CANNES, France: As the Cannes Film Festival draws to a close on Saturday evening, the competition for the top prize features an eclectic mix of films, including a Donald Trump biopic, a musical about a Mexican cartel boss, and Francis Ford Coppola’s long-time passion project.
The jury, led by president Greta Gerwig, known for last summer’s hit ‘Barbie,’ alongside eight others, will choose the winner of the Palme d’Or from 22 competing films. Jury members, including U.S. actor Lily Gladstone and Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda, acknowledge the significant impact their decision could have on a director’s career.
Coppola’s highly anticipated sci-fi epic ‘Megalopolis,’ starring Adam Driver, received mixed reactions at its premiere last Thursday. In contrast, ‘Emilia Perez,’ featuring Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana, is the favorite to win the prize. The film, with its musical numbers about a Mexican drug lord who transitions from male to female and starts a nonprofit for the disappeared, has garnered positive reviews from critics.
This year, Cannes has shown particular appreciation for Hollywood veterans, honoring Meryl Streep and George Lucas with lifetime achievement awards and inviting George Miller and Kevin Costner to premiere their new films out of competition.
While entries from established filmmakers like Yorgos Lanthimos, David Cronenberg, and Paul Schrader generated excitement, their chances of winning seem slim. Other strong contenders include ‘All We Imagine As Light,’ the first Indian competition film in 30 years, ‘Anora,’ Sean Baker’s darkly humorous drama about an erotic dancer in New York, and the Demi Moore-led body horror ‘The Substance.’
Films like ‘The Apprentice,’ about former U.S. president Donald Trump, and ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ by exiled Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, have gained attention for their topical themes, despite festival director Thierry Fremaux’s criticism of the industry’s increased focus on political and social issues.
The 77th Cannes Film Festival began on May 14.
