Cannes Line-up

[OscarGuy]

I wouldn't even consider Lust, Caution a failure. I thought it was a wonderful movie. Sure, it wasn't up to his best, but it wasn't the utter disappointment of Hulk. And, oddly enough, I almost feel the desire to defend Hulk when it's trashed by my comic-book-movie-loving friends who mostly all loved Sin City and 300, but I still remember back to personally disliking it. So, I would have to watch it again, but it certainly was not the top of his game. I think Lust, Caution is just as exemplary as his others. The longing and desire in the film is as poignant as much of his past work. The cinematography and score are absolutely astonishing. I think where it fails IS the pacing. I've never thought his pacing was bad. I don't mind slow movies as much as others do, but Lust, Caution's tempo was hit or miss. It would be too quick one minute and too slow the next. At least his other movies managed to feel like they were paced correctly at the right moments. I think I need to watch all of his films again (and catch the ones I've missed) just to see how I feel years after the fact as I haven't seen any of them since they opened.

[matthew]

I don't even really have much issue with his themes or his middlebrow-ness or his mise-en-scene (or alleged lack thereof), but the only movie I've ever seen by him that seems to have any reasonable sense of pacing is Sense & Sensibility, which I'd chalk up to Emma Thompson's smart script.

hmmmm...I thought Sense and Sensibility was his most-laclustre effort. There pacing just felt ploding; it was like the film never really came alive. I think his greatest achievement is Lust,Caustion. What a sublime piece of cinema that was!

[Eric]

I don't even really have much issue with his themes or his middlebrow-ness or his mise-en-scene (or alleged lack thereof), but the only movie I've ever seen by him that seems to have any reasonable sense of pacing is Sense & Sensibility, which I'd chalk up to Emma Thompson's smart script.

[Sabin]

He may not have any invested interest in visual style, but he certainly has a strong thematic streak. In going to an Ang Lee film, one will witness characters in the throes of repression. There will be sex. A lot of it will be anguished. People will die before they confess their love, or during their death-rattle. And I'm fine with that. I will up Mister Tee's exultation of Lee's failures and cite them as intermittently more fascinating than his successes. Both Hulk and Lust, Caution do not work, but when they do, they are his most visually arresting films to date.

I have not seen Ride with the Devil and I have no idea why not. Nor have I seen Eat Drink Man Woman. Brokeback Mountain, Sense and Sensibility, and Crouching Tiger are fine works and therein lay the problem. Save for the surface thrills (gay sex! flying martial arts), they are films better remembered than experienced in my opinion, often times lagging and dull. That certainly doesn't diminish their strengths, of which all three have many. Yet they're so wrapped in prestige that I know where Eric is coming from. I agree with Original BJ, he is just as easy to over as underrate.

The Ice Storm is pretty exemplary though. This is what he does. He's benefited by his strongest score, cinematography, and cast though. The film is a rounded ensemble piece so he can jump around and explore more repression in one film than any other, and even find notes of redemption and sweetness in tragic sadness.

I've heard that he exhausted the actors on Brokeback with takes. In all fairness, all for the best because the film is beautifully acted and features an immediately legendary performance by Heath Ledger. To me, that's his strongest suit. He knows how to draw performances of indelible longing. Brokeback Mountain is not a great film but when Ledger is on-screen near the end, it feels like a work of unbearable poignancy and lingers on in memory. There aren't many who can do that.

[Mister Tee]

I consider Lee, like Anthony Minghella at his best, a great classical filmmaker, and I don't think that's some minor classification. It's true he doesn't have stylistic flourishes, and maybe this will keep him from ever making The Big Breakthrough, but I find his work more mature and satisfying than many who possess such traits (Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, Oliver Stone). For me, The Ice Storm, Crouching Tiger, Eat Drink man Woman and Brokeback are all at the exceptional level, and I find even his failures (Hulk and Lust, Caution) interesting.

To all those BJ listed as among his visual achievements, I'll just add one: the shot of Kline, Allen and Ricci meeting Maguire at the train station at the climax of The Ice Storm was one the most emotionally overwhelming images I've ever seen in a film.

[OscarGuy]

And, do I remember there being some article suggesting that Lee is fairly hands-off with his actors? It's hard to imagine a director who's hands-off being able to elicit such amazing performances. I mean, if there's one quality aside from visual elegance that Lee excels in, it's enticing brilliant performances: (to name a small efw that immediately leap to mind): Kate Winslet (S&S), Sigourney Weaver (IS), Kevin Kline (IS), Tobey Maguire (IS), Christina Ricci (IS), Elijah Wood (IS), Michelle Yeoh (CTHD), Ziyi Zhang (CTHD), Heath Ledger (BM), Jake Gyllenhaal (BM), Tony Leung (LC), Wei Tang (LC)...that's quite an impressive list of performances, IMO.

