Film Trailers: BOTTLE ROCKET

     Wednesday's film trailers honors Wes Anderson on his birthday. One of the directors, along with Quentin Tarantino, that really got me invested in film as more than a hobby, but as a passion and study. Anderson's films are often defined as "quirky" and that may be true, but they without a doubt hold the distinction of a true auteur. His films are aesthetically beautiful, artfully and meticulously framed, staged and detailed, and contain the brilliant Bill Murray in some capacity. Wes Anderson's films are uniquely funny with warmth and sometimes contain dark elements of the human experience, often depression and familial ups and downs. Many of these themes are present in most of his films but his first film, Bottle Rocket, is a crime caper that is full of misfits on-the-run from the law and hilarious situations of love and friendship. The film also introduced the world to the brothers Owen and Luke Wilson. One of my favorite films of all time and I hope everyone enjoys the trailer. Happy Birthday Wes.

Cannes Competition Jury & Additional Films

     

 
     Yes! In being a huge Jim Jarmusch fan since I first saw his noir comedy Down By Law and his revisionist, black and white anti-Western Dead Man. I am always intrigued and excited about all his upcoming projects. I know the vampire film, damn, it is basically a genre all by itself now, but knowing Jarmusch has made a vampire film is exciting. The witty, dry directors new film Only Lovers Left Alive will indeed be in the competition selection at the upcoming Cannes film festival. The film stars Tilda Swinton as Eve and Tom Hiddleston as Adam, two fanged-lovers that have been in and out of love for centuries. The film also stars John Hurt, Mia Wasikowska and Anton Yelchin. It is great that we will be able to hear and read about the Cannes veterans newest film in a couple of weeks.
     The competition jury has also been announced that is headed by Film Jury President Steven Spielberg. The jury members include Nicole Kidman, British Director Lynne Ramsay, who also has a short film at the festival, Japanese Director Naomi Kawase, Daniel Auteuil, Christoph Waltz, Vidya Balan, two-time Academy Award Director Ang Lee and Romaninan Director Christian Mungiu.
     The festival also added Claude Lanzmann's Le Dernier des Injustes as an Out of Competition selection. Three films have been added to the Un Certain Regard selection including Hiner Saleem's
My Sweet Pepperland, Lucia Puenzo's Wakolda and Katrin Gebbe's Tore Tanzt.

Film Trailers: THE GRANDMASTER

I am a huge fan of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai. His films have a feel for the loner, the lovesick and encompasses energetic fuel of big city life, mainly in Hong Kong. A lot of that has to do with his usual cinematographer Christopher Doyle, and although he is not working with him on this film, the look of this film is astounding. It is a Wong Kar-wai film and it has been awhile since his failed, first English language debut My Blueberry Nights. It stars his long time acting collaborator Tony Leung as well. Here is to hoping this film, about the famed martial arts trainer for Bruce Lee, Ip Man and its forever in post production status with a lot slow motion fighting scenes in the rain, is has good as the trailer makes it. If not, at least it will be visually amazing.

Cannes additions including AIN'T THEM BODIES SAINTS

     More films have been added to the big Cannes Film Festival happening next month in France. The most exciting title to have been included is David Lowery's Sundance hit Ain't Them Bodies Saints which stars Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck in where Affleck's character escapes a Texas prison to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has not met. I can't wait to see this film. Feels like a heavy dramatic thriller and that is right up my alley, maybe even a little rebellious Bonnie and Clyde type feel to it. Somewhat, but not exactly. The films director Lowery also edited Shane Carruth's Upstream Color, which I will be seeing sometime this week. The film will have a special screening at the Cannes Critics Week. The other interesting inclusion is the Alejandro Jodorowsky documentary La Danza de la Realidad focusing on the filmmakers childhood. This is the first film from the cult-loved, experimental Chilean filmmaker in over twenty years. There is also another documentary film about Jodorowsky's cinematic attempt at making DUNE. Both films will be apart of the Director's Fortnight.  I will have all the updated films to sidebar collections in the Director's Fortnight and the Critics Week in my list of Cannes films which you can get to here.

