Shock, revulsion, disgust…All are sentiments expressed by filmgoers and critics
who attended yesterday's midnight premier of Gaspar Noé's
Irréversible.
The director's latest feature was the talk of the Croisette yesterday, with gossip
circulating amongst industry players of a nine-minute real-time rape scene that
serves as the catalyst for the film's plot.
Irréversible is the
story of one man's vengeful quest to find the perpetrators of his wife's brutal
rape. Real life couple Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci star as the film's protagonists
who endure a 95-minute journey to the fringe of emotional fury and despair.
At both the press screening and opening premier of the film, audience members
began to walk out of the auditorium within 15 minutes of the feature's opening
curtain. According to a Reuters interview, Los Angeles entertainment lawyer
Todd Rubenstein claimed: "It's disturbing and incredibly violent. Not just
the graphic violence and the language but the disorienting camera work made
my stomach churn." Noé countered the harsh critical reception, stating
in a news conference: "I have made a film that I like and that is that.
If people want to talk about scandal, that is for them." This year's Official
Selection features often touched dark subject matters, ranging from director
David Cronenberg's look at adult schizophrenia in Spider to exploration
of youth violence evident in Murder by Numbers, City of God, and
Bowling for Columbine. There is a fine line between tasteful "shock
art" and nonsensical, explicit violence. Irréversible may have irreversibly
crossed that line…
Though no less a heavy subject matter, Roman Polanski's The Pianist,
a story of life and survival in the Warsaw ghetto during the Second World War,
premiered last night to rave reviews. With shouts of "Roman, Roman!"
the Polish director strolled up the red carpet to pose for photos with companion
Emmanuelle Seigner, Pianist star Adrien Brody, and cast members Emilia
Fox and Thomas Kretschmann. Thus far, the film is receiving critical acclaim
for Polanski's directorial efforts and Brody's rich performance as real-life
pianist and Warsaw ghetto survivor, Wladyslaw Szpilman. The American may join
screen legend Jack Nicholson and Scottish ingenue Martin Compston as the favorites
for this year's Best Actor prize.
It seems that the closing weekend here in Cannes will be remembered for this
year's most emotionally charged films. Today's premier of L'adversaire (The
Adversary), the latest from French director Nicole Garcia (the only woman
presenting a film in competition), tells the story of a man whose entire life
has been a lie-his 18-year career as a prominent doctor purely fictional. The
plot develops as the man attempts to destroy those who threaten to uncover his
deceptions, including his wife, children and parents. Daniel Auteuil and Géraldine
Pailhas star in this highly anticipated feature that is today's main screening
at the Palais' Grand Théâtre Lumière.
Eleven international directors are battling it out for the Short Film Palme
d'Or award to be handed-out today by Jury president Martin Scorsese. The Short
Film and Cinéfoundation Jury will also announce the winners of two Prix
du Jury prizes at the ceremony. Other celebrity jury members include French
actress and L'Oreal model, Judith Godrèche, and actress Tilda Swildon.
Antonio Banderas is in town to promote his latest feature, Femme Fatale,
from critically acclaimed director Brian de Palma (Scarface, The Untouchables,
Mission: Impossible). Banderas stars as a member of the French paparazzi,
whose photograph of a beautiful jewel thief, played by American model-actress
Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, threatens to expose the dazzling and mysterious "femme
fatale." De Palma admits to having drawn "upon the classic 'femme
fatale' archetype so common in films of the forties and fifties, and adapted
it to a modern-day story." The Special Screening of this film was added
to the agenda after the official selections had already been announced. With
Cannes Festival Director and the Festival itself playing a part in the film,
it is no surprise that Femme Fatale was added as a midnight screening.
Sharon Stone seems to be everywhere in Cannes this year. Recently, the jury
member and American screen actress was host at the annual Cinema Against AIDS
fundraiser. With the aid of Stone's celebrity presence, the auction raised roughly
$1,500,000 for AIDS research. Present at the auction was a slew of international
celebrities, including Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Elton John, Calvin Klein, Iman,
and Bianca Jagger. Items up for sale ranged from a 3-night stay at Scotland's
exclusive Skibo Castle (where Madonna and Guy Ritchie tied the knot) to tennis
lessons from ace Pete Sampras, which were grabbed up by Prince Albert of Monaco
for the mere asking price of $100,000.
The PianistIrreversibleL'adversaireFemme Fatale
