CANNES REVIEW: “Fruitvale Station” Rises and Rises With Michael B. Jordan

May 16, 2013 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Reviews Leave a comment

The based-on-a-true story “Fruitvale Station” is very much 2013′s “Beasts of the Southern Wild” – a first time director, Ryan Coogler, taking Cannes Film Festival by storm following a world premiere at Sundance Film Festival, with an impressive awards-worthy performance from a rising star. And please Academy, award Michael B. Jordan with that Oscar nomination like you did for Quvenzhane Wallis.

An intimate film like “Fruitvale Station” rises and falls with its lead, and Jordan is hugely successful in holding us captive as we follow a day in the life of Oscar Grant (Jordan), a young man who was subjected to police brutality in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 2009.

CANNES REVIEW: “The Bling Ring” is a Cautionary Tale for Our Time, and Pretty to Look At Too

May 16, 2013 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Reviews 2 Comments

Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring” opens with a scene those of us familiar with popular culture will recognize – young teenagers on CCTV apparently breaking into someone’s house. It is of course the aforementioned Bling Ring, five teenagers who spent several months entering – but never actually breaking in to – celebrity houses and stealing clothes, bags, shoes and jewelry. Today’s generation is the generation of no consequences and director Sofia Coppola and her cast of young newcomers, in dramatizing these real events that took place in Los Angeles, make this very clear.

Watch: First Clip of Juno Temple Breaking Down in Thriller “Magic Magic”

May 15, 2013 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Videos Leave a comment

Following it’s premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival we were pleased to see thriller “Magic Magic” would be playing during Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight, and now we have our first clip of the film featuring Juno Temple.

Also starring Emily Browning and Michael Cera, the Sebastian Silva film follows Temple’s Alicia, a young girl who heads to Chile to stay with her cousin (Browning) and her cousin’s boyfriend and friends. Alicia is slowly unravelling though and her cousin and friends begin to notice something is wrong much too late.

In this first clip via The Playlist, we see Alicia on the phone to her cousin, clearly in the middle of a breakdown. Lots of close camera shots here and what looks like another great performance from Temple who having been an indie mainstay for several years has been making her way in to Hollywood with last year’s controversial “Killer Joe”, supernatural thriller “Horns” opposite Daniel Radcliffe, and two high profile blockbusters – “The Dark Knight Rises” and next year’s Disney’s Sleeping Beauty redo “Maleficent” opposite Angelina Jolie.

Watch: First Trailer for James Franco’s Southern Gothic Adaptation “As I Lay Dying”

May 13, 2013 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Videos 1 Comment

They said “On The Road” was unfilmable but Walter Salles succeeded, and at next weeks’ Cannes Film Festival we’ll discover if James Franco has been successful with another ‘unadaptable’ novel, William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying“. For now, today’s newly released trailer, via Yahoo, suggests that Franco will definitely be offering us a taste of the Southern Gothic for which Faulker was famous for – and has upped my anticipation for an adaptation of a book I couldn’t finish.

Franco has directed, produced, scripted, and cast himself, in this American classic which follows the trials of the Bundren family as they attempt to bury their matriarch in the town of Jefferson. It sounds simple enough but the major challenge for Franco, as both director and screenwriter, comes where Faulkner uses fifteen different points of view over the course of the novel.

Joining Franco though is a cast of rising stars including Danny McBride in a dramatic role unlike his usual comedic characters, and Logan Marshall-Green, so we’re hopeful that this proves to be a hit for audiences at Cannes before a wider release date is set.

Check out the trailer below.

First Poster for Sundance Winner “Fruitvale Station” Starring Michael B. Jordan

May 7, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

fruitvalepostersm It was the big winner of out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival and remains one of our most anticipated of the year, and today we have the first poster for Ryan Coogler’s true life crime drama “Fruitvale Station” starring Michael B. Jordan.

“Fruitvale Station” (formerly just “Fruitvale”) swept the US Dramatic Competition category at Sundance, winning both the Audience Award and the top prize of the night: The Grand Jury Prize. The film, which co-stars Octavia Spencer, Ahna O’Reilly and Melonie Diaz, won rave reviews with its gritty retelling of the true story of Oscar Grant (Jordan), who was tragically fatally shot by police in a scuffle in the Bay Area on New Year’s Eve 2009. It’s next headed to the Cannes Film Festival, where it will play in the Un Certain Regard sidebar.

The film will be released on July 26th and the first poster can be viewed below.

Watch: Emma Watson is a Firm Believer in Karma in New Trailer for “The Bling Ring”

April 23, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos Leave a comment

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Emma Watson goes full blown Valley Girl in the newest trailer for Sofia Coppola’s Cannes-bound “The Bling Ring”, an exploration of the wealth and celebrity-obsessed youth culture of Los Angeles. And it’s based on real events, of course. Newcomers Israel Broussard and Katie Chang lead the gang of ditzy, spoiled Los Angeles teenagers who decide to rob a string of celebrities’ homes, for fun, and then revel in a bit of celebrity themselves.

Coppola has always been adept at exploring the inner workings of the lives and minds of bored youths, and this looks like no exception. Can’t. Wait. “The Bling Ring” will be released on June 14th and will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month, where it will open the Un Certain Regard sidebar. See the full length trailer below.

