Who will win the Palme at Cannes? [2014 edition]

It looks like one of the worst years of the competition.

Every new Godard triggers wild, undoubtedly unreliable hosannas at Cannes. This one appears to be no different.

But wasn't the raves for Film Socialisme sorta evened out by some very negative pans? That's sorta what I don't see this time, and that's what intrigues me. Because this looked divise before the festival, to say the least.

There's just really no trusting reviews of Godard, period.

There's just really no trusting reviews of Godard, period.

There's just really no trusting reviews of Godard, period.

He is not a 'consensus' artist and hasn't been since maaaaybe '70-72 at the latest. I find what I've seen from circa '77-95ish (w/ some exceptions) to be pretty arid. Better since late '90s.

Mommy is gathering major buzz.

And that to, pisses me off. The notion of auteurs made sense from 1959 until recently, it was the necessary step for critics to assess cinema as a serious artform, but nowadays it just seems that it's bunch of old white dudes making the same naturalistic movies about unfortunate people, and no, making your film in 1:1 won't make it more special. La Vie d'Adèle (which I'll say is a very good film) was basically the last of this kind I wanted to see. Heck, at least Godard, which I dislike for other reasons, is trying to do something new. I miss the 2008/2009 edition or maybe the summer just started and all I want to see is comedies.

lengthy roundtable discussion

http://www.filmcomment.com/entry/cannes-2014-homesman-mr-turner-foxcatcher-maps-to-the-stars-saint-laurent

it's weird that some folks (including todd mccarthy, who should know better) are all "oh godard, so tired of that old man, he's always doing the same thing" when from nearly all accounts "adieu au langage" is mind-bendingly weird.

i do tend to think that his films pose challenges to the usual saw-it-two-hours-ago-now-writing-700-word-review routine. in some ways twitter is almost a better medium for the time being.

wesley morris on godard/dolan (i've really enjoyed reading his cannes reports this year):

http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/cannes-diary-day-8-jean-luc-godard/

so the Palme is in the bag for Leviathan, allegedly

i liked his Elena more than most Palme winners I've seen

Disappointed Carell didn't win it but oh well.

Jury Prize for both Dolan and Godard, haha.

Winter Sleep wins the Palme d'Or.

Good job, poll voters.

The rest of the choices getting votes managed one award between them. But yeah for Nuri. Now there's hope of it getting Danish distribution.

Xavier Dolan refused the Queer Palm for Laurence Anyways, a year ago, saying (i'm translating) that such a prize is disgusting, contributes to the fragmentation of the world and that its ostracizing.

I understand Mommy is pretty disgusting.

Everything I've heard about it from people I actually know and trust makes it sound like a howler.

Glenn Kenny wrote that Dolan puts the "terrible" into "enfant terrible." WTF at the praise...

It's really awful. Possibly his worst yet.

I don't know who Xavier Dolan is but I saw Mommy for some reason. Let's just say I'm never going to see one of his film's again... lol.

I thought it was gonna be like a hardcore art movie, I don't know why, but it's really broad and stupid... And not in a sick Road House kind of way. I wanted to walk out really bad... I knew that would be the case like 5 minutes in when it became clear that it was just gonna be the same scene repeated for 2 hours and 30 minutes. But I'm such a tightwad that I'll never walk out on any movie. Anyway this Stinker gets two thumb's down.

as Kenny points out, Dolasn def has the 'chops' to make high-paying Hollywood crap. And his next movie stars Susan Sarandon.

I actually thought a bunch of times during it that Dolan & Damien Chazelle should just make X-Men movies. I'm sure they think they're too good for it, but I've got news for them... they're not!!! Also I thought of the film I Am Sam which this has about as much integrity as

Actually Dolan has directed a couple of fine female performances, the leads in Laurence Anyways and I Killed My Mother (same actress as Mommy; still his best film too).

(Anne Dorval even does her best with this crap)

Yeah the lead lady in Mommy was really good. Maybe I lied about never seeing one of his movies again... maybe one day I'll check out the transgendered one starring the leather fannypack guy from A Summer Tale

I looooove him, but the performance was wobbly.

I actually liked about half of Laurence Anyways.