I really had a great time meeting Florence Welch, of Florence & the Machine. She contributed the glorious track Over the Love to The Great Gatsby soundtrack. The movie, as mentioned yesterday, opens in South Africa this weekend. Here she tells me about the surreal experience of being in Cannes and what her favourite movie soundtracks are.
Posted in Miss N
Tagged Cannes, Cannes Film Festival, Florence + the Machine, Florence Welch, The Great Gatsby
Day 2 of the Cannes Film Festival definitely belonged to the cast of Fruitvale Station, which received a standing ovation after the film’s premiere here this evening. I was lucky enough to see the film at Sundance earlier this year, when it was called Fruitvale, just before the indie movie picked up the Grand Jury Prize (along with that terrific documentary Blood Brother). I bumped into lead actor Michael B Jordan at the Grey Goose pre-Oscar party earlier this year, and he was still on a high from the great buzz January’s festival created. I have a feeling it’s only going to grow even more now, after Cannes.
(Pic: Cannes Film Festival)
Most of my Day 2 at Cannes was actually spent in Antibes, a short but oh-so-scenic drive from Cannes, at the Hotel Du Cap where I waited to interview the cast of The Great Gatsby. The hotel is a gem on the French Riviera.
The interviews went well enough, what with the rain playing havoc on my hair and wedges. No matter how many times it has rained during my previous Cannes trips, I never seem to get my packing just right. This shortcoming was made even
more apparent to me while sitting opposite the immaculately presentable Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan – both in Saint Laurent, both with hair perfectly in place, come what may.
I also got to speak to Florence Welch, who contributed a song to the soundtrack of the film, Over the Love. She spoke about how out of place she felt attending the premiere last night, and sitting right in the front row next to Carey Mulligan. “But I’m not actually in the movie,” she kept protesting. “I think Baz (Luhrmann) thinks I am. But I’m not!,” she laughed, before spotting the director inside another cabana across from where we were doing our interview. “Baaaaz!” she called out.
Of course the highlight was chatting to Leonardo DiCaprio about his role as Jay Gatsby. I was quite surprised that with his role in introducing Jay-Z and Baz that he still hasn’t heard the soundtrack. More than that, I was interested to hear him reveal he still has the same dreams and goals now as a 38-year-old as when he was 15. As he was talking about that, I remembered him in Growing Pains, and thought, he really has come a long way from his “Luke” days.
The Great Gatsby opens in South Africa on Friday.
Rain, and more rain – welcome to Day 1 of the 66th Cannes Film Festival. Luckily, there were other highlights today, enough to draw attention away from the gloomy skies.
The cast of the opening film at this year’s event, The Great Gatsby, took part in a press conference before the film’s red carpet European debut. The only thing I’ve found that comes close to Brangelina fever here in Cannes is Leo fever, and fans were lined all along the halls of the Palais des Festivals just to catch a glimpse of Leonardo DiCaprio. He said he found Gatsby to be a “fascinating” character, one he came to know a lot more intimately after re-studying him again for this role, in the pages of F Scott Fitzgerald’s book. But it was even more delightful to hear Tobey Maguire, who plays Nick Carraway to Leo’s Gatsby, talk about working with his friend.
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Director Baz Lurhmann as Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Isla Fisher take their seats.
Next up, Steven Spielberg led this year’s jury into the press conference room, to talk about how they’re going to approach the process of deciding which film will be honoured with the top prize, the Palme d’Or, this year. Nine filmmakers make up the jury, among them actress Nicole Kidman, director Lynne Ramsay, and recent Oscar winners Ang Lee (who beat Spielberg for best director) and Christoph Waltz (whose international career was made here in Cannes a few years ago with Inglourious Basterds). It was quite sweet when Lee was asked about winning the Oscar over Spielberg and he said he didn’t think much about the competition factor because the Jaws director is his “hero.” Spielberg returned the love, saying he admired Life of Pi, and Lee’s work too.
He went on to say that he thinks film festivals are not so much about competing, but rather the chance for filmmakers from all over the globe to show off: “It’s a chance to brag and to boast about all the different things that so many cultures get to say about their worlds and about each other. I look at it as two weeks of celebrating film, not two weeks of pitting one film against the other,” he said.
In that spirit, the festival is on. 19 films vying for the Palme d’Or, and many more just for some of that much-loved Cannes buzz that may just spill out of the Festival des Palais, and into movie theatres across the world.
Posted in Miss N
Tagged Cannes 2013, Cannes Film Festival, Steven Spielberg, The Great Gatsby
In one of life’s little full circles, I just got to interview Mark Ruffalo in New Orleans about his latest movie, Now You See Me. Exactly 7 years ago, he starred in the film Zodiac, alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, which premiered at the 60th Cannes Film Festival. That also happened to be my first time covering the fest. I remember sitting in the press conference where Mark and Jake spoke about the David Fincher film, thinking how grateful I was to have made it to the south of France for the ‘grande dame’ of film festivals.
