I tried to come up with a suitable introduction for the announcement of this year's Cannes Competition slate, but honestly- is it really necessary?
24 City, China, Jia Zhangke
Adoration, Canada, Atom Egoyan
Changeling, U.S., Clint Eastwood
Che, Spain, Steven Soderbergh
Un Conte de noel, France, Arnaud Desplechin
Daydreams, Turkey, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Delta, Hungary, Kornel Mundruczo
Il Divo, Italy, Paolo Sorrentino
Gomorra, Italy, Matteo Garrone
La Frontiere de l'aube, France, Philippe Garrel
Leonera, Argentina, Pablo Trapero
Linha de Passe, Brazil, Walter Salles, Daniela Thomas
La mujer sin cabeza, Argentina, Lucrecia Martel
My Magic, Singapore, Eric Khoo
The Palermo Shooting, Germany, Wim Wenders
Serbis, Philippines, Brillante Mendoza
The Silence of Lorna, Belgium, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Synecdoche, New York, U.S., Charlie Kaufman
Waltz With Bashir, Israel, Ari Folman
So maybe it's not as jam-packed with world-renowned auteurs as last year's Competition, but it would seem that the rumors of Cannes being sort of barren this year were greatly exaggerated. Sure, there are only two American films represented (along with two French films), but they've got some interesting directors premiering here: Jia, Egoyan, Eastwood, Desplechin, Ceylan, Garrel, Martel, Wenders, the Dardenne brothers, and the directorial debut of Charlie Kaufman. And let's not forget that the Cannes powers that be are prone to adding a film or to closer to the start of the fest. Any word on whether Soderbergh's Che is going to be a finished print or simply a Wong Kar-wai-style "work in progress"?
But wait, there's more. Also announced were the films playing outside the main competition. I'll let you check it out for yourself, but I feel the need to say one thing:
A new Terence Davies film. Hell. Yes.
The complete Cannes list can be found in Variety. The Cannes Film Festival will be held from May 14 through the 25th. Anyone know if Mike D'Angelo is going to be covering it again?