Thompson on Hollywood

Cannes Interview: Chandor Directed Silent Redford in 'All Is Lost,' Press Conference

Festivals

Following the Cannes debut of "All Is Lost," many have been left wondering why J.C. Chandor’s man-vs-sea saga wasn’t selected for Competition. The film’s compelling and increasingly harrowing narrative, about a man on a solo ocean voyage who ends up in dire straits after his sailboat collides with a cargo container, played tremendously well with critics and the black-tie crowd attending its red-carpet gala, who gave it a nine-minute standing ovation. Redford, who is the only actor in the film and hardly says a word, delivers a performance of astonishing and emblematic potency. As for Chandor, he’s two-for-two now, with "All Is Lost" joining his impressive debut "Margin Call." We sat down with Chandor on the Majestic Beach to discuss "All Is Lost," working with Redford and the fear of dying.

By Matt Mueller
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May 23, 2013 4:25 PM
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The Coens, Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan & Oscar Isaac Give Seven Easy Steps to Get To Know 'Llewyn Davis'

Interviews

The Coen Bros' re-visit of the early folk music era in New York's Greenwich Village was certainly not lost in translation here in Cannes where it was received with almost universal affirmation earlier this week. "Inside Llewyn Davis" may also mark a turning point for actor Oscar Isaac, who's presence is in virtually every frame of the film; he even gets to show off his musical chops, while carrying the film about an unheralded folk singing talent who attempts to succeed solo after the suicide of his singing partner.

By Brian Brooks
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May 22, 2013 6:47 PM
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'Before Midnight' Interview with Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)

Interviews

Well, you've been reading about "Before Midnight," the third film in Richard Linklater's trilogy about Celine and Jesse's ongoing romance, since Sundance, and now you finally get to see one of the most delightful and insightful movies of the year. The movie opens Friday. The trio, who could earn a second Oscar nomination for original screenplay, describe their unusual process in our interview below.

By Anne Thompson
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May 22, 2013 2:22 PM
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Interview: Brit Marling Writes and Toplines Anarchist Thriller 'The East,' "an action film for a girl" (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)

Interviews

Brit Marling is a fascinating example of a brainy talent who in 2009 turned her back on the financial security of Wall Street to follow her yen to make movies. She and her Georgetown buddy Zal Batmanglij, while they were unable to get work in film, spent that first summer trawling around the country with backpacks living off the grid with anarchist collectives, direct action groups and freegans, dumpster diving and train hopping, which later became rich fodder for their current film, their second together, the terrorist thriller "The East." See our flipcam interview and trailer below.

By Anne Thompson
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May 21, 2013 3:29 PM
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Cannes: James Toback Talks 'Seduced and Abandoned,' Double Act with Alec Baldwin on the Croisette and More

Interviews

Last year, James Toback descended on Cannes with cohort Alec Baldwin to shoot the documentary "Seduced And Abandoned." This year, Toback is in town to screen the film and discuss its contents with interested parties. Of which I am most definitely one, having thoroughly relished his supremely entertaining and frequently illuminating portrait of the sorry state of the film business today.

By Matt Mueller
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May 21, 2013 2:47 PM
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Cannes: Asghar Farhadi Talks Fest Favorite 'The Past,' Starring Tahar Rahim and Berenice Bejo

Festivals

In what’s turning out to be a very strong year for the Cannes Competition, it’s hard to pick a front-runner at the festival’s midway point. As many critics rate the chances of Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s “Like Father, Like Son” (not least because of a family-ties dynamic many assume will appeal to Jury president Steven Spielberg’s sensibilities), they are also looking at previous Cannes winners the Coen brothers’ “Inside Llewyn Davis." And this is before the Competition entries from Steven Soderbergh, Nicolas Winding Refn, Paolo Sorrentino, Alexander Payne, Roman Polanski and Jim Jarmusch have even screened. But one man sure to be in the fray for the Palme d’Or this weekend is Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi with “The Past.”

By Matt Mueller
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May 20, 2013 3:34 PM
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Cannes First Look: Paul Haggis Talks 'Third Person,' starring Neeson, Wilde, Franco, Kunis

Festivals

Paul Haggis has been quiet since his last outing as writer-director, 2010’s “The Next Three Days,” with only a credit on the videogame "Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" to fill in the gap between then and now. But he turned up in Cannes to beat the publicity drum for "Third Person," a multi-stranded relationship drama he shot last fall in Paris, Rome and Cinecitta Studios.

By Matt Mueller
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May 20, 2013 12:59 PM
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Cannes Interview: David Lowery Talks 'Ain't Them Bodies Saints' (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)

Interviews

Writer-director David Lowery has been putting in his 10,000 hours over the past few years, working as an editor and cinematographer on many of his friends' micro-budget projects, as part of the growing multi-tasking barter indie culture. He's helped many of the geographically disparate friends he's met on the festival circuit with their films; he edited with director Shane Carruth the much-talked-about "Upstream Color," now in limited release. SXSW has championed the Texas filmmaker, playing his shorts and features; "Saint Nick" showed promise on a meager $12,000 budget.

By Anne Thompson
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May 17, 2013 8:07 PM
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Cannes Exclusive! Jim Mickle Talks Smart Horror Remake 'We Are What We Are'

Interviews

Just three years after Jorge Michel Grau's 2010 Mexican film "We Are What We Are" played at the Cannes Festival market (see trailer below), Jim Mickle's American remake, which debuted well at Sundance, is playing in the festival proper, in the Director's Fortnight, which sometimes welcomes smart well-made horror films such as this one. EOne will open the elegantly shot, well-acted film--which deals with a small town religious family maintaining their long tradition of ritual cannibalism-- this September.

By Anne Thompson
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May 16, 2013 4:29 PM
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Cannes Interview: Ryan Coogler Talks Honoring Oscar Grant, Slain at 'Fruitvale Station' (TRAILER)

Interviews

Ryan Coogler is the real deal. There's a reason why Harvey Weinstein scooped up "Fruitvale Station" at Sundance. He saw Oscar potential in it. This rookie Bay Area filmmaker grabbed a story he cared about and made it real. Audiences wept in Sundance and will do so again in Cannes.