In those 7 years since, Ruffalo has been nominated for an Oscar (for The Kids are Alright), become an outspoken voice against fracking and turned into the Incredible Hulk. I may not have been picked up an Oscar nod or such (and as much as I channel Wonder Woman, that’s as far as it goes) but I’m currently living my dream in New York City, so I haven’t fared too badly over the past that time either…
It’s still mind-blowing though, to think it’s been 7 years since I first covered the festival. Back then I was able to party at Jean Claude van Damme’s soiree and still wake up at 6am to go stand in line to get a seat for the early morning film screening the next day. That balance requires a little more art now that I’m older (oh, so old!) and yet I’m still as thrilled as the first time around. It’s just that now there’s a familiarity to the surroundings, plus I know where to go to get my favourite pain au chocolats.
David Kibuuka and I with Quincy Jones, Cannes 2007.
This year, with the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, I’m really excited Steven Spielberg is heading the jury. In 2008, my second fest, he brought Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (along with dozens of Harrison Ford-style fedoras) to the Palais des Festivals. It’ll be interesting to hear what he and his jury-mates will be looking for in the awarding the Palme d’Or this year – will he lean more towards the historical, period films, or will he go for the fantastical à la ET or Indiana Jones?
Among those joining him on the jury are Christoph Waltz, who just won his second Oscar this year, and Ang Lee, the man who beat out Spielberg for best director this year, as well as Nicole Kidman and director Lynne Ramsay. The winner of the Palme d’Or last year, Amour, directed by Michael Haneke, went on to win the Oscar for best foreign language film.
Some of the films I’m looking forward to seeing over the next few days…
* Steven Soderbergh’s Liberace biopic, Behind the Candelabra, starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon.
* Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives, starring Ryan Gosling.
* Alexander Payne’s latest one Nebraska, shot in black and white.
* Jim Jarmusch’s vampire film Only Lovers Left Alive, starring British actress Tilda Swinton.
* The Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, with John Goodman and Justin Timberlake.
* The Past from Asghar Farhadi, who gave us A Separation.
As always, I’ll be blogging and tweeting through it all, as well as posting videos to my YouTube. And, as always, I’ll be keeping a close eye on the South Africans taking part, thanks to the National Film and Video Foundation, which has helped me get to Cannes again this time. A record number of South African filmmakers are taking part this year – 150 – and perhaps among them, we may find the next Gavin Hood or Terry Pheto.
Posted in Miss N
Tagged 66th Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, Cannes 2013, Cannes Film Festival, Steven Spielberg
The Palme d’Or has been awarded – to Michael Haneke’s Amour, as many had predicted it would. There was talk that possibly Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone could have scooped it, or even the wacky Holy Motors, starring Denis Lavant and Kylie Minogue. Those films also didn’t pick up anything in other categories either, with the Grand Prix going to Reality by Matteo Garrone, Best Director to Carlos Reygadas for Post Tenebras Lux, Best Actor to Mads Mikkelsen in The Hunt and Best Actress to Cristina Flutur and Cosmina Stratan in Beyond the Hills by former Palme winner Cristian Mungiu.
Actors Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva flank Michael Haneke Pic: festival-cannes.fr
Mungiu’s film also earned him a Best Screenplay award. Ken Loach’s The Angels’ Share scored the Jury Prize, while Beasts of the Southern Wild by Benh Zeitlin picked up the Camera d’Or prize in the Un Certain Regard section, which runs parallel to the fest’s official in competition selection.
And so, that’s a wrap for this year’s festival. Thanks to the National Film and Video Foundation for partly helping me get to Cannes so that I could report on all the news coming out of the festival and watch how South Africa has grown in its participation at the event. Also thanks to my fabulous journo gal pals MJ, Alicia and Lisa who make this work that much easier (it ain’t a walk on the beach, you know…)
Ireland's Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan with SA's Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile, after signing a co-production treaty.
A bientôt Cannes!
There’s been a strong contingent of young stars in Cannes this year. Today’s screening of Cosmopolis, and the premiere happening this evening, sees Robert Pattinson back in Cannes, following his first foray here when he came to present Twilight footage before the first film came out. Starring in director David Cronenberg’s film adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel, Robert goes tête-à-tête with Paul Giamatti in the movie, which is an overflow of information as it plays upon the themes of social and economic crisis that’s befallen our society. Rob’s girlfriend, Kristen Stewart, who’s here with On the Road, is expected to join him on the red carpet at tonight’s premiere. Possible candidates to take over from Cannes “It” couple – Brad and Angelina…?
Don DeLillo, David Cronenberg and Robert Pattinson
It was great to have Don DeLillo on the panel for the press conference. It’s always interesting to get an author’s take on the film interpretation of their work. DeLillo said they’re totally different life forms and that although they were his words, it felt like he was looking at something new. The director said it took him 6 days to write the screenplay, but that, like any other art work created, he didn’t mess with the basic structure and style of the book. “It’s like a Bob Dylan song,” he said. “Everyone knows the lyrics and how it goes, so you don’t mess with the rhythm. You just try to bring out something new.”
