French filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin, who won over critics and audiences with his 2008 effort “A Christmas Tale,” has come to America for this next film, “Jimmy P. (Psychotherapy Of A Plains Indian).” Yes, shot in the United States and in the English language, this is one that many will be paying attention to in the Competition slate at Cannes, and the first clip certainly is promising.
The film will tell the true story of Picard (Benicio Del Toro), a Plains Indian of the Blackfeet nation, who returns from WWII and begins experiencing unexplainable symptoms shortly thereafter. He then travels to the famous Winter Hospital in Topeka, Kansas, where he meets Devereux (Mathieu Amalric, reteaming with his “A Christmas Tale” director), whose compassion and understanding of Native American culture bonds the pair.
It looks like it could be a great two-hander with some solid leads working with some fascinating material. We’ll see how it turns out soon — ‘Plains’ screens at Cannes next Saturday.