“Ash Is The Purest White”
In Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke’s latest drama, a woman loves a local mobster. During a fight between rival gangs, she fires a gun to protect him and receives five years in prison for this act of loyalty. Upon her release, she goes looking for Bin to pick up where they left off. Starring Zhao Tao, who happens to be Zhangke’s wife—she’s started in “Platform” (2000), “Still Life” (2006) and “Mountains May Depart” (2015) to name a few—it’s a long one at 150 minutes and is likely characterized by Zhangke’s long languid takes and patience. While it does sound a little bit more genre-y than usual, Zhangke’s films always feature a documentary-like truth to them and social dimensions. So don’t expect this to be some kind of revenge morality play, but do expect something engrossing. – RP
“Dogman”
Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone is another mainstay at Cannes who essentially gets some kind of invite every time he releases a picture. While “Reality” (2012) and “Tale of Tales” (2015), weren’t as big of splashes, Cannes is still arguably reeling from the striking, violent Italian crime movie “Gomorrah,” which heralded praise from Martin Scorsese at the time and launched an entire TV series spinoff and a further indication that sometimes all you need is one big lasting hit at Cannes to be grandfathered in for several years. His latest. dubbed an “urban Western,” place in an Italian suburb somewhere between metropolis and wild nature. A gentle dog groomer finds himself involved in a dangerous relationship of subjugation with a former violent boxer who terrorizes the entire neighborhood. In an effort to reaffirm his dignity, Marcello will submit to an unexpected act of vengeance. That’s vague but intriguing enough. Garrone, you have our attention. -RP
“Fugue”
Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s “The Lure” is one of the wildest and awesome movies in recent years. A 1980’s horror musical about killer mermaids? Yes, please! So what does the Polish filmmaker have in store for her next film “Fugue?” “Fugue” follows a woman suffering from memory loss as she rebuilds her life with her former family. Smoczyńska’s film plays with the social taboos surrounding motherhood and how women are expected to accept their role as a mother without hesitation. Even more exciting? In what is believed to be a first, the Critic’s Week sidebar competition selected a majority of films by female directors. “Fugue” is one of four female-directed films out of the seven-total competing. We can’t wait to see how this one turns out. – EB
“3 Faces”
With his documentaries “This is Not a Film” and “Taxi” documentarian Jafar Panahi has made a name for himself by tackling subjects that put his own livelihood at risk, embarking on stories that are crucial in expanding world cinema. Arrested in 2010 for the alleged propaganda against the Iranian government in his films and having been kept under house arrest since 2011, unable to leave his country, Panahi’s voice has grown increasingly poignant. “3 Faces,” which was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or follows the stories of three Iranian actresses, all through different time periods. – AJ
“Everybody Knows”
It’s not at all hyperbolic to call director Asghar Farhadi one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation. With “The Past”, “About Elly” and “The Salesman” he confidently sucks the air out of the room of the theater and with “A Separation” in particular, one of the great films of the 21st Century, he claimed status to a filmmaker whose work we’d always be drawn to. With his latest feature, “Everybody Knows” he’s got some A-lister talent on his side with Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem and a synopsis that once again merges humanist drama with thriller backbones. Following Laura (Cruz) and her husband (Bardem) and children in Buenos Aires, a customary family celebration quickly derails as they find themselves imposed with moral quandaries that could change the course of their lives forever. The film will open the festival and as one of the buzziest films arrive at Cannes this year and marks the first time since 2004 with Pedro Almodóvar’s “Bad Education” that an Opening Film was neither in English or French. – AJ
“Solo: A Star Wars Story”
Despite coming from one of the biggest franchises in cinematic history, the path to “Solo: A Star Wars Story” has been rife with misfortune. From rumors over star Alden Ehrenreich needing an acting coach to the last minute loss of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller as directors (with Ron Howard taking over) and talks of discord on set, the behind-the-scenes drama has nearly overshadowed the film itself. There’s still a worthy argument to be had over just how necessary this origin story film was (hint- it wasn’t) but we’re getting it whether we like it or not. And judging by the trailers and marketing materials for ‘Solo,’ what we’re getting is another ‘Star Wars’ anthology film (last seen with ‘Rogue One‘) that looks to try to capture the fun, exciting, fantastic tone of the original trilogy. It’s hard to doubt a big budget film that makes it’s premiere at the festival, with recent submissions including the much beloved “Inside Out” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” but we’ll err on the side of precaution until this one is seen. – AJ
That’s really just the tip of the iceberg. Between all the sections in Cannes, there’s probably 50+ films screening, but this is a taste of the bigger, splashier, more anticipated titles. Other titles worth keeping an eye on are “Girls Of The Sun” starring Golshifteh Farahani from director Eva Husson (“Bang Gang [A Modern Love Story]),” Ryūsuke Hamaguchi‘s “Asako I & II,” Jean-Luc Godard‘s latest experimental effort, “The Image Book,” omnibus feature “10 Years Thailand” ( with directors Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Aditya Assarat, Wisit Sasanatieng, Chulayarnnon Siriphol), Wang Bing‘s “Dead Souls,” Christophe Honoré‘s “Sorry Angel,” genre/midnight film “Arctic” starring Mads Mikkelsen, Mamoru Hosoda‘s animated “Mirai” and many more.
Follow along with all our 2018 Cannes Film Festival coverage here.