This time last year, Mads Mikkelsen was about to become the toast of Cannes. The Danish actor was on the Croisette starring in Thomas Vinterberg‘s “The Hunt,” a stunning morality play, and went on to win the Best Actor prize at the festival for his role in that. “The Hunt” is still yet to open in the U.S. (it’s coming next month), but Mikkelsen has gone from strength to strength; he’s currently killing it, as it were, as the title character in “Hannibal,” which has unexpectedly turned out to be one of the best dramas currently on television.
And now the actor’s back at the festival to star in “Michael Kohlhaas,” an adaptation of the novel by Heinrich von Kleist about a 16th century horse dealer who rebels against the establishment when two of his animals are illegally confiscated. It might not be the sexiest subject matter, but it’s in Competition, which bodes well, even if the little-known director Arnaud des Pallieres is something of an unknown quantity behind the camera, at least for Western audiences.
The film has a killer supporting cast including Denis Lavant, Bruno Ganz, David Kross and Sergi Lopez, so we’re certainly intrigued, though. And to tide over the wait, a brace of pictures, posters and even a clip from the film have all arrived. Are you intrigued? Or unmoved? Let us know your thoughts below, and verdicts should be in from the Croisette before too long.
