageVoice. 

And finally, you can also read from the author of the graphic novel Le Blue est une coleur chaude the film is based on, Julie Maroh. She also gives you another set of links about the discussion being held.

You want more? You have more on your side? Just share! I'm happy to save it and read it in about six months...

Right, there’s so much to chew on and I would absolutely love to chew it all day long but I’m fighting it. I’m at that level where I don’t even want to see any new pictures from the film. I already know too much and there’s nothing I can do.

Ok then, as you can see, and like my friend usually says, this are clearly first world problems! I just need to stay calm and take these pictures OUT OF MY HEAD.

Exhilarating

No more crying...

It’s been two days, since the Palme D’Or has been announced.

I’m still so very high on the Cannes Days, with the success and the Palme D’Or winner, the film that will hunt me for days and days, in the nights and in my dreams. And I haven’t even seen it yet.

It will be a long journey until I, I guess we, will finally see it. Because really, everyone’s reactions was to check out who was going to distribute the film in their hometown and to see the dates of its release.

It’s like I’m high, high on the rush, the enthusiasm, the artists of the film and what it represents. And it doesn’t seem like I’m the only one either. It will be interesting how the film will grow and surf through awards season. No doubt Adèle Exarchopoulos will become a known face; maybe Hollywood will even grab her for a while. No doubt Léa is a precious treasure too. No doubt Abdelatiff Kechiche will have its fair share of travel to show the film throught the world (or maybe not), because everyone wants to see it. Obviously and hopefully, this film will raise discussions, it will eventually become something else, even if how much I don’t want it too, a film becomes always something else once it gets to the awards season. Maybe it won’t even get to the awards season, who knows? But the good part is that the cloud eventually fades. And then we can always keep seeing it again.

To my side, I just want to appreciate the moment. It’s about that and actually now letting it go, which is the hard part. I want to hear and keep hearing the winner of the Palm D’Or in all the news, from Euronews to CNN and national and in French and Spanish and Swedish. To hear how this very year, with this film called ‘La Vie D’Adèle’ became the first film to ever have its Palm presented to not only the director of the film but instead acknowledging the collaboration between three artists, which included the two female stars of the film, Léa and Adèle. Then you think what it represents and the meaning of it and how sweet it sounds, this unprecedented recognition - in the most excruciatingly formal and by the rules film festival of the world. This also means that Adèle and Léa join Jane Campion as the only women to ever win a Palm D’Or.

It was Steven Spielberg saying these names, Adèle, Léa and Abdellatif for their film, a lesbian coming of age story and hours earlier, in the streets of France, a massive and highly offensive riot against gay marriage was going on.

So yes, I just love to hear them saying the title of the film followed by the brief description of something like ‘A love story of two girls…’

The Fall

So proud of Jamie...

Cannes Days

Everyone was right - this year's recipient of the Palme D'or is La Vie D'Adèle.

Now I'm crying Léa...

Still can't believe it.

Cannes Days

Prix d'interprétation féminine:

Bérénice Bejo, in The Past.

Prix d'interprétation masculine:
Bruce Dern, in Nebraska.

Cannes Days

While patiently waiting for the Awards Ceremony to begin...

I call my mom and I ask her if she recognizes the face from the set of pictures above. 

Because obviously she's an expert on Alain Delon, she looks at the picture suspiciously. Off course she goes for Alain Delon. Except it is the kid. Alain Delon's kid...

This is Alain Delon in Cannes, back in 59.

Big fan, my mom.

P.S. I will cry if La Vie D'Adèle wins something...

Cannes Days - C'est la vie (D'Adèle)

I finally gave in...then I would say - Only tears left to dry.

Right Léa?

I don't think La Vie D'Adèle will win the Palm D'Or, or any of the other awards...do you all still think it will?

Although it already did win a prize in Cannes, the FIPRESCI award, yes the critics' award, and yes everyone says it is the favorite, every one being the critics, I feel like it won't. But sometimes I love it when I'm wrong. The reasons why? The first thing that comes to mind is the President of the Jury.

Yes, it wasn't an utter inspiring and fascinating Cannes Film Festival line up, at least it didn't felt that way, neither it felt the fest in general. There weren't those ten stars reviews, and what I mean by ten stars is the magnitude of the praise of course. There were some pretty curious reviews, and by curious I mean that made me really curious and anxious to see such films like Inside Llewyn Davis and the The Past. 