More Cannes Films

Well, one film that I posted in the notable films not at Cannes section was Ari Folman's The Congress. The film has been added to one of the sidebar sections of the festival and will open the  Director's Fortnight selection. The film is the first to be announced in this category and is a pleasant addition. Based on Stanislaw Lem's short story "The Futurological Congress," an aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job to provide for her disabled son. The studio will scan her image and use it as they see fit, making her unhireable for future projects. The film stars Robin Wright, Paul Giamatti and Danny Huston, and is shot by rotoscoping live-action performances, much like his other film Waltz with Bashir, but having live-action sequences as well. As more films are announced I will be adding and updating them to my Cannes Film Festival post.

Notable Films Not At Cannes 2013

     Although many films by Cannes-loved directors, such as Ozon, Denis, To and Miike seem to always make there way to the French Riviera in May, there are also some notable absences from this years festival. Most notably for me is Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive. Jarmusch, being loved by Europeans and is always a staple at the festival winning numerous awards for his films, possibly may not have his film finished yet or maybe the programmers did not want a vampire tale this year. Another omission is Bong Joon-Ho's Snowpiercer. He, having directed two successful and interesting films, The Host and Mother, surprises me of not being there but it could easily still be in post-production. Also, the absence of Ari Folman's The Congress not being in the festival is somewhat of a surprise with the enormous appreciation of his animated film Waltz with Bashir.
     We already knew that Cannes regulars Pedro Almodovar and his newest I'm So Excited, and Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine were not going to be in the festival per the directors requests. The only other films that I'm disappointed are not being shown at the festival are Steve McQueen's Twelve Years a Slave, probably a more realistic and honest approach to slavery than Tarantino's Django Unchained, and the Sundance favorites Before Midnight from Richard Linklater (probably because it opens May 24th) and Ain't Them Bodies Saints from David Lowery. Lowery's film still could be added though.
     I'm sure there are more films that would have been nice to hear word from that are not playing at Cannes but before to long Telluride, Venice and Toronto will be upon us.

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL Official Lineup Announced

     

   
     Today, the 2013 Cannes Film Festival announced in official lineup. The best news for me is the inclusion of Alexander Payne's black-and-white road trip film Nebraska and the Coen Brothers 60s folk music film Inside Llewyn Davis in the main competition selection. Got to love the Coens! Other highlights announced for the in-competition (for the coveted Palme d'Or) include, Nicolas Winding Refn's Only God Forgives, Roman Polanski's Venus in Fur, Steven Soderbergh's HBO film Behind the Candelabra and Cannes regular Takashi Miike's cop thriller Wara No Tate (Shield of Straw). These are interesting films to me but I also am excited to hear about Arnaud Desplechin's Jimmy P. with Benicio del Toro, Asghar Farhadi's The Past, his follow-up to is Academy Award winning A Separation, and Kore-Eda Hirokazu's Soshite Chichi Ni Naru (Like Father, Like Son). If you have not seen his amazing Still Walking check it out. Kore-Eda Hirokazu is an amazing filmmaker.
     In the Un Certain Regard, or original and different international cinema section, the highlights include Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring, Claire Denis' Les Salauds (The Bastards) another ridiculously talented filmmaker, and Ryan  Cogler's Sundance smash Fruitvale Station.
     The Out-of-Competition films that appear to be enticing are J.C. Chandor's All is Lost with Robert Redford, Guillaume Canet's Blood Ties. The Midnight Screening includes another Cannes regular Johnnie To's Blind Detective. Also, Kim Novak will be in attendance for a special showing of Alfred Hitchcock's haunting masterpiece Vertigo, recently named by Sight & Sound as the number one film of all time.
     It appears programmer Thierry Fremaux wanted a star studded festival and he got it. Especially with the Opening Night Film being Baz Luhrman's The Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire. The selection looks quite exciting and with directors like Payne, Coen's, Polanski and Denis, it has to be good and interesting.The Festival runs from May 15 to 26 in southern France. Here is a complete list of all the films, announced has of know since there might be a few handed in the weeks heading up to the festival, and the categories each one is in after the jump.