Inspired by her own late mother’s long battle with multiple sclerosis, writer/director Emily Atef’s (“Molly’s Way,” “3 Days in Quiberon”) latest work, “More Than Ever,” delivers a poignant and well-acted story. Featuring Gaspard Ulliel’s last performance, the film asks its audience to face the reality of and ponder the inevitability of death as well as the line between those who have experienced a type of suffering and those who haven’t. 

READ MORE: Cannes Film Festival 2022 Preview: 25 Must-See Films To Watch

In her first of two films premiering at this year’s Un Certain Regard section at Cannes — the second being Marie Kreutzer’s brilliant “Corsage” — Vicky Krieps stars as Hélène, a 33-year-old woman struggling with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a rare illness that impacts the lungs and causes breathing to become increasingly more difficult until the person eventually suffocates to death.

Continue reading ‘More Than Ever’ Review: Vicky Krieps & Gaspard Ulliel Shine In A Heartbreaking Tale Of Love & Death [Cannes] at The Playlist.

Love letters rarely include knock-off Barbie dolls engaging in incest, but the conventional is often off the table when it comes to French director Bertrand Bonello. “Coma,” Bonello’s latest, begins with a miscellanea of incongruent images, zoomed in and blurred, an amalgamation of amorphous shapes that exacerbates the sharpness of the accompanying words. This twisted byproduct of the mind of an anxious parent is dedicated to the director’s daughter, 18-year-old Anna, who, like many others, has found herself locked in her bedroom during some of the most formative years of her life. 

Continue reading ‘Coma’: Bertrand Bonello’s Latest Is An Unforgiving, Nightmarish Blast [Berlin Film Festival] at The Playlist.

With her third film “Sibyl,” French director Justine Triet explores the transgression of boundaries. These barriers exist between the home and the workplace, they separate fiction and reality and regulate the flow of memories from the past to the present. This time around, Triet uses the thriller genre as a vehicle for this exploration of a woman’s experience. One of four female directors selected for the Main Competition of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Triet, unfortunately, delivers a flimsy, unremarkable story of obsession unlikely to reach much further than local cinemas.

Continue reading ‘Sibyl’: Justine Triet Explores Psychotherapy, Boundaries & Obsession [Cannes Review] at The Playlist.

The 75th Venezia International Film Festival is here, and it’s no surprise that Adèle Haenel will be making an appearance. Quickly becoming France’s sweetheart and with ever-growing international attention, Haenel will be starring in the French picture “One Nation, One King” – “Un Peuple et son Roi.”

Though the film is rolling out-of-competition for #Venezia75, it’s nothing to worry about for this award-winning actress. Her debut in 2007 with Céline Sciamma’s “Water Lillies” nominated Haenel for a Cesar Award and since then, Haenel has been nominated 4 more times and won twice.

Continue reading ‘One Nation, One King’ Trailer: Adèle Haenel Leads A French Revolution at The Playlist.

The weekend of big awards being handed started last night in France with the César Awards, and likely setting the tone for the next two nights, politics stepped into the spotlight. But first, lets get the business part of the equation out of the way.

Winning Best Film was Paul Verhoeven‘s button-pushing “Elle,” and while it only won one other award, it was Best Actress for Isabelle Huppert.

Continue reading ‘Elle’ Wins Best Film At César Awards, Plus Watch George Clooney’s Anti-Trump Speech at The Playlist.

To say that the reception at the Cannes Film Festival for Xavier Dolan‘s latest film, “It’s Only The End Of The World,” was rocky would be an understatement. But the filmmaker had the last laugh when the picture walked away with the Jury Prize and Ecumenical Jury Prize, giving Dolan the last word on those who didn’t roll with his flick. Now the first trailer has arrived to give those of us not lucky enough to be on the Croisette our biggest look at the movie yet.

Continue reading First Trailer For Xavier Dolan’s ‘It’s Only The End Of The World’ With Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, And More at The Playlist.

Xavier Dolan’s latest Cannes competition entry, “It’s Only the End of the World,” had its premiere last night at the Croisette, and the reaction was far from favorable (here’s our review). Just 27 years old, the Quebecois writer-director has already made as many films as Terrence Malick has over his entire career. 2014’s “Mommy” catapulted the young filmmaker into international acclaim, which resulted in high expectations for his latest film which, given the reaction in the south of France, disappointed many.

Continue reading Cannes: Xavier Dolan Boasts ‘It’s Only The End Of The World’ Is His Best Film In The Face Of Negative Reviews at The Playlist.

Review: Biopic 'Saint Laurent' Is A Failed Attempt At Visualizing Artistic Soul

Continue reading Review: Biopic ‘Saint Laurent’ Is A Failed Attempt At Visualizing Artistic Soul at The Playlist.

Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel & More To Star In Xavier Dolan's Next Film 'Only The End Of The World'

Continue reading Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel & More To Star In Xavier Dolan’s Next Film ‘Only The End Of The World’ at The Playlist.

Watch: Meet 'Saint Laurent' In U.S. Trailer For Fashion World Biopic With Gaspard Ulliel, Léa Seydoux And More

Continue reading Watch: Meet ‘Saint Laurent’ In U.S. Trailer For Fashion World Biopic With Gaspard Ulliel, Léa Seydoux And More at The Playlist.

Watch: Get Fashionable With First Trailer For Biopic 'Saint Laurent' Starring Starring Gaspard Ulliel, Léa Seydoux & More

Continue reading Watch: Get Fashionable With First Trailer For Biopic ‘Saint Laurent’ Starring Starring Gaspard Ulliel, Léa Seydoux & More at The Playlist.

Cannes Review: Bertrand Bonello’s ‘Saint Laurent’ Starring Gaspard Ulliel, Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel & More

Continue reading Cannes Review: Bertrand Bonello’s ‘Saint Laurent’ Starring Gaspard Ulliel, Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel & More at The Playlist.