Lee Daniels also ventured into a novel once again, for his second film offering. Following on from Precious, which debuted here in2009, the director roped in another young talent – this time Zac Efron, who plays a character he says appealed to him because it was “raw and dangerous”. There are some surprising scenes with him, and Matthew McConaughey too, is seen in a different light. Nicole Kidman, John Cusack and Macy Gray were also at the press conference.
Meanwhile, the sun is still shining at Cannes – and that makes me happy!
On The Road is one of the films I’ve been looking forward to seeing at Cannes. Brazilian director Walter Salles says it took many years to adapt the classic book by the iconic author onto the big screen, after producer Roman Coppola’s father, Francis Ford, was given the rights many years ago. It’s a heady trip down the road of inspiration, Beat-style, but as Salles told us in the press conference, Neal Cassady’s son John said to him this was not a story about the beat generation itself but about the formative years, and what led to the creation of this influential group. The film’s stars Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Tom Sturridge and Danny Morgan were at the press con to talk about the film.
The cast, producers and director, Walter Salles, of On The Road
Kristen Stewart, Sam Riley, Walter Salles and Garrett Hedlund - Pic: festival-cannes.fr
Pic: festival-cannes.fr
The film I saw today is one of the reasons I love Cannes so much. Yes, it’s pretty and glamorous and gorgeous to be by the seaside, and there are celebs every where you go. But it’s the discovery of new films, and being moved by a cinematic experience that I appreciate even more. Today that happened to me in the movie Rust and Bone, or De Rouille et d’os , which stars Marion Cotillard and Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts. It’s a love story, but about how disabilities, both physical and other, shape life and one’s character. Marion plays a Marineworld instructor who loses her legs in an accident. Matthias is an emotionally crippled father of a 5-year-old he doesn’t quite know how to handle. It’s such a rewarding film experience that I wanted to keep clapping long after the credits stopped rolling and the music had ended. The music! You could put Bon Iver over anything and it would look and sound good, but the use of Justin Vernon’s music here and the score by Alexander Desplat wraps around the story and pushes it that much further into your mind and heart. There’s already Oscar buzz around the film, and word is, this French film may be the next The Artist, with Matthias the next Jean DuJardin. The film premiered in Cannes in the evening and has been drawing fantastic reviews.
Cannes is a wonderful pot of spontaneous serendipity. My friend and fellow journalist Marie Joelle and I went out for the night. As we walked into the JW Marriott hotel on the way to Le Club, we seemed to become a part of a group of people that included Marion Cotillard and her friends. We all got into the lift, as I invisibly zipped my lips in an effort not to scream out how amazing she was in the movie I had just seen a few hours earlier. After some time in the club, and as she was on her way out, I finally did convey my gratitude for her performance, and got a smile from that beautiful petite face. Below is the pic MJ managed to snap before cameras were told to be put away.
And with that – the 65th Cannes Film Festival is a go!
Wes Anderson’s movie, Moonrise Kingdom officially opened the festival. I saw the screening in the morning – pain au chocolat in hand – and was carried away by the whimsical delight of first love, set against a backdrop only Wes Anderson himself can create. At the press conference, the cast of Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton and Bruce Willis delighted us with anecdotes about the kind of set the director creates and how much fun and relaxed it is to work with him. Bill, dressed in a fantastic checked shirt, joked that he only works now because Wes keeps giving him parts and keeping him employed.
Tilda Swinton and Wes Anderson
After that press conference, there was another one introducing the jury that will decide which films will be awarded top honours at the end of the festival. Led by Italian director Nanni Moretti, the jury consists of 8 other filmmakers, a bunch he calls “very joyful, very happy people” – Palestinian actress and director Hiam Abbass, British writer/director Andrea Arnold, French actress Emmanuelle Devos, actress Diane Kruger, designer Jean Paul Gaultier, Haitian writer/director Raoul Peck, writer/director (and recent Oscar winner) Alexander Payne, and actor Ewan McGregor, who joked that he’d been running five miles a day for three months in preparation for Cannes.
I asked Gaultier about what he wants to bring to the jury – seeing as it’s the first time a designer has been on it – and he replied that he’s coming in as a fan who loves movies and critiques them like any other cinema-goer. “We go in asking, are they good or bad? Sometimes you go ‘oh my God this is so beautiful’, and sometimes you don’t feel anything. But it can be inspiring too, and I will share my reaction,” he added.
Reactions were shared when General Aladeen, aka Sacha Baron Cohen arrived on a camel at the Carlton Hotel for his movie The Dictator. I was in the cinema so I missed the stunt, but having seen him in New York recently, I have no doubt it drew just the kind of buzz he wanted here – before all the official business of Cannes kicked off.
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