Cannes Day 1: Top 12 Most Anticipated Films Starter Kit

If I had to pick just twelve (my actual screening schedule is north of 40) then I’d go with the dozen titles below. 

All Good Children directed by Alicia Duffy (Director’s Fortnight)
On the basis of her short film and the clip I saw for this one, this feature debut may just bring us the next Lynne Ramsay, Andrea Arnold.

Biutiful directed by Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu (Main Comp)
First screenplay sans Guillermo Arriaga, I’m expecting this to be the fresh start and move away from mapped out narratives and multiple character collision course – big question: is this an English or Spanish spoken film? 

Carlos directed by Olivier Assayas (Out of Competition)
Of the list you find on this page, this is the film in Cannes that I won’t be watching – 5 hour 33 minutes should have been broken down by the festival. Will seek it out post festival.

Inside Job directed by Charles Ferguson (Special Screening)
Ferguson did such a great job with his introductory film No End in Sight. This one is narrated by Matt Damon and looks at the Great Depression of last year. 

I Wish I Knew directed by Jia Zhangke (Un Certain Regard)
Give me Thai master Weerasethakul or Zhangke in this festival, and I’m picking the story about a city’s (Shanghai) shift in identity.

“L’Autre Monde” (Black Heaven) directed by Gilles Marchand (Midnight Screening)
Guilty pleasure from a writer I’m already a fan of — my hope is that this succeeds in its commentary of the whole avatar, online world. 

Le Quattro volte directed by Michelangelo Frammartino (Director’s Fortnight)
The docu essay film featuring the beginning and end of life within a certain radius looks promising.

Route Irish (Main Comp)
My thinking is that the perfs in this last minute entry from master filmmaker will be more memorable than the collection of characters in Loach’s previous films.

Shit Year directed by Cam Archer (Director’s Fortnight)
Been looking forward to this for years now — looking forward to Archer’s filmmaker eye and Ellen Barkin to breakout. 

Somos lo que hay (We Are What We Are) directed by Jorge Michel Grau (Director’s Fortnight)
Cannibals. New filmmaker from Mexico. I’m down for this. 

Tender Son: The Frankenstein Project directed by Kornél Mondruczó (Main Comp)
Delta director takes classic monster tale and embeds it in contempo portrait of a boy struggling to adapt.

Two Gates Of Sleep directed by Alistair Banks Griffin (Director’s Fortnight)
Featured here, been tracking this feature debut about a co-journey for a while now.

Bonus: Second helping of Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine (Un Certain Regard)
Shaved down 6 minutes from Sundance copy. Among the best film offerings this year.