Cannes Days - Moment of the day with Adèle

Actually, moment from Yesterday!

This is from the Q & A of the French film Les Combattants, the first feature by Thomas Cailley, premiering at Directors' Fortnight. You can click here to watch the whole conversation.

It was a really amusing and obviously revealing Q & A, you can see a pretty nervous first timer, the director Thomas Cailley, but he's not the only one. If you see the entire Q & A he says that the majority of the professionals working on the film were first timers. Including the leading actor, Kévin Azais. It seems that Adèle Haenel is the big professional here, according to her work.

The first question from the Q & A is by a woman who says: "I have a question, is for the actress of the film...I wanted to know if you're playing a role?"

I laughed. As did everyone.

This actually confirms what I thought from the moment I read the synopsis of the film. Adèle Haenel is perfect for the role. When Thomas Cailley was asked about the casting, he says Adèle Haenel was the first person he had in mind. When they first met she talked to him about a marathon she was preparing for in Germany, where she even slept in the snow... The director also jokes that the film is a documentary about her. But I actually read this in other articles. This is quite fun.

Adéle Haenel is an untrained actress. For her first two film roles, the first when she was twelve and then a few years later, were cast on the street. It seems as if Adèle Haenel has landed in the film universe by chance. But has she? But the poignant question is - Was it destiny? And even better - is she here to stay? I would say definitely yes. 

Her work method is really about the director's trust and then I would say pure instinct. She says she never really prepares for the film shooting, for the role, she just shows up on set and see what happens. This is probably why she's done her fair share of roles in quite independent films, it definitely suits her. That's where the instinct comes and relies. And this is also probably part of the reason why when we see her on screen everything feels so raw and powerful. Also because she's the kind of actresses that has a really strong body expression, like Jodie Foster. 

The praise for Adèle Haenel for this film is constant. That she brings the originality and spontaneity. Her bigger than life presence. This usually happens with most of the films she's in. 

She's been a steady presence in Cannes since a few years ago. Year after year, whether in the main competition, Critics Week or Directors' Fortnight. And most of the time, there's always a praise for her performance, she always brings something more to the film. But somehow, she's always been under radar, or she keeps being a pretty low key french actress. Maybe she'll never be that kind of actress.

She won her very own french Oscar just a couple of months ago. Next Wednesday at Cannes, she'll be present in what is her biggest high profile film participation, the premier of the new Téchiné's film with Catherine Deneuve. 

L'Homme Qu'on Aimait Trop.

We're young souls. And I'm here to follow her career, everywhere it takes her (and me) because there's only one Adèle Haenel.

Cannes Days

Back and Forth in time

Today I've watched The Immigrant, the James Gray film that also premiered at Cannes a year ago.

This is one of those films that feels like are made in another period, and I don't mean because it is a period piece, the story taking place in 1921 New York, it is because of the way it is shot. The cinematography, the detail in the board, or the frame you're looking at the screen, it is pretty impressive, poignant and masterful. 

This is a film that touches immigration, that touches family relations. A film that shows us that there's never just good or evil, but some some sort of in between of those. And also a story that touches women's society standards, or in other words, the gender's burden, how harder it is for a woman. Men thought, and some still do, that women are their property. They have the word on what they do or don't do. With The Immigrant, we can see we come a long way with the immigration status and with the women's issues, but at the same time, I think it is also accurate to say that some things never change. And unfortunately, Ewa's (Marion Cotillard) story still happens today. 

Unique film.

Today at Cannes

I feel the need to post these pictures because just look, look who is standing before us, queens in suits, Cate Blanchett and Emily Blunt, pairing together for some photo shoot. Only if it was a film. I wish it was a film. I wish they'll make a film together, soon. Please and thank you.

And yes, Cate Blanchett is still rocking the Cannes' coast. 

Italian women.

Monica Bellucci and sisters Alice Rohrwacher, the Director, and her sister, Alba Rohrwacher, the actress.

The Wonders, In Competition.

Viggo Mortensen in another international fillm and his Argentinian director Lisandro Alonso.

Jauja, Un Certain Regard.

The Homesman, In Competition.

The film that everyone thinks is...kind of weird...but kind of...good.

Robert Pattinson, looking good. What the hell, he's quite the good looking fella.

The Rover. By the Australian David Michôd.

I'm not entirely sure if this film is ok or really a miss shot. I'm sensing is the latter.

Well, hit or miss, he will have another chance tomorrow with another film, the new Cronenberg "art". I already hear raves about it. Seems like this one will be a hit.

This film appears to be making people differ a lot. Some are utterly enchanted by the romance, impressed by the tour de force performances by Jessica Chastaina and James McAvoy, and some can't really connect with it. 

Well, this is usually how it works, actually!

The Disappearence of Eleanor Rigby: Them.

