Cannes 2018

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OscarGuy
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Re: Cannes 2018

Post by OscarGuy »

It's been a very long time since I last had streaming issues with Netflix. They have gotten to the point that their systems test yours as your loading up the stream and then buffer enough of the content to make the playback smooth and they continue downloading in the background while your video plays, so it's never really noticeable.
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Re: Cannes 2018

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Greg wrote:
Precious Doll wrote:My biggest issue with paying for streaming is buffering issues. I do not mind too much when I am watching something for free on YouTube if there is a buffering issue, but, I would not tolerate it for something for which I am paying. Has anybody had much of a buffering issue with paid streaming?
I never have. Sometimes an Amazon video takes a little bit of time to load into full HD, but it's usually under a minute, and if I just leave it paused for about a minute, it'll usually be full HD when I play it.
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Re: Cannes 2018

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Precious Doll wrote:I really do feel that for the first time in my cinema going life of over 40 years that I am being blackmailed into undertaking something (namely streaming) that I do not want to do. It's rather odd that at a time when more films are getting made than ever, or at least it seems that way, that I have less access to cinema than I have ever had. To be frank I'm on the brink of giving up on cinema and just enjoying my many favourites from the past over again.
My biggest issue with paying for streaming is buffering issues. I do not mind too much when I am watching something for free on YouTube if there is a buffering issue, but, I would not tolerate it for something for which I am paying. Has anybody had much of a buffering issue with paid streaming?
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Re: Cannes 2018

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Further on from what I said, apparently films without distribution in France will not be included in competition. That's going too far. For example A Gentle Creature was shown in competition last year, was one of the better films at Cannes, and remains unreleased in France, which would mean under the new rules in couldn't compete.

Showing films in competitions can help a film acquire distribution. Netflix seems hell bent on destroying the current cinema model. :twisted:
Last edited by Precious Doll on Wed Apr 11, 2018 11:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Cannes 2018

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The Netflix rule shouldn't hurt films without a distributor. After all, not all films in competition end up getting a commercial release in France anyway. I think this is to stop films that Netflix have already acquired and financed themselves, which given Netflix's lack of interest in theatrically showings outside of the U.S. an opportunity to compete.

I'm not fan of Thierry Fremaux though I fully support his stand here. I really do feel that for the first time in my cinema going life of over 40 years that I am being blackmailed into undertaking something (namely streaming) that I do not want to do. It's rather odd that at a time when more films are getting made than ever, or at least it seems that way, that I have less access to cinema than I have ever had. To be frank I'm on the brink of giving up on cinema and just enjoying my many favourites from the past over again.
"I want cement covering every blade of grass in this nation! Don't we taxpayers have a voice anymore?" Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) in John Waters' Desperate Living (1977)
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Re: Cannes 2018

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Thanks, Tee!

Asghar Farhadi's film has been named the opening film. Unless I overlooked something, Moonrise Kingdom is the only opening film in the past decade to also be part of the main competition, but I'd guess this has a pretty good shot at making it. Many of the other openers have mainly been an excuse to get celebrities on the red carpet on opening night. (Just a few years ago, Grace of Monaco was an opening night film.)

I've been meaning to post an addendum, because the Netflix/Cannes face-off will almost definitely have some impact, and potentially not just on Netflix films. Netflix is already threatening to boycott the festival, which means films like Jeremy Saulnier's Hold the Dark--which was probably never going to be in the main competition but could've easily snagged a spot in the Un Certain Regard lineup--may not play at Cannes.

Like I said, it may not just be Netflix films being affected by this. The Cannes rule that is intended to box out Netflix titles--which says that each film in the main competition must have French distribution--may end up hurting Cannes regular Mike Leigh, whose film doesn't (or didn't as of a few days ago) have French distribution yet.
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Re: Cannes 2018

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I've been meaning to comment on this since it went up, and just wanted to be sure to get it in before the schedule went up: thanks to dws for doing all this research. I haven't had the energy to put all this together myself, and appreciate seeing so much in one place. Kudos.
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Cannes 2018

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The lineup won't be announced for a few more weeks, but that doesn't have to stop us from speculating. As always, there are bound to be major film I'm forgetting. Also, never underestimate the Cannes ability to pull out a random surprise or two.

Your Cannes/Festival regulars:
Mike Leigh isn't a guarantee for a spot (remember, Vera Drake was rejected at Cannes before it went to Venice and won), but he's a good bet, and his film Peterloo (which will be distributed by Amazon) seems like a good bet.

Jacques Audiard is making his English-language debut with The Sisters Brothers--I'd think a director following up his Palme D'Or winner is a good bet for a competition spot.

Speaking of Palme D'Or follow-ups, Nuri Bilge Ceylan has The Wild Pear Tree that could be ready to go.

And speaking of follow-ups, Laszlo Nemes has Sunset that may be complete. It's set in Budapest in the era just before World War I.

Paolo Sorrentino has a Berlusconi biopic that'll probably be at Cannes. It has a bit of political intrigue behind it--Berlusconi used his influence to try to prevent financing.

Naomi Kawase has a film called Vision starring Juliette Binoche. Maybe it's because her films haven't gotten great distribution in the States, but she has been a real Cannes regular over the past 10+ years.

Hirokazu Koreeda's Shoplifters is finished, so it should be at Cannes somewhere. Sometimes things are a little odd with Koreeda though--after he had Like Father, Like Son and Our Little Sister in competition, After the Storm was sidelined at Un Certain Regard, even though it got reviews as good as any of his other films.

Asghar Farhadi's new film--with Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz--should be ready to premiere at Cannes.

