It’s that time of year again, though a little delayed. Following the cancellation of the 2020 Cannes Film Festival last year, thanks to the global pandemic, Cannes is triumphantly back this year with a whopper of a line-up, And it’s one that’s perhaps overflowing with things that were due to appear at the festival last year (Wes Anderson‘s “The French Dispatch,” Paul Verhoeven’s “Benedetta”) and instead were held for an entire year by the filmmakers and producers.
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Of course, Cannes is gonna Cannes, see the president’s dig at Netflix this morning, but I suppose we should all be grateful that we’re having a festival at all, especially considering one as robust as this one. Originally a festival that begins mid-May, Cannes was pushed back to July this year in order to properly deal with vaccines, the pandemic, and all the procedures of post-pandemic life in the world, and it looks like the organizers made the right call.
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There could be hiccups along the way (on-site COVID testing has already apparently hit a snag), but it’s the films that count right? This year, the bounty is overflowing with riches. Spike Lee is back heading up the Jury for the competition section, and while there could be some dramas along the way, it wouldn’t be Cannes without some controversies of some kind or another.
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So, here’s a robust line-up of 25 must-see films at Cannes this year—or films you’ll have to eventually catch up with when you can—that you should keep an eye out for and check the reviews when they land. We’ll have plenty of coverage. – Rodrigo Perez
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“Annette” (Leos Carax)
Starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, “Annette,” director Leos Carax’s long-anticipated follow-up to the entirely uncategorizable “Holy Motors” is the pitch-perfect, ‘Welcome back, Cannes!’ opener. Set in modern Los Angeles, the movie follows Henry and Ann, an artistic couple whose lives take a curious turn after their first child Annette is born. Originally slated to star Rooney Mara opposite Driver, Carax’s first English Language feature was reported to solely be told via expressive song and dance. Given what a creative breath of physical performance fresh air “Holy Motors” was, and the immeasurable theatricality of both Driver and Cotillard, there’s no telling what kind of cinematic transcendence Carax has in store for audiences, and we can’t wait to let it wash over us. – Andrew Bundy
“Benedetta” (Paul Verhoeven)
Audacious may seem like an obvious word to describe Paul Verhoeven, but it is also increasingly apropos. His first film since the black comedy, rape-revenge thriller “Elle” (how else does one describe it?), the very existence of the NSFW poster for “Benedetta” proves taboo is not a word the Dutch director subscribes to. Based on the non-fiction book “Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy” (too bad he couldn’t keep the title), Virgine Efira stars as the titular Benedetta, an apprentice nun in 17th century Italy who joins a convent and begins a charged love affair. Though the film was shot pre-pandemic, there is a plague outbreak angle to the plot, with Verhoeven noting that his latest has become increasingly prophetic since production wrapped. – AB
“Bergman Island” (Mia Hansen-Love)
Many of us have had “Bergman Island” high on our list of anticipated film titles for some time. “Eden” director Mia Hansen-Løve’s follow-up to the underseen PTSD gem “Maya” revolves around a filmmaking couple (Tim Roth, “Phantom Thread’s” Vicky Krieps) who have made a habit out of retreating to the isle that inspired many a script by artistic legend Ingmar Bergman. As the Americans make progress on their new screenplays, fiction and reality start closing in on each other across the isolated landmass. One of the best and most unique voices in all of cinema right now, Hansen-Løve’s latest (also featuring Mia Wasikowska) seems like her move into Rohmer/Hong meta-film/relationship territory, with the concept also ringing a tad “Certified Copy.” – AB
“France” (Bruno Dumont)
Appropriately and simplistically titled, Bruno Dumont’s “France” is described as: “all at once the portrayal of an anchorwoman, of a country, and of the media.” Not a ton to go on there, and with Dumont’s films being difficult to pin down stylistically—swaying between more grounded influences like Bresson or Rossellini and experimental artists a la Bergman and Kiarostami— and Lea Seydoux (“The Lobster,” “Blue is the Warmest Color,”) portraying a TV journalist who is seen wearing some kind of military garb in the promo materials, we’re not quite sure what to expect. Also starring Blanche Gardin and Benjamin Biolay, “France” is Dumont’s eighth film to premiere at Cannes, and, while his work tends to be divisive, he’s treated like artistic royalty in some circles. – AB
“The French Dispatch” (Wes Anderson)
Assembling yet another tremendous ensemble—including Benicio del Toro, Frances McDormand, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Bill Murray, and Timothée Chalamet (and that’s only the tip of the casting iceberg)—Wes Anderson’s highly anticipated “The French Dispatch” is a love letter to a bygone era of journalistic ideology. Set across three separate timelines which vary in color palette and aspect ratio, Anderson’s anthology is clearly an impassioned project the meticulous filmmaker has been building to for some time. Creating a fictional French town but inspired by real-life magazine articles, Anderson’s fondness for The New Yorker-like publications shines through by crafting a cinematic portrait of the writers at the heart and center of these stories lost to time. – AB