[The Original BJ]

I think Ang Lee is the type of filmmaker it's easy to both over and underrate. I believe I mentioned after seeing Lust, Caution that Lee is probably my favorite working filmmaker who I don't ever think of when thinking about my favorite working filmmakers. His work has a classical elegance to it, with a real mainstream sensibility which makes him seem less "exciting" than some directors with more distinct filmic personalities. (see: a lot of the directors in the Cannes headline.)

But just because his work is accessible to those with less adventurous taste doesn't diminish his real talent as a filmmaker in my eyes. I think Ang Lee's great gift is his ability to create on-screen communities that feel real and lived in, communities from wildly disparate eras -- contemporary Taiwan, 19th century England, 1970s Connecticut, 18th century China, the 1960s American West, etc -- while treating the people who inhabit them with great humanity.

And although his visuals may not be groundbreaking, I can think of a lot of visually impressive images from his films -- the storm in The Ice Storm, the treetop battle in Crouching Tiger, Brokeback's finale, a lot of the sheer lushness of Lust, Caution. Plus, his track record for crafting terrific performances from film to film to film is glorious.

[Eric]

And while I do find Lee's work mostly uninspired, I am very much a fan of Almodovar's films of late. But there's no denying his presence at Cannes is obligatory at this point.

[Eric]

Mostly I was zzzzzz-ing to the litany of Cannes perpetuals. Actually, I was moreso railing against a very generic and easy news lead. It's almost like that sentence exists the a list of eight names, and the wire simply crosses out the few that don't apply in any given year (this year, Gus Van Sant, Clint Eastwood, et al).

[OscarGuy]

I think his work is brilliant. His films are a celebration of life and love, often that which is restricted or comes at a price. Next to Kubrick, he's one of the few directors whose work I have almost universally loved.

[dws1982]

I don't think there's an internationally renowned filmmaker whose work is less distinctive stylistically or less interesting in general than Ang Lee. I'll never understand why he has the reputation he does.

[Mister Tee]

Eric, I know your tastes run outside the lines, but would you really describe those three directors as "boring"? They may be the usual suspects, but aren't they also the awfully good usual suspects? It's not like we're talking Ron Howard vs. Stephen Daldry here.

[Eric]

Ang Lee vs. Jane Campion vs. Pedro Almodovar vs. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

That lead makes this line-up look way more boring than it actually is.

[Penelope]

Interesting jury.

[Mister Tee]

Cannes unveils lineup
Heavyweight auteurs vie for Palme d'Or
By JOHN HOPEWELL

PARIS -- It's official: Quentin Tarantino, Ang Lee and Pedro Almodovar will face off with Jane Campion, Ken Loach, Michael Haneke and Park Chan-wook in Cannes' biggest heavyweight auteur smackdown in recent years.
All have snagged Competition berths at next month's 62nd Cannes Festival, whose Official Selection was unveiled Thursday.

This year's Competition is heavy on European fare but the lightest Yank presence since 2006. Asia makes a strong showing.

Cannes has given competition berths to Quentin Tarantino's World War II actioner "Inglourious Basterds," toplining Brad Pitt, and Lee's "Talking Woodstock," a comedic take on the legendary concert, with Liev Schreiber, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Emile Hirsch.

Sam Raimi's feel-good horror movie, "Drag Me to Hell," already a highlight in an unfinished version at March's SXSW fest, scores a Midnight Screening slot.

Terry Gilliam screens Out of Competition with "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus." Of other U.S. pics, Lee Daniel's "Precious" plays in Un Certain Regard.

Competition includes Almodovar's "Broken Embraces," Jane Campion's "Bright Star" and Ken Loach's "Looking for Eric."

Amping up the auteur factor, Competition will also feature Lars von Trier's "Antichrist," Austrian Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon," Isabel Coixet's "Map of the Sounds of Tokyo" and Italian Marco Bellocchio's "Vincere."

Confirming prognostications, Cannes Official Selection looks relatively light on U.S. fare this year. At a packed press conference in Paris' Grand Hotel, fest program director Thierry Fremaux, flanked by Cannes president Gilles Jacob, told journos Thursday that Hollywood WGA strike could have been responsible for the lighter U.S. presence.

As already announced, continuing its support for ground-breaking studio toon pics, fest opens with Pete Docter and Bob Peterson's Pixar movie "Up," the first time an animated film, let alone a Digital 3-D one, has kicked off Cannes.

Park Chan-wook's "Thirst" leads a strong Asian presence in Competition. He has joined by more Asian titles: Johnnie To's "Vengeance," Brillante Mendoza's "Kinatay" and "Face," a French-set extravaganza from the Taiwan-based maverick. China's Lou Ye ("Summer Palace") is back at Cannes with a reportedly torrid young love triangle tale, "Spring Fever."

Otherwise this year's Cannes Competition belongs largely to Europe.