Carlos Reygadas has a new film, Where Life is Born, which will probably be at Cannes. Wouldn't be too shocked if it ended up in Un Certain Regard though, rather than main competition.

Lee Chang-dong has a new film ready called Burning. He doesn't work a great deal, but his last two films were in competition and won prizes.

Matteo Garrone has a new film, Dogman, that is supposedly a return to the crime genre, and should have a decent shot at a competition spot.

God help us, Gaspar Noe is apparently deep in post-production on a new film. Please don't let it be finished in time!

What to make of Lars Von Trier in the post-Melancholia and post-"Me too" era? The House That Jack Built should be ready, so it'll be interesting to see if it comes to Cannes. He premiered many films at Cannes, and I suspect he would take a sideline (Un Certain Regard or Director's Fortnight) spot as a personal insult.

Jia Zhangke is as much of a Cannes regular as anyone these days, but his new film Ash Is Purest White reportedly won't be finished in time. So it may be Venice before it premieres.

Xavier Dolan has said that he won't bring The Death and Life of John P. Donovan to Cannes, but he could easily change his mind.

James Gray's Ad Astra is currently scheduled for a January 2019 release, but since it's from Plan B--which has been behind many year-end Oscar contenders--I wouldn't be surprised to see it get moved to December. It should be finished shooting by now, but I suspect post-production won't be finished in time, so I'd guess that it'll be more likely to premiere at a fall festival.

You've gotta expect that Malick's Radegund will show up at a festival sooner or later. Given how his reputation has waned over the past few years, I'm not sure if he's a sure if he's a guarantee for a spot.

Amos Gitai has a new film, but he hasn't exactly been a Cannes regular for over a decade--and it's not like his work product has changed. So I wouldn't exactly bet on him returning this year, but you never know.

Terry Gilliam isn't exactly a Cannes regular--his one film in competition was 20 years ago--but given the years of publicity around The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, I think it'll be there.

Clair Denis is another who isn't a Cannes competition regular--her one film in competition was 30 years ago--but she did have a film at Director's Fortnight just last year. She has High Life this year, her first English-language film.

Your Other High Profile Films/Filmmakers:
Harmony Korine has a new film with a, shall we say, unique cast. Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Martin Lawrence, and Zach Efron. It's called The Beach Bum. Korine has never actually had a film play in competition at Cannes, but I wouldn't be shocked to see this one show up. At any rate, this is one that I'll be skipping--Julien Donkey-Boy was the end of the line for me and Mr. Korine.

Alfonso Cuaron is finished with Roma, his Gravity follow-up. Not surprising for Cuaron, this is in a complete different wheelhouse than his last film. This is a Spanish-language family drama, set in Mexico City in the 1970's.

Luca Guadagnino's remake of Suspiria is reportedly in the can and ready to premiere. Given his success over the past year, I think he's a good bet for a competition spot.

Supposedly Damien Chazelle is working to get First Man finished really quickly, but I'd still bet it's more likely to premiere at Venice.

David Mackenzie's Hell or High Water follow-up, Outlaw King. Apparently it's finished, but after the situation last year with The Meyerowitz Stories and Okja, I'm guessing it'll be a no-go at Cannes, barring French distribution.

Mia Hansen-Love has a new film. She hasn't actually been in competition at Cannes yet, but you kind of expect it to happen eventually.

Sicario 2: Day of the Soldado, or whatever it's called this week, is reportedly playing really well in test screenings, so it wouldn't be shocking to see it somewhere at Cannes. Maybe not competition, but at least a premiere.

It can't screen in competition, because its leading lady is head of the jury, but Richard Linklater does have a new film that could premiere.

The Elephant in the Room:
What about A Rainy Day in New York? There's no doubt that it's finished, and his films have often premiered (always out of competition) at Cannes if they're ready. It's also pretty much a given that Selena Gomez and Timothee Chalamet will not promote it--and getting name actors there to promote the film has unquestionably been one of the appeals of having Woody Allen films premiere at Cannes. Jeffrey Wells is claiming inside knowledge (as always) that Thierry Fremaux is still wanting to play it at Cannes.

Which also brings up another issue: Felix Van Groeningen's Beautiful Boy, if it's finished in time, will be at least in the running for a spot at Cannes. Fremaux is reportedly hoping it'll be ready. This is Van Groningen's first English-language film, but more importantly for some, this is Chalamet's follow-up to Call Me By Your Name. Most actors who have a giant breakthrough don't get another major role right away, but Chalamet did. There was word that Chalamet's publicist deliberately kept him out of the break-neck Oscar season campaigning this year, since he didn't have much of a shot against Oldman, in the full expectation that Chalamet would be back next year with an even better shot (probably in Support) for Beautiful Boy. If both films premiere at Cannes, it could be an odd position for Chalamet--would he attend the premiere for the Allen film, even though he's more-or-less disowned it, or would he be there for Beautiful Boy and get out of town before the Allen film premieres?

It could be a moot point anyway. Amazon is distributing both films, and I half expect that A Rainy Day in New York--which hasn't been given a release date yet--to be quietly dumped in a few theaters, then released to Amazon Prime, or it may just be released to Prime and bypass theaters altogether. After they had to basically dump Wonder Wheel with very little promotion, I can't imagine they would want to go through that again with A Rainy Day..., so I really do think they may just decide to cut their losses and fulfill whatever contractual obligation they have to Allen. And Beautiful Boy may not finish in time. But they're smart about their release strategy--by putting it out in theaters in early October, they could theoretically premiere it on Prime during Oscar voting.
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