“Climax”
He may frustrate you and he may say ridiculously provocative things in interviews, but you cannot argue that Gaspar Noé has an eye for the ages. With his latest creation the Argentinian auteur chronicles one night in 1996 where a dance troupe’s house party turns from heaven to hell. It’s filled with glorious extended takes including an initial dance sequence that runs non-stop for over 10 minutes with 21 dancers and will, excuse the phrase, “give you life!” And when it turns dark once the sangria kicks in? Watch out. – GE [our “Climax” review]
“Sauvage”
Leo is a hustler. He’s surviving on the street selling tricks to all sorts of men. That story is nothing new, but director Camille Vidal-Naquet spent three years learning the lives of these men which informs his story with a unique compassion. Leo isn’t yearning to live a normal life. He’s trying to simply live and experience. Vidal-Naquet benefits from a performance by Félix Maritaud (“BPM“) which will likely never get the global acclaim it deserves. Thankfully, Strand Releasing has picked up U.S. distribution rights so if you search for it you’ll eventually be able to catch it stateside. – GE [our “Sauvage” review]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqYpL36kVaw
“BlacKkKlansman”
You’ve seen the trailer and heard the raves, but what you likely aren’t prepared for is just how funny Spike Lee’s latest creation really is. Set in the early ’70s, “BlacKkKlansman” chronicles the true story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), an African-American Colorado Springs police detective who infiltrated a local chapter of the KKK and convinced his white colleague Flip (Adam Driver) to portray him in person. Lee contrasts these events with the racial divide still affecting America (and the world) today including the Charlottesville clashes last summer. It’s an impressive mix of entertainment and social commentary which found the film earning the competition jury’s Grand Prix honor.– GE [our “BlacKkKlansman” review]
“Burning”
The latest for South Korean Lee Chang-dong‘s new drama is beyond appropriate. At 2 hours and 28 minutes, “Burning” is a textbook slow burn of a mystery. Jong-soo (Yoo Ah-in) is an early twenty-something trying to survive on odd jobs while he works on his first novel. He meets the cute Hae-mi (Jun Jong-seo) who aggressively pursues him, but seems to have some dark secrets she’s not willing to share. After Hae-mi returns from a trip to Africa Jong-soo slowly realizes she’s dating her rich friend Ben (Steven Yeun) instead. The three bond a bit and then Hae-mi disappears. The filmmaker makes the perpetrator obvious. The tension arises from how Hae-mi is going to confront it. Lee Chang-dong isn’t just satisfied with simple mystery tale, however. He uses the scenario to comment on class inequities in Korea with a society that is not only hypocritical, but blind to its horrors. You can argue the film does strain the audience’s patience at times, but Jong-seo’s stellar work continues to keep you guessing on what Jong-Too will do next. – GE [our “Burning review]
Follow along with all our 2018 Cannes Film Festival coverage here.