This is a film that people seem quite pleased about.

Depardieu is actually an actor who works and works well, apparently...who seems to be able to stand on his feet despite all the crisis in his personal life.

Welcome to New York, by Abel Ferrara.

Mommy

Xavier Dolan's film premiers next thursday.

Let's see what he has to say about it...and the critics also.

Cannes Days - Semaine de la Critique

Respire

A reminder that Melanie Laurent's debut film premiered today. And not only sounds good, but it also looks pretty good. Here's the trailer. It reminded me of Sarah Prefers to Run, for a moment.

Posting correction - it is in fact Laurent's second film. My bad. Her first film is called "The Adopted".

Cannes Days

Back and Forth in time

Suzanne

A film by Katell Quillévéré.

It was precisely a year ago Suzanne opened La Semaine da la Critique at Cannes. I finally saw it, and dare to say, it is one of the most touching and moving films I've seen this year.

There's something about the way Katell tells this story, so seemingly ordinary, but so heavily poignant. I think it's the way she portraits this family, the way she takes common men and women and ever so slightly we are truly connected to them. We are presented to this working class family, a single father and his two young beautiful daughters. Then they grow up. Then life happens, Suzanne gets pregnant, her sister Maria goes to work and on and on we find ourselves weeping and rooting for the goodness of these human beings. At the end, what this film is is a human film. 

My big cry of the year.

At this year's Cannes

Les Combattants

Directors' Fortnight.

Here's the trailer.

Les Combattants is another positive looking film from my favorite Adèle. From the look of the trailer, and from the positive reviews, it seems to be an uncommon representation at teenage romance, and at gender roles. And there's an overall praise for out protagonists. Variety's Peter Debruge even says, "Haenel comes across as tough enough to win “The Hunger Games” out from under Jennifer Lawrence".

Adèle Haenel attends the premiere of her film Les Combattants.

A reminder from Day 2 - This Press Conference for the film Timbuktu is remarkable. It feels like an utter master class from Adberrahmane Sissako.

"There's a complex side to each human being."

Another minor film, another failing biopic - Saint Laurent.

White God, Un Certain Regard.

The film where dogs take over.

I can't wait to look at that scene with more than one hundred dogs running alongside men and women...

Cannes Days - Léa Seydoux

Léa Seydoux – The next big French star. She’s taking over. It took her a few years, but they were steady. From La Belle Personne, small participations in Tarantino, Woody Allen and Ridley Scott movies, until now, a prominent star in the biggest film festivals, like her very own - Cannes.

Saint Laurent, Bertrand Bonello. In Competition.

I think this is a good time to make a retrospect of her career until this year. She caught my attention with the film La Belle Personne, where she plays the role of a student, a young woman grieving and searching for meaning in life. She simply took my breath away with her stare, her melancholic (and now pretty famous) stare. I would say it’s one of her biggest marks. It’s her look, her eyes. Which, I will say again, reminds me a little of Catherine Deneuve. I should make a transition here to the other side of the screen, Léa herself, a quiet, reserved and timid person, also quite intelligent, I would say. In her work, at least that I’ve seen, her personna is very present. And so, with these characteristics, sometimes it’s really hard to understand what’s going through their minds. It’s mysterious and absolutely contagious. And like Catherine Deneuve, she’s bold and I believe she can stand on her own.

She has done minor films and some pretty interesting ones as well. She started her acting career with a teenage film. But while she was doing La belle Personne, where she played the leading role, and also working with other young French directors like Rebecca Zlotowski for another leading role in the film Belle Épine, she was already doing those Hollywood films. I had actually seen her at least three times in theaters without really noticing, only with Midnight in Paris, where I was obviously conscious about her presence. Then while she participated in yet another Hollywood film, like Mission Impossible, she dived, pretty religiously, as we all know very well, to a project called Blue is the Warmest Color. And this, to me, is the film that proved me how good and curious of an actress she will be.

It’s been a year since this film premiered at Cannes. I can say today, with clear skies and silenced streets, that her acting in the film proved her fearlessness and presence as an actor. I thought comes to my mind that can seem contradictory, but I can’t wait for her to play truly challenging roles, roles like Emma, because those are the roles that really bring out the best  in her. I want to see Léa playing someone not shy, someone talkative, yes, sometimes someone completely the opposite of her.

With significant and emotional performances in films such as Sister and Farewell My Queen, she recently starred in The Grand Budapest Hotel, she had The Beauty and the Beast, but we can say last year was her year.

Concluding my point - Léa Seydoux will be grand. 

And now, we should all present her as the Palme D’Or winner, the fierce and shy Léa Seydoux.

This is Where I Leave You

I almost, almost, let this one pass.

It's been a while since the film went in post production. This looks good. It is happening after all.