With announcing the top honours of the most coveted film festival in the world, the 70th edition of Cannes Film Festival came to close Sunday night at the Palais des Festivals.
The follow-up to Ostlund’s 2014 international acclaim Force Majeure, the satire takes a look at the Swedish art, commerce, politics and national identity, and stars Claes Bang and Elisabeth Moss.
Pedro Almodovar, the Spanish director and head of the jury of Cannes this year along with nine people that included Will Smith, Jessica Chastain, Park Chan-wook and Paolo Sorrentino, said the film is about “the dictatorship of being politically correct.”
“Such a serious subject is treated with an incredible imagination. It is very, very, very funny,” Almodovar added.
Almodovar seemed to regret placing 120 Beats per Minute, a French entry to the festival about AIDS awareness campaigners in the 1980s, for the second honour of the festival, the Grand Prix.
Sofia Coppola becomes the second woman to win the prize for best director for her film The Beguiled, which casts Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell in the lead. The Beguiled is a remake of the 1971 Clint Eastwood film of sexual tension between an injured soldier and the woman and the girls who take him in.
Sofia Coppola was not present to accept the award, but she release a statement saying, “I was thrilled to get this movie made and it’s such an exciting start to be honoured in Cannes. I’m thankful to my great team and cast and to Focus and Universal for their support of women-driven films.”
Joaquin Phoenix received the best actor award for his role in Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here. In the film, which also awarded the best screenplay award, Phoenix portrayed a hitman in the film who tries to save a teen prostitute.
Diane Kruger was awarded with the best actress prize for her portreyal in In the Fade. The courtroom and revenge drama, directed by Fatih Akin, marks the German actress’ first German-language film.
Nicole Kidman was honored with a special prize on the occasion of the festival’s 70th anniversary. Two films, Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Beguiled contested, won awards at the festival with other films starring Kidman was screened. Will Smith accepted the award on her behalf, and a special video message from Kidman was presented.
Netflix had two acclaimed entries in the competition, but left empty handed. The video-streaming company’s lack of success should have come as no surprise, given that Almodovar said at the opening of the festival that the Palme d’Or should not go to a movie that would not be given a theatrical release.Here is the awards list from the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival:Caméra d’Or (best first feature): Jeune Femme directed by Léonor SerrailleBest short film: A Gentle Night directed by Qiu YangBest screenplay: The Killing of a Sacred Deer directed by Yorgos Lanthimos; You Were Never Really Here directed by Lynne RamsayJury prize: Loveless directed by Andrei ZvyagintsevBest actress: Diane Kruger, In the Fade directed by Fatih AkinBest actor: Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here directed by Lynne RamsayBest director: Sofia Coppola, The BeguiledGrand Prix: 120 Beats per Minute directed by Robin Campillo70th Anniversary prize: Nicole Kidman
Monday, March 24, 2025
