Based on her own time spent in the acting school Les Amandiers, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi’s “Forever Young” aims to recreate a very specific time and place both in her life and in France, more than it cares to inform her audience about what, exactly, was so special about this school. Funded in the 1980s by Patrice Chéreau, a successful and daring director of theatre, opera and film, Les Amandiers did not last very long but for a few years it was considered to be one of the most exciting places in France and even Europe for young actors to develop their crafts, and for directors to find new talent. 

Some, but not all, of this information can be gleaned from the film itself, and giving viewers a real feeling of its place and reputation at the time would have raised the stakes considerably.

Continue reading ‘Forever Young’ Review: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi’s Tempestuous Romance Is Passionate, But Remote [Cannes] at The Playlist.

A sweeping social protest met with utter chaos in an emergency room—especially to the American festival-goer at Cannes, this brief sounds like an unpleasant evocation of 2020. And indeed, filmed in the immediate aftermath of the gilets jaunes protests in France, Catherine Corsini’s “The Divide” (“La fracture”) both reflects the past year and eerily foreshadows the true disaster in emergency rooms that followed the events of the film.

Continue reading ‘The Divide’ (‘La Fracture’): A Dark, Exhausting Dramedy Chronicles Divorce & the Gilets Jaune Protests [Cannes Review] at The Playlist.

Claire Denis is currently filming her highly anticipated, very ambitious sci-fi “High Life” starring Robert Pattinson, but while we wait, she has something else to share. Earlier this year, the revered filmmaker knocked out “Bright Sunshine In,” and within a matter of months, had it ready in time for the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. Now it’s starting to roll out around the globe, and the first trailer has landed.

Continue reading ‘Bright Sunshine In’ Trailer: Juliette Binoche Stars In Claire Denis’ New Film at The Playlist.

Bruno Dumont built his reputation around the artsiest of arthouse movies, the kind of efforts that were mainstays of the festival circuit, but drew only the most devoted of cinephiles when they eventually went into limited release. Lately, while he hasn’t quite gone mainstream, the filmmaker has courted broader appeal. His TV series “P’tit Quinquin” was a hit, and showed he could capture a bigger audience with something more broadly entertaining (a second season is on the way), and he’s stayed in that vein with his latest feature, “Slack Bay.”

READ MORE: Cannes Review: Bruno Dumont’s Absurd & Decadent ‘Slack Bay’ Starring Juliette Binoche

While Juliette Binoche, Fabrice Luchini, and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi get top billing, the story actually revolves around Brandon Lavieville and Raph (yep, just one name), a young couple from vastly different backgrounds, who start falling in love, all while the police chase an elusive murderer.

Continue reading New U.S. Trailer For Bruno Dumont’s Madcap Comedy ‘Slack Bay’ Starring Juliette Binoche 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.

Casting: Brie Larson Joins Ben Wheatley's 'Free Fire,' Juliette Bincohe Heads To Bruno Dumont’s 'Slack Bay' & More

Continue reading Casting: Brie Larson Joins Ben Wheatley’s ‘Free Fire,’ Juliette Bincohe Heads To Bruno Dumont’s ‘Slack Bay’ & More at The Playlist.

Pawel Pawlikowski's 'Ida' Leads European Film Award Nominations

Continue reading Pawel Pawlikowski’s ‘Ida’ Leads European Film Award Nominations at The Playlist.

Cannes Review: The Rich Also Cry In Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s 'A Castle In Italy'

Continue reading Cannes Review: The Rich Also Cry In Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s ‘A Castle In Italy’ at The Playlist.