To the outsider, the Cannes Film Festival can be a nebulous thing. Even if you know the filmmaker or the cast, sometimes you need more context than a review to give you a sort of firmer grasp of the shape, texture and tone of a movie. Clips from the festival are landing left and right, so we thought we’d grab a smattering and ground you a little deeper than some of the reviews and pictures your may or may not have seen.
Cape Town, 2010. A mutilated corpse is discovered in the city’s botanical gardens.
As chief of police, Ali Neuman investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding the macabre murder of the daughter of former rugby champion Stewart Weitz, he makes a startling discovery.
A drug whose composition is unknown appears to be the cause of the homicide.
Check out the featurette below and we’ll have our verdict soon.
Next is Amat Escalante’s “Heli” which played in competition and we reviewed here. The fractured narrative film (at least at first) centers on the titular character who slowly finds his life crossing paths with the dangerous world of the drug cartels, affecting everyone in his family. We called it a “beautifully shot but despairing look at corrupted lives,” and said Escalante’s style will no doubt draw comparisons to Michael Haneke. He’s certainly a director to watch, with a magnificent eye for framing and pacing. This is one arduous slow burn, and features a torture scene that was the talk of the Croisette. Here’s the synopsis:
Estela is a 12 year old girl who has just fallen crazy in love with a young police cadet who wants to run away with her and get married. Trying to achieve this dream, her family will have to live the violence that is devastating the region.
Check out the clip below, which centers on the romance alluded to in the logline, which is largely the pivot point of the first act. You can watch another exclusive clip right here.
