Politically charged Cannes heads to awards night, Demi Moore tipped for best actress
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Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof premiered his film The Seed Of The Sacred Fig after escaping a prison sentence in his country days before the festival.
PHOTO: REUTERS
CANNES – The 77th Cannes Film Festival draws to a close on May 25 after a politically charged edition full of blood and feminism.
Emotions ran high on May 25 on the final day of screenings, when Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof premiered his film The Seed Of The Sacred Fig after escaping a prison sentence in his home country just days before the festival.
It was among the last of 22 entries competing for the Palme d’Or, the top prize of the world’s leading film get-together.
Attention now turns to a jury, led by Barbie director Greta Gerwig, which will deliver its verdicts at the closing ceremony late on May 25.
After a slow start to the festival, with middling reviews for early entries, the race picked up in the closing days.
Many are betting the winner will be Emilia Perez – a highly original musical about a Mexican cartel boss having a sex change – by French director Jacques Audiard, who already has a Palme.
It has stiff competition from Anora by US indie director Sean Baker.
Critics have loved his raw and often-hilarious story about a New York erotic dancer who strikes gold with a wealthy client, only to face the wrath of his Russian oligarch parents.
Its star, 25-year-old Mikey Madison, could be a contender for best actress.
But many think that could go to comeback-queen Demi Moore after rave reviews for her “fearless” performance in The Substance, an ultra-gory horror film about the pressures women face to maintain bodily perfection as they age.
There was a notable paucity of meaty roles for men in 2024.
Many were impressed by Sebastian Stan’s turn as Donald Trump in The Apprentice. The surprisingly nuanced biopic about the ex-president’s formative years also features a terrific turn from Succession star Jeremy Strong as Trump’s mentor-lawyer Roy Cohn.
It has not gone down well with Trump’s real-life team. They called the movie “garbage” and threatened to sue over its depiction of him raping his wife, suffering erectile dysfunction and ruthlessly betraying those around him.
A late dark horse is All We Imagine As Light, the first Indian entry in 30 years.
It is a poetic monsoon-set portrayal of two nurses who have migrated to Mumbai, described as a dreamlike five-star “triumph” by The Guardian.
Many are impressed by Sebastian Stan’s turn as Donald Trump in The Apprentice, a surprisingly nuanced biopic about the ex-president’s formative years.
‘Powerful indictment’
It seems almost guaranteed that Rasoulof will get some sort of prize for The Seed Of The Sacred Fig. It tells a story of a court investigator whose family life is torn apart by the “Women, Life, Freedom” protests that convulsed the country from 2022 to 2023.
Critics described it as a “deeply upsetting masterwork” and a “powerful indictment of Iranian oppression”.
Rasoulof, who has been imprisoned in the past for his uncompromising films, came under pressure in Iran to withdraw from the festival.
But he already knew during production that he faced a new eight-year prison sentence for “collusion against national security”. He hatched a plan to escape the country, announcing he is free just one day before Cannes started last week.
“I hope the entire apparatus of oppression and dictatorship will disappear from Iran,” he told a packed Cannes theatre, where he brandished photos of the movie’s actors and received a longstanding ovation. AFP
Many think the best actress nod could go to Demi Moore after rave reviews for her performance in The Substance, about the pressures women face to maintain bodily perfection as they age.