Alain Resnais' "Les Herbes folles," Jacques Audiard's "A Prophet," Xavier Giannoli's "In the Beginning" and Gaspar Noe's "Enter the Void" fly the flag for France, which has one of its biggest Competish presences in recent years, especially if one includes co-production.

Competition is given spread by a sprinkling of newish directors such as Brit Andrea Arnold, who segues from acclaimed debut "Red Road" to teenage girl drama "Fish Tank," and Competition is rounded up by Palestine's Elia Suleiman, "The Time That Remains," a six-decade Palestine family saga.

Alejandro Amenabar's "Agora" snared an out-of-competition placing.

Cannes' 62nd edition closes May 24 with Jan Kounen's "Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky."

Cannes' Directors' Fortnight and Critics' Week will be fully announced Friday in Paris.


CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

OPENER
"Up," U.S., Pete Docter, Bob Peterson

CLOSER
"Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky," France, Jan Kounen

IN COMPETITION
"Bright Star," Australia-U.K.-France, Jane Campion
"Spring Fever," China-France, Lou Ye
"Antichrist," Denmark-Sweden-France-Italy, Lars von Trier
"Enter the Void," France, Gaspar Noe
"Face," France-Taiwan-Netherlands-Belgium, Tsai Ming-liang
"Les Herbes folles," France-Italy, Alain Resnais
"In the Beginning," France, Xavier Giannoli
"A Prophet," France, Jacques Audiard
"The White Ribbon," Germany-Austria-France, Michael Haneke
"Vengeance," Hong Kong-France-U.S., Johnnie To
"The Time That Remains," Israel-France-Belgium-Italy, Elia Suleiman
"Vincere," Italy-France, Marco Bellocchio
"Kinatay," Philippines, Brillante Mendoza
"Thirst," South Korea-U.S., Park Chan-wook
"Broken Embraces," Spain, Pedro Almodovar
"Map of the Sounds of Tokyo," Spain, Isabel Coixet
"Fish Tank," U.K.-Netherlands, Andrea Arnold
"Looking for Eric," U.K.-France-Belgium-Italy, Ken Loach
"Inglourious Basterds," U.S., Quentin Tarantino
"Taking Woodstock," U.S., Ang Lee

OUT OF COMPETITION
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," Canada-France, Terry Gilliam
"The Army of Crime," France, Robert Guediguian
"Agora," Spain, Alejandro Amenabar

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
"A Town Called Panic," Belgium, Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar
"Ne te retourne pas," France-Belgium-Luxembourg-Italy, Marina de Van
"Drag Me to Hell," U.S., Sam Raimi

SPECIAL SCREENINGS
"Petition," China, Zhao Liang
"L'epine dans le coeur," France, Michel Gondry
"Min ye," France-Mali, Souleyumane Cisse
"Jaffa," Israel-France-Germany, Keren Yedaya
"Manila," Philippines, Adolfo Alix Jr., Raya Martin
"My Neighbor, My Killer," U.S., Anne Aghion

UN CERTAIN REGARD"Samson & Delilah," Australia, Warwick Thornton
"Adrift," Brazil, Heitor Dhalia
"The Wind Journeys," Colombia, Ciro Guerra
"Demain des l'aube," France, Denis Dercourt
"Irene," France, Alain Cavalier
"Air Doll," Japan, Hirokazu Kore-eda
"Independance," Philippines-France-Germany, Raya Martin
"Le Pere de mes enfants," France-Germany, Mia Hansen-Love
"Dogtooth," Greece, Yorgos Lanthimos
"Nobody Knows About the Persian Cats," Iran, Bahman Ghobadi
"Eyes Wide Open," Israel, Haim Tabakman
"Mother," South Korea, Bong Joon-ho
"The Silent Army," Netherlands, Jean van de Velde
"To Die Like a Man," Portugal, Joao Pedro Rodrigues
"Police, Adjective," Romania, Corneliu Porumboiu
"Tales from the Golden Age," Romania, Hanno Hofer, Razvan Marculescu, Cristian Mungiu, Constantin Popescu, Ioana Uricaru
"Tale in the Darkness," Russia, Nikolay Khomeriki
"Tzar," Russia-France, Pavel Lounguine
"Nymph," Thailand, Pen-ek Ratanaruang
"Precious," U.S., Lee Daniels

FEATURE FILM JURY
Isabelle Huppert (president), actress, France
Asia Argento, actress, director, screenwriter, Italy
Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director, screenwriter, actor, Turkey
Lee Chang-dong, director, author, screenwriter, South Korea
James Gray, director, screenwriter, U.S.
Hanif Kureishi, author, screenwriter, U.K.
Shu Qi, actress, Taiwan
Robin Wright Penn, actress, U.S.

LA CINEFONDATION AND SHORT FILM JURY
John Boorman (president), director, author, producer, U.K.
Bertrand Bonello, director, France
Ferid Boughedir, director, Tunisia
Leonor Silveira, actress, Portugal
Zhang Ziyi, actress, China