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Cannes 2010: Xavier Beauvois’ Des hommes et des dieux wins Grand Prix
Xavier Beauvois captures the dramatic tensions with a lucidity that matches the tempo you'd find in a monastery. This receives a French release in September around the time where it should play at TIFF - Sony Pictures Classic picked this up shortly after the screening. I look forward in seeing Michael Lonsdale's bushy eyebrows and great wisdom once again.
Cannes 2010: Chad’s Mahamat-Saleh Haroun Wins Jury Prize
Ask me before the festival started what I thought the chances of a film from Chad had in the comp - and I was probably the only one thinking this had a shot (for the record I predicted a Grand Prix win). So despite not having seen Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's A Screaming Man, I knew that a small-scale cinema with heart had perhaps a better chance than some of the more heavy weight titles.
Cannes 2010: Best Director Surprise Win for Mathieu Amalric
I guess the merging styles and a willingness to test the boundaries of a conventional narrative was something the jury appreciated in Mathieu Amalric's Tournée (On Tour). The picture, a sort of gonzo styled docu-fiction means that the actor can officially be recognized as a filmmaker. Despite not having cared about the quasy road trip, traveling Burlesque show, kudos all the same to the highly likable Amalric - who was perhaps the nights happiest winner!
Cannes 2010: Award Predictions
With less than an hour to go, here are my predictions for tonight's big winners.
Cannes Video Day 7: Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine
After making a huge splash at Sundance, Derek Cianfrance's Blue Valentine made a stop at Cannes this year as an official Un Certain Regard selected film. The Debussy theatre was packed, and at film's end receive a fairly long standing-O type of applause - approaching the ten minute mark, which is usually reserved for exceptional films that strike a cord with the tough, mostly French audiences.
