Recap: Our Cannes Critics’ Panel think Latest Kechiche, Coens and Farhadi Were a Cut Above

Around the midway point of the fest, all indications told us that Asghar Farhadi’s The Past and the Coen bros. Inside Llewyn Davis would be a part of what is traditionally a two to four-way horse race for the top of the leader-board position and films to beat in our daily temperature-taker, but when the other fifteen critics in our Cannes Critics’ Panel grid started flooding our inbox with jaw-dropping scores – we quickly understood that Blue Is The Warmest Colour (La Vie d’Adele, Chapitres 1 et 2) was the odds on favorite. Abdellatif Kechiche’s fifth feature film, generated a combined score of 4.4, beating out the Coens.’ (16 critics, combined score of 60 for an average of 3.75) and Farhadi’s Le Passe (The Past) (14 critics, combined score of 52 for an average of 3.71). Not surprisingly, all three were award with trophy-ware with Inside Llewyn Davis capturing the 2nd place (Grand Prix prize) and Bérénice Bejo won for Best Actress. Having a strong set of supporters among our critics and the Spielberg jury as well, we find Jia Zhangke’s most accessible film A Touch of Sin finished just outside the top three – (13 critics, combined score of 44.5 for an average of 3.42).

Six titles that were above average, had strong support from key critics, and certainly represent solid fair from there respective auteurs we found Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive (13 critics, combined score of 44 for an average of 3.38) as a late in fest entry worth seeking out (SPC grabbed the rights). After building some solid buzz for In the House, according to the grades (14 critics, combined score of 44.5 for an average of 3.17) received Francois Ozon might still be on a winning streak with Jeune et Jolie (Young & Beautiful) – the film will have certainly opened huge doors for its lead: Marine Vacth. In his retirement gig, our critic scores (15 critics, combined score of 47.5 for an average of 3.16) would prove Thierry Frémaux to be right: Steven Soderbergh’s Behind the Candelabra had some strong supporters as did Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty) (12 critics, combined score of 37.5 for an average of 3.12). Not to far off, we had some foreign subtitle treats in the warmly received Polanski film, Venus in Fur (11 critics, combined score of 33.5 for an average of 3.04) and the tear-jerker Jury Prize winning Like Father, Like Son from Hirokazu Koreeda. (15 critics, combined score of 45 for an average of 3) and if our chart had been comprised of more French film critics, then James Gray might have crawled up a couple of more notches above with The Immigrant (16 critics, combined score of 46.5 for an average of 2.9). Here is how the others fared and our finalized chart after the skip.

Alexander PAYNE — Nebraska: (15 critics, combined score of 42 for an average of 2.8)

Amat ESCALANTE — Heli: (15 critics, combined score of 40.5 for an average of 2.7)

Alex VAN WARMERDAM — Borgman: (15 critics, combined score of 40 for an average of 2.66)

Arnaud des PALLIÈRES — Michael Kohlhass: (12 critics, combined score of 29 for an average of 2.41)

Arnaud DESPLECHIN — Jimmy P. (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian) (15 critics, combined score of 35 for an average of 2.33)

Nicolas WINDING REFN — Only God Forgives: (14 critics, combined score of 32 for an average of 2.28)

Mahamat-Saleh HAROUN — Grigris: (13 critics, combined score of 29 for an average of 2.23)

Valeria BRUNI TEDESCHI — Un Chateau en Italie: (9 critics, combined score of 19 for an average of 2.11)

Takashi MIIKE — Wara No Tate (Shield of Straw): (11 critics, combined score of 22.5 for an average of 2.04)