2012 Cannes Film Festival Predictions: Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master

Gist: A charismatic intellectual (long time contributor Philip Seymour Hoffman) launches a faith-based organization following World War II. A drifter (Joaquin Phoenix) becomes his right-hand man but as the faith begins to gain a fervent following, the drifter finds himself questioning the belief system and his mentor.

Prediction: It looks like this will be the year where we find not one, but two Andersons in Cannes. Despite producers pegging it with an October date, despite there being no official stills released and in spite of the Weinsteins already conflicted with what to do with The Wettest County and Killing Them Softly, The Master, is already in the can and Paul Thomas Anderson definitely wants to bring this to the place where he showcased Hard Eight aka Sydney (back in 2006) and Punch Drunk Love in ’02. If on April 19th Thierry Frémaux appears giddy, it’ll be because he nabbed this title. We predict a Main Comp showing and a May 21st 8:30 a.m screening grid time.