Ryan Gosling, Emma Watson, Michael B. Jordan Among Young Stars Heading to Cannes Film Festival

April 18, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News Leave a comment

A bevy of rising stars are headed to the Cannes Film Festival next month as Festival director Thierry Fremaux announced the main lineup of the 66th Annual event this morning. Carey Mulligan, already heading to the Croisette for opening night film “The Great Gatsby”, will also premiere the Coen Brothers’ 1960s folk music drama “Insie Llewyn Davis”, also starring Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake and Garrett Hedlund.

The duo of Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling, who previously premiered the beautiful and violent “Drive” at the festival in 2011, have reteamed again and will show “Only God Forgives” in competition. “Saturday Night Live” alum Will Forte has a big potential breakthrough moment as he shows off his serious acting in Alexander Payne’s father-son roadtrip drama “Nebraska”, while James Gray’s “The Immigrant”, previously “Lowlife”, brings Jeremy Renner and Marion Cotillard to the Croisette. Cotillard will also appear in Guillaume Canet’s English-language remake “Blood Ties”, which is playing out of competition and which also stars Zoe Saldana and Mila Kunis.

We already knew Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring” will open the Un Certain Regard section of the fest, and will welcome young stars Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, Israel Broussard and Katie Chang, and now joining them in the sidebar will be Sundance’s big winner “Fruitvale”, Ryan Coogler’s feature directorial debut starring Michael B. Jordan.

The full lineup can be found below.

Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring” to Open Un Certain Regard at 2013 Cannes Film Festival

April 17, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News 1 Comment

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Ahead of the announcement of the full competition slate tomorrow morning, the Cannes Film Festival announced today that Sofia Coppola’s highly anticipated “The Bling Ring” will open the festival’s Un Certain Regard slate.

Typically reserved for younger artists and thus a surprising slot for Coppola to land, Un Certain Regard runs parallel to the festival’s main competition lineup and Coppola’s film will not be eligible for the Palme D’Or, but will compete for Un Certain Regard’s own prize, judged by a different jury. This year Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg will preside over the jury, while Steven Spielberg takes Presidential duties over the main jury. “The Bling Ring” will premiere and open Un Certain Regard on May 16th and we hope to bring you exclusive coverage straight from the Croisette.

The true life tale of affluent teens gone wild burglarizing celebrities stars Emma Watson and Taissa Farmiga along with a cast of unknowns led by newcomers Katie Chang and Isreal Broussard. The first teaser and first clip were recently released, no doubt in anticipation of today’s news, and it has a June 14th release date in the US.

Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” will kick off the Cannes Film Festival on May 15th.

Watch: Joel Edgerton and Carey Mulligan discover who “The Great Gatsby” is in new trailer

April 4, 2013 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Videos Leave a comment

With a great cast, a classic tale and an incredible director, our excitement for the hotly anticipated 3D adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” has always been high. Over the last few months the excitement has really ramped up, thanks to images and trailers showcasing everything we love about director Baz Luhrmann, but today’s trailer really delivers – and now we can’t wait for it’s premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Huge fans of Luhrmann, we’re so pleased to see his trademark over-stylised direction, with lush colours that pop off the screen, gorgeous costumes, sweeping cinematography (which we imagine can only help with the 3D aspect), and what sounds like the soundtrack of the year.

The newly released trailer contains much more exposition, giving us backstory for Gatsby and Daisy (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan in what are sure to be awards-worthy performances) and also provides more information on Tom, Daisy’s brutish husband played by Joel Edgerton.

Also starring Tobey Maguire as the narrator Nick Carraway, Callum McAuliffe as a young Gatsby and Isla Fisher as Tom’s lover, Luhrmann’s film will premiere at Cannes on May 15th – but will actually be on wide release in US on May 10th.

Check out the trailer below the cut.

Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” to Open 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival

March 12, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News Leave a comment

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Ever since it was delayed from a Christmas 2012 release to May 2013, speculation has pegged Baz Luhrmann’s splashy 3D adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” to be eyeing the Cannes Film Festival Opening Night slot, and today the festival has made it official.

Luhrmann and his all-star cast – Leonardo Dicaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher and Jason Clarke – will walk up the famed red carpeted stairs to the Grand Theatre Lumiere and kick off the 2013 festival on May 15th. The film, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic American novel set in the roaring 20s, will screen in the Out of Competition category. “It is a great honor for all those who have worked on The Great Gatsby to open the Cannes Film Festival,” said Luhrmann. “We are thrilled to return to a country, place and festival that has always been so close to our hearts, not only because my first film Strictly Ballroom was screened there 21 years ago, but also because F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote some of the most poignant and beautiful passages of his extraordinary novel just a short distance away at a villa outside Saint-Raphaël.”

Luhrmann’s 2001 musical extravaganza “Moulin Rouge” also opened Cannes. This year’s festival runs from May 15th-May 26th and once again, we hope to bring you exclusive coverage straight from the Croisette. The full lineup of films will be announced on April 18th. Meanwhile, “The Great Gatsby” will actually be released in the US theaters five days prior to its big Cannes premiere, on May 10th.

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