TOP FIVE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL FILMS
- MATTHEW ANDERSON
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
As we're gearing up for the latest Cannes Film Festival to start, I figured now would be a perfect time to celebrate the upcoming event by talking about the festival. What exactly am I going to discuss? I could've jot down potential films I think people should be on the lookout for as next season's award players, or write down what I think could win the coveted Palm d'Or prize this year. Instead I think it'd be more appropriate to discuss my top five personal favorites that competed for their top prize. If I had included the list of films that were screened out of competition like Mad Max: Fury Road, this would make the task even more impossible to write.
Now just a forewarning, this will be a list entitled to my own opinions on what I think are my favorites. And while there are plenty of films I could discuss, this was a hard list to narrow down to just five, as I could've easily done a top ten and still not have enough room for everything. I also want to bring up that I haven't seen everything that has competed for the Palm d'Or, so what you see is what you get. Should you get mad at me, you can send your hate mail directly to me...I'm just playing. But again: these are just my own opinions.
With that said, I do want to start a list of honorable mentions that ALMOST made the list:
Brief Encounter
Oldboy
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
The Player
With that said, let's start the countdown!
5) Anora (2024)
Plot Summary via Letterboxd: A young sex worker from Brooklyn gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out to get the marriage annulled.
While I do think there are technically better films in the Cannes Competition lineup over the years, I did want to highlight Anora simply because I haven't stopped thinking about it since I saw it in LA back when it came out. Obviously, the experience was quite thrilling, as I saw this at the Vista Theatre with an enthusiastic crowd. But what made it an interesting film is how they reacted as well as how Sean Baker handled this story.
Even people I've talked with after they see the film have differing opinions on it. Whether it'd be how annoyed and headache inducing it was, or how fascinated they were by the whole experience, it's something that Anora is doing right which is making people remember it. If nothing else, that final shot (which I dare not spoil incase you haven't seen it) has always stuck with me, because there are a fair amount of different interpretations one can get. I also want to credit Mikey Madison as she really does an incredible job, playing a complex character that managed to make me understand where she was coming from. Despite her problematic choices she makes in the film, it's a rare feat of accomplishment that made me still empathetic towards her as a person.
4) Pulp Fiction (1994)
Plot Summary via Letterboxd: A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster’s moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.
Pulp Fiction is considered by many to be a classic. It's been everywhere within our pop culture lexicon throughout the years, especially in the 90's where we had a lot of films take influence from its dialogue-heavy writing to its over-the-top violence. Even the Marvel Cinematic Universe made a visual reference to the Ezekiel 25:17 speech in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Not only was it a cultural phenomenon at the time, but it put Quentin Tarantino on the map in a big way.
The film even earned Quentin and his co-writer, Roger Avery, a well deserved Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Pulp Fiction works because of its well-crafted screenplay, and intriguing non-linear structure that fits better because of how the scenes play out. If anything, this movie alone showcased what Quentin could bring as a storyteller, regardless of how much people dislike him as a person. Pulp Fiction also put John Travolta back in the spotlight, as well as getting Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman on the celebrity A-list. It's really impressive how a small indie like this has managed to still be talked about over 30 years later.
3) L.A. Confidential (1997)
Plot Summary via Letterboxd: Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.
L.A. Confidential is about as perfect of a throwback to the old days of film noir as you can get. Filmmaker Curtis Hanson does a spectacular job recreating the 1950's era with its witty script and intriguing story. It also helps that he assembled a helluva cast with the likes of Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, David Strathairn, James Cromwell, and Kevin Spacey. All of the actors are providing terrific work, especially Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce who surprisingly complement each other's performances.
Another aspect I love about the film is that its narrative provides some unexpected twist and turns; some of which I dare not spoil for readers of the site incase you haven't seen this film. I also want to provide a big shoutout to the terrific cinematography by Oscar nominee, Dante Spinotti, as he provides beautiful work throughout the film. If you'd like to learn more of my full, spoiler-filled thoughts on the film itself, you can hear myself ramble over on my Patreon with film critics, Kristin Battestella & Jaylan Salah, on the show. Either way, this is an amazing crime thriller that's more than just good guys catching the bad guys.
2) The Pianist (2002)
Plot Summary via Letterboxd: The true story of pianist Władysław Szpilman’s experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he stays behind, works for a while as a laborer, and eventually goes into hiding in the ruins of the war-torn city.
Now let me make something very clear: I'm in no way condoning Roman Polanski's behavior nor his actions he had done. I'm here to judge this as a film, and many people can't separate the art from the artist, which I completely understand. So anything I'm about to say is only reflective of the film itself and not the person himself. With that said, I thought The Pianist was a masterpiece and one that I was legit surprised how much I cried while watching it. It's a towering film that works because of its subdued directing by Roman and it's carried on the shoulders of Adrien Brody.
He really is giving it his all in this amazing performance that honestly showcases what the man can do. With every scene, you feel the weight of this man's emotions through Adrien's facial expressions. It's a wonderful performance and one that put him on the map for Hollywood as a dramatic lead. Not only did he earn his first Academy Award for this powerful role, but over 20 years later he would show the world again how great he can be in The Brutalist. Regardless how anyone feels about its Best Director win, I honestly think Adrien earned his two Oscars fair and square.
1) No Country for Old Men (2007)
Plot Summary via Letterboxd: Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon dead bodies, $2 million and a hoard of heroin in a Texas desert, but methodical killer Anton Chigurh comes looking for it, with local sheriff Ed Tom Bell hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as the violent pursuit of money and justice collide.
For any readers who've read my review on this film know that I'm usually not a fan of the Coen brothers' films. Even something as popular as Fargo doesn't work for me simply because their humor bounces off of me. So, it comes to a big surprise when I say I loved this film from start to finish.
Everything in No Country for Old Men works from the performances, the writing, the cinematography, and even the use of sound, making this an incredibly tense film. There's not much new I can add outside of how well utilized the Coen's dark, oddball humor is within the film. From the way everyone reacts to the drug deal gone wrong in the desert to the quirky characters we witness along the way, it's the type of balance that would usually fall flat on its face. But with the Coen brothers, it works to the film's benefit.
Conclusion
Last year, we witnessed Jafar Panahi win the Palm d'Or for his film, It Was Just an Accident, and this win allowed the film to get into the awards conversation to where it was nominated for two Oscars: Best International Film and Original Screenplay. Granted, the film wasn't lucky enough to garner a Best Picture nomination, but all eyes were on Jafar's film throughout the season. And who knows? By the end of the decade, we might still have a ton of critics and audiences remember his film.
It'll be interesting to see who wins the coveted prize this year, and I'd be curious if any of the films competing for the top prize have a lasting impact over the years. Afterall, I didn't think something like Anora would still be on my mind only a few years after it screened at the festival.
Even if your favorites don't win at the big event, just remember what Alejandro González Iñárritu said: "...our work only will be judged, as always, by time."
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