The 2007
Cannes Film Festival has concluded with the dispensing of the festival's top award, the Palme D'Or, to Cristian Mungiu's (pictured)
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, a drama that Variety
describes as "a stark, trenchant drama about a woman's experiences receiving an abortion in the waning days of Romania's communist era."
Taking second place (the Grand Prix) was
The Mourning Forest, "an ultra-arty, arid and slow French-Japanese co-production that had viewers and critics streaming for the exits early." Gus Van Sant, whose
Elephant took the Palme D'Or in 2003, was awarded the third place prize for his
Paranoid Park, a drama about a teenager trying to cope with having accidentally caused someone's death.
For the most part critics are heralding Michael Moore's latest documentary
Sicko for providing an eye-opening look at the health insurance crisis in the U.S. Many are also uttering sighs of relief that Moore's political viewpoints are relatively subdued in the film, unlike his previous documentaries in which many found Moore's opinions shoved down their throats, ultimately undermining the messages of the films.
Curiously, even the Fox News website is giving Sicko a favorable review, though the critic is quick to note this is because Moore isn't "confronting" anyone.
Admittedly, I was nervous to read the reviews for
A Mighty Heart, a movie based on the horrific story of journalist Daniel Pearl who was kidnapped in Pakistan in 2002 and ultimately beheaded. The real-life story is heartbreaking, and I worried that a movie might trivialize rather than honor Daniel Pearl's story.
So far, the reviews have been positive with critics giving kudos for the respectful way in which the Pearls' story is told, though also mentioning that the movie presents moments of discomfort having to do with such ripped-from-the-headlines tales of torture and terrorism.
Since I'm not able to attend the
Cannes Film Festival this year, I'm scouring the Web for reviews of movies that look the most interesting. First on my list:
My Blueberry Nights, the first English-language film by director Wong Kar Wai which stars Norah Jones, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Rachel Weisz.
Overwhelmingly, the critics' message is this: Wong Kar Wai is masterful at creating a visually evocative film, though the dialogue is lacking, thus making the performances feel empty and pointless.
