Of all the films in competition this year at Cannes, the one that has me most excited was A Christmas Tale, the latest film by the masterful Arnaud Desplechin, whose Kings and Queen was one of the finest films of recent years. Not wanting to have everything spoiled for me before I see it myself, I’ve tried to avoid reading the reviews coming from Cannes too much or too deeply, but based on the little I’ve read my hopes for the film are well-founded. Here’s the one and only Glenn Kenny:
“The creation of such a vivid, individualized group of characters and such a compelling roster of dilemmas is a staggering enough feat. But what makes this movie such a darkly exuberant feast is Desplechin's storytelling. Calling his directorial style "eclectic" simply doesn't do. He has packed himself an almost inexhaustible kit bag of cinematic techniques that he deploys here with an ease that makes his previous film, the incredibly impressive Kings and Queen, look relatively forced. Not only is there not a single dull moment in this two-and-a-half-hour family drama; the film practically teems with ferocious moments, and the novelistic detail offered by Desplechin (here collaborating on the screenplay with longtime writing partner Emmanuel Bourdieu) is always spot-on.”
Thanks, Glenn. Let’s see what others have to say…
Andrew O’Hehir: “Rather than supplying the holiday healing suggested by the title, Desplechin (and co-writer Emmanuel Bourdieu) have constructed a tale as emotionally challenging, fragmentary and unresolved as family life itself. At the press conference after the film, Desplechin said he always aimed to make films that were "strange and personal," and that were singular rather than generic. He has succeeded, perhaps at the cost of demanding too much from his viewers.”
Attaboy, Arnaud! And of course, this being Cannes, several other films screened today as well, though none as intriguing (to me anyway) as Arnaud’s. Let’s check out the rundown:
Time Out London’s Geoff Andrew gives us a second opinion on Three Monkeys- “This fifth feature is arguably the most ambitious film yet from the maker of ‘Uzak’ and ‘Climates’. It has the dry humour, assured pacing, astute psychological insights and sharp sense of moral and dramatic irony that has been conspicuous in all his work, but in many respects the film feels like an expansion upon ‘Climates’, not only in extending that film’s clear-eyed, unsentimental assessment of male-female relationships from a couple to a whole family and its acquaintances, but in exploring the rich potential afforded by digital technology; if you thought Ceylan’s photographer’s eye produced stunning images in ‘Climates’, ‘Three Monkeys’ pushes the envelope still further.”
ScreenDaily’s Lee Marshall weighs in on the out of competition omnibus film Tokyo!- “One out of three ain't bad for this Tokyo-themed directorial three-hander. Whimsical Michel Gondry delivers a thirty-minute segment that resonates, while compatriot Leos Carax spoils an otherwise tasty genre exercise by pressing it into service as a message film. Korea's Bong Joon-ho, meanwhile, delivers an artsy rom-com that is too slight even for its half-hour running time.”
Finally, two opinions on Scarlett and Penelope making out Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a pro from Variety’s Todd McCarthy- “Just as London did when Allen went there for "Match Point," the Catalan capital serves as an evident stimulus for the director. Even if the film provides a strictly tourist's view of the city (a perspective justified by the scenario, in fact), and one just as upscale and heedless of money as ever for Allen, "VCB" is by several degrees more hot-blooded than his usual norm, thanks especially due to the palpable chemistry of Bardem and Cruz in the second half.”
… and a con from (who else?) Jeffrey Wells- “I haven't the time to write any kind of comprehensive review of this sometimes unintentionally comedic, frequently cliche-ridden parody of a Woody Allen film, but it dawned on me early on that it plays exactly like a Ben Stiller Show parody of a typical Allen effort. Allen has been accused of parodying himself for years, but now he's really done it. And it pains me to say this. No one filmmaker has given me greater pleasure for a longer period of time than Allen. I worship the guy, but VCB is agony to sit through at times.”
Ouch. Let’s leave on a high note, shall we? Any positive press for Desplechin’s film counts as good news in my book. So here’s Cineuropa’s Fabien Lemercier on A Christmas Tale- “This exploration of a family – made of viciousness, a tormented past and a painful present – goes straight to the heart, in particular those psychologically unpleasant zones that Desplechin loves to depict. The result is a high-class feature that is both complex and subtle.”
Woohoo!