CANNES2025 - remote notes

[Chris Knipp]

OSCAR EXPERT'S 'BROTHER BRO' - SIRAT by Oliver LAXE his favorite so far


IMAGE FROM SIRAT

This YOUTUBE VIDEO (for channel subscribers) from Oscar Expert "brother bro" Justin Jaeger is interesting not for details but as an on-the-scene set of reactions. He loved SOUND OF FALLING by Mascha SCHILINSKI, sees it as a tone piece or "a tapestry" with layers of meaning. He has watched it twice and will review it in detail. It is "impeccably well crafted," and "a must-see Cannes film." He said some people thought TWO PROSECUTORS by Sergei LOZNITSA "a snooze" and it was "slow-paced" but he thought it was "very sophisticated" and obviously relevant as a "deconstruction of fascism" seen through the pursuit of a legal case. Later he posted a sit-down review of SIRAT.

He saw PROMISED SKY/PROMIS LE CIEL by Erige SEHIRI, the opening Un Certain Regard film and thought it had "very good performaces" and was "solid" and a "touching and important immigrant story." But he was half asleep for it and will not review it. DOSSIER 137 by Dominik MOLL "was good" and was "very straightforward" but he "actually" didn't think it belonged in the Cannes Festival and will not review it. LEFT-HANDED GIRL (in Critics' Week) was co-written by Sean Baker; he could not remember the director (Shih-Ching Tsou) but found it "Tender, sweet, funny, entertaining... very good" and the "third act kind of blowing up in. your face" reminded him of TANGERINE. (The story is of a single mother and her two daughters who relocate from China to Taipei to open a night market stall and strive to make ends meet. He will review it but won't go into much detail. Ben Konigsberg discusses it in more detail on ROGEREBERT.com.)

On a whole other level for 'brother bro' was SIRAT by Oliver LAXE, which he declares "fucking rips." "It is not a film for everybody," but "riveting, and a joy," and in the second half he felt "existential terror." He is most excited about SIRAT so far, enthusiastic about its powerful suspense and its soundtrack, which begins with the sounds of a music festival in the desert, then takes us out into the desert itself with the cast and "you feel that score rippling through your bones,." Clearly SIRAT is his favorite so far. (It depicts a small group searching for a rave in the desert at an apocalyptic time and a father searching for a child lost at a rave.)

THE PLAGUE by Charlie POLINGER | 1st film (Un Certain Regard) was "pretty excellent" and he'll give it an 8 or manybe a 9; concerns bullying and exclusion among boys where a shy boy's anxiety spirals into psychological turmoil when at a summer water polo camp. He found the child performances some of the best performances he has seen at the festival. His reaction to NZO by Laurent Cantet, directed by Robin Campillo - opening film was somewhat lukewarm. With CHRONOLOGY OF WATER by Kristen Stewart he felt "her voice was very strong with "free flowing" motion and editing that is "quite striking." EDDINGTON by Ari Aster he found quire worthless but then in response to some reallly liking it provided a longer comment. So there you have a first report of 10 films in which "brother bro" shows his considerable festival stamina and composure.