Cannes 2010: Thierry Fremaux in the Usual Hot Seat

It’s T-minus one week and I’m guessing that Thierry Frémaux and the rest of the Cannes’ Selection Committee have got about ten more titles to pick in the Main Comp category and perhaps double the number of titles jousting for the final spots – you see, while I’m still speculating on possible titles (I’ve listed a foursome that includes Nicole Garcia’s latest below), I’m guessing that there are some producers/filmmakers that have mentally packed their bags for the event weeks, if not months ago. Like any fest, Cannes is like a country club where some filmmakers don’t have the renew their quote unquote membership. 

What we do know is that in less than a week from now, the Cannes’ Selection Committee will make the announcements for the Competition, Out of Competition and Un Certain Regard sections with the breakdown looking something like this: 20 Main Comp titles, the opener and closing film, about 20 items in the Un Certain Regard section, 6 out of comp heavyweight selections and 10 special screenings (half comprised of documentary films).

A couple of days later, the Directors’ Fortnight announces about two dozen features and International Critics’ Week will showcase about less than a dozen feature films. In total, we’re talking about 90 films, of which I’ll have seen close to half and you can add a title or two from the Film Market.

Before heading into the weekend and the major week of speculation, I’ve decided to highlight a foursome of French-funded titles that could come from out of nowhere to grab a spot in either of mentioned sections above. First we begin with a filmmaker that is a regular of sorts, having first hit the festival as an actress and then showed up with 15 août (1986), L’adversaire (2002) and 2006’s Selon Charlie. She should be presenting Un balcon sur la mer – pic that stars Jean Dujardin (who could also be repping Les Petits Mouchoirs and perhaps past the post-production point Le Bruit Des Glaçons at the fest. The film also stars Marie-Josée Croze who won Best Actress a couple of years back at the fest for Denys Arcand’s Barbarian Invasions, and Toni Servillo from Gomorrah and Il Divo fame.

According to a French source, a pair of fringe-like offerings have also been suggested as possible sidebar items. Romain Gavras, the son of Costa, could show up with Les Seigneurs – which sees the twosome of Vincent Cassel and Olivier Barthélemy specializing in mayhem. If you want a trip into the bizarre, there is also buzz drumming up for Quentin Dupieux’s road-trip movie titled Rubber, which is told from the POV of a tire. Among the mix, I’m adding Lullaby for Pi – a French co-production from first-time filmmaker Benoît Philippon..