That Cannes-do spirit

The glitz, the glamour, the gratuitous spectacle; it's all happening at this year's Cannes film festival, currently underway in France. Despite the world medias' tendency to focus on Brangelina or the token blockbuster launch (it's the fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie this year, by the way), there is also a handful of films from the world's greatest living filmmakers premiering. Woody Allen's latest Midnight in Paris opens the festival tonight, but the real attention is on the 20 films in competition for the festival's grand prize; the Palme d'Or. Here are my picks for the six most likely contenders:

Terrence Malick: The Tree of Life

Everyone loves a recluse, especially when they pop out of the woodwork with masterpieces such as Badlands and The New World every seven-years or so. Terrence Malick's latest, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, sets to be just as beautiful, poetic and complex as his previous films and early buzz has Malick tipped to take home the top prize, 32-years after his first Palme d'Or nomination for Days Of Heaven.

Julia Leigh: Sleeping Beauty

Oscar-winning director Jane Campion presents this erotic retelling of the classic fairytale. Australian beauty Emily Browning swaps the samurai sword and school girl outfit of Sucker Punch to play a college student drawn into a mysterious, hidden world of prostitution. Written and directed by Australian novelist Julia Leigh, this is a triumph of female filmmaking and the poignant, beautifully crafted story should appeal to the A-List jury.

Nicolas Winding Refn: Drive

The black sheep, or black Cadillac rather, of the finalists is Drive; an action movie with art house sensibilities. It stars international film festival favourite Ryan Gosling as a Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman and discovers a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong. It doesn't sound like the usual Palme d'Or fare, which is exactly why it might work. It also stars Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston and Oscar Isaac.

Lars Von Trier: Melancholia

Von Trier blew everyone away with his sexually graphic and emotionally horrific film Antichrist at last year's Cannes, which divided critics and audiences alike. His latest and eighth Palme d'Or nominated film Melancholia looks to be a safer bet with Kristen Dunst and renowned French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg starring as sisters who find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth.

Pedro Almodóvar: La Piel que Habito (The Skin that I Inhabit)

Bizarre. That's the first word that springs to mind when watching excerpts from acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar's latest about a plastic surgeon (Antonio Banderas) on the hunt for the men who raped his daughter. Part horror, part thriller, all parts dramatic, this is one of the more left-field, artistic offerings amongst the 20 finalists.

Takashi Miike: Ichemei (Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai)

The prolific and controversial Japanese filmmaker's newbie will be the first 3D feature to compete in Cannes and is a re-imagining of Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 film Harakiri. With over 70 titles to his name, Miike's films range from violent and bizarre to dramatic and family-friendly, with this being his first to screen at the famous festival. It's an outside chance to take home any of the major prizes since its biggest coup was getting selected for competition in the first place.

Out of competition films to keep an eye on throughout the course of the festival are Australian serial-killer drama Snowtown, the controversial Princess Diana documentary Unlawful Killing and Oscar-winner Gus Van Sant's latest Restless, starring talented Aussie actress Mia Wasikowka. The Cannes film festival wraps on May 22. In the meantime, I suggest you check out the Restless trailer below because, put simply, it looks amazing.

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Get rooted

It received a standing ovation when it closed the Cannes Film Festival earlier in the year and now a critically-acclaimed French film shot in southeast Queensland is about to sprout in cinemas.

Writer/director Julie Bertucelli used a combination French and Australian crew on the production, including renowned French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg (above) and Aussie rising star Tom Russell. It follows the story of an eight-year-old girl who is struggling to deal with the sudden death of her father. She soon becomes convinced that her father is speaking to her through the leaves of her favourite tree and he has come back to protect her family.

Bertucelli said although the story deals with death, it shows how grief can transport people to new places beyond their sadness.
"I think it is very interesting to see how when there are terrible things happening around you, you don't just have to be sad but that it is possible to take that and invent something else. . .to create something with that sadness, to try to be an artist with it,'' she said.

The film has been praised for its breathtaking cinematography and powerful performances, but the real stars are the towering Morton Bay Fig and Boonah country side. The Tree is released in cinemas on Thursday, September 30.

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If you can get past the Samuel L. Jackson sex scene. . .

Mother and Child is the latest film from Sundance and Cannes award-winning Colombian writer/director Rodrigo Garcia, who is best known for his series In Treatment. It follows the interwoven lives of three women; a 50-year-old woman (Annette Bening), the daughter she gave up for adoption 35-years-ago (Naomi Watts), and an African American woman (Kerry Washington) looking to adopt a child of her own.

The title sums up this movie in a nutshell, as it’s all about the relationship between mother and child, specifically mothers and daughters. But despite being a female centric film, men don’t take a back seat and Samuel L. Jackson and Jimmy Smits put in solid performances in supporting roles. In fact, all of the performances from the multicultural cast are outstanding. Washington is the biggest surprise, holding her own as a powerful, contemporary actress.

Like his Golden Globe-winning In Treatment, Garcia has crafted an intense, adult drama that relies heavily on the complex, multi-layered characters at the fore. Watts plays against type and once again proves there’s nothing she can’t do, putting in one of her best performances to date, despite a seriously cringe-worthy sex scene with Jackson. And yes, it is as awful as it sounds.

Garcia has made a beautiful, tragic and often hilarious film that develops and evolves with the characters. He tackles the big themes and the big issues, and by the conclusion you’re left with an insight into the human condition. However, it will be interesting to see how this plays to a male audience and whether the content translates.

Mother and Child is released in cinemas on Thursday.

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Pop the champagne and get out the good China!

Congratulations to the team at David Gould Studios (above) in Burleigh Heads, whose animated short film Awaken has been selected to compete at the prestigious Cannes film festival next month.

Filmmaker David Gould wrote and directed the 15-minute movie and says he is `honoured' to have it involved in the iconic festival.
``The festival only allows films that they consider to have artistic merit be a part of the Short Film Corner,'' he says.
``With thousands of filmmakers throughout the world it is great to know that we're producing films that are of an international quality and can compete with the best out there.
``It's fantastic.''

It will compete in the Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner which was established by to assist filmmakers making the move from short films to feature films.
Gould says it gives them the opportunity to present their projects to potential feature film producers and distributors.
``So much about making a break in this industry is about making a name for yourself with good quality work,'' he says.
``Awaken's selection into this prestigious festival is another feather to our bow and will help garner interest for our other projects.
``Once we have our foot in the door we can blow them away with our other projects.''

Above: a scene from Awaken.

One such project his studio is working on is their debut feature film Stolen Senses, an action/thriller which is already gathering interest from Hollywood heavyweights.
``We're currently in negotiations with two Australian actors that have had considerable success in the US to play the lead roles,'' says Gould.
``They absolutely love the script.
``This is the key: if you have a great script then the actors will want a part in your film.''

Having worked with Peter Jackson as the technical whizz on the Lord Of The Rings trilogy and King Kong, Gould says he is taking his experience and making the film in stereoscopic 3D.
``There is a huge amount of interest in 3D films right now and we have the technical expertise to make this happen,'' he says.
``I was CG supervisor working on stereoscopic films back in Paris over fifteen years ago.
``We will be using the same 3D technology that George Miller is using on his next Mad Max movie Fury Road.
``We're looking forward to the challenges of making an awesome 3D film.''

Gould (above)leaves for Cannes on May 8 and Awaken competes throughout the festivals duration from May 12 - 22. David Gould Studios is still looking for people to invest in Stolen Senses and if you have the moolah handy, unlike myself, this could be a great investment opportunity. For more information contact davidgould@davidgould.com. Alternatively you can visit their website here.

I also recommend my previous post on Gould and co here.

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