But La Vie D'Adèle will be something significant. It's already significant and defiant in many ways. So it will be significant on different levels. For once, it will be a dream to watch, for many people, that many people includes me. But then, and it's already starting, it's the reception. This is a coming of age story, a romance between women. It is a film being presented at the World's most prestigious and talked about Film Festival. So people will certainly hear about it. And because it is already succeeding, the hope is that it will go over many other film festivals around the world. In these lines, one hopes that this film will inspire. Inspire more touching stories between women, romance between women. And finally to inspire to not be afraid to tell these stories and every story the way you want to, right? One hopes.

I'm suddenly thinking of Brokeback Mountain, like La Vie D'Adèle could be the female version I so aspire to see without really knowing what it is that I actually want to see in this so called female version. So maybe it is something like La Vie D'Adèle, mainly because this is a unique film without any agendas. A film without wanting to be a summons on homosexuality, that indeed becomes the perfect antidote for my and perhaps many others who look for something that they don't really know what it is.

Winning or not winning the Palm D'Or, I was absolutely ecstatic about La Vie D'Adèle premiering in Cannes, where hundreds of people would be seeing it, talking about it, including its stars, Abdellatif Kechiche and the actors.

These Cannes Film Festival days are always strange to me. It's something weird, painful, abstract and that I know I absolutely want. Like falling in love. Good god, this just sounded really corny. But it is the truth, I guess. It is weird because it's a different world, it's abstract because my expectations will never really meet the reality, it is painful because I can't get to watch such films and this is for hundreds of miles what I absolutely want more. I keep hearing from film people that went to this event how often tiring and sometimes awful it is, waiting in lines, color badges, etc; how it's first and foremost about the money (but of course it's about the money because there's a lot of money involved, no one can't refute this or not understand), about the glamour and lots of parties and then about the films or wherever order you want to put it. Still, for me it's about a movie atmosphere that I will always be looking for and once there I will try to not ever be broken, no matter what goes around you. I know it would be really hard though!

Nonetheless, I feel super great about what's coming this year for films. I feel like it will be something inspiring. Names like Frances Ha and Ain't Them Body Saints and The Past and future projects on its way gives me hope to just keep falling in love with this exceptional world of films.

Cannes Days

Dear Director Kechiche,

I WANT THE THREE HOURS VERSION.

PLEASE DO NOT CUT IT.

Please don't you cut it unless is utterly worthless and unnecessary.

(It's already painful that I'll be waiting indeterminately to see it.)

Please and thank you.

Sincerely, Rachelle.

Cannes Days

Struggle of my day:

Watch or not watch the press conference of La Vie D'Adèle.

On one hand, major spoilers through and through, on the other hand, super mega interesting conversation is on the way.

It's killing me. What should I do?

I'm resisting and resisting.

Cannes Days

Being the 'most divisive' film in Cannes Competition doesn't sound so great, definitely not that positive.

On the expected side of the premier of The Immigrant, Cotillard shines again.

Let's see who might win the Best Actress award this year. Will finally be her turn?

It sounds like a battle between french stars.

Going with the word of mouth, Bérénice Bejo is a great contender. Perhaps Kristin Scott Thomas. But it could also go in a different direction, like last year, they could award young rising stars in the duo of Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux, for the major significance they bring to the film. Let's wait and see.

Cannes Days

Now giving a brief break between Can Can Can and Can Can Can...this is probably one of the most exciting news I heard these days.

I said I would be paying close attention to this project called 'Carol', the adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel The Price of Salt. A few days ago I even mentioned the fact that it looked like it wasn't moving forward at all and I was getting really afraid it would be eventually shut down, until the moment I read this - TODD HAYNES WILL DIRECT Carol. Todd Haynes. This is marvelous, and I'm so so very happy.

Cannes Days

"We also had a great deal of fun," he said. "The actors felt they were enjoying themselves – while playing a part, of course."

 Abdellatife Kechiche, director of La Vie D'Àdele.

Cannes Days

 Adèle Exarchopoulos in La Vie D'Adèle.

And then I think I'll be pretty much done...I will die.