lifestyle WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Movies French incest ‘fairytale’ trashed by critics

French incest “fairytale” brought a orphans,” she said. “The film needed to be “Only in France,” it concluded. touch of scandal to the Cannes Film dealt with in that manner so we had the idea French newspaper L’Express admitted the AFestival yesterday but even the frisson of telling the fairytale to these young chil- film was likely to divide critics but hailed “the of illicit sex couldn’t save the movie from a dren.” uniqueness of (Donzelli’s) vision and tone- critical mauling. “Marguerite and Julien”, one Donzelli also weaves in anachronistic ele- never affected but ceaselessly inventive”. of five French movies among the 19 con- ments such as police helicopters, electronics Most of the French films in competition this tenders for the top prize at the world’s and blaring pop music-reminiscent of Sofia year have drawn only mixed reviews. biggest cinema showcase, tells the true story Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette”, which was also However the biggest competition flop at the of aristocratic siblings in 16th century France panned by Cannes critics when it opened the festival so far has been the US movie “The Sea whose deep love turns into physical passion festival in 2006. However the reaction to of Trees”, a far-fetched existential drama when they reach adolescence. “Marguerite and Julien” has proved far more directed by and starring French actress-turned-director Valerie vicious. Matthew McConaughey and . It Donzelli said she was attracted to the was loudly booed at its press previews. bohemian spirit of the story, adapted from an ‘Buttock-clenching, embarrassing’ Cannes tends to revel in scandal and has unrealized screenplay by Jean Gruault, who Film industry bible Variety remarked drolly another sure-fire provocation in the offing lat- wrote it in the 1970s for French New Wave that “incest has never felt so cloying”. “The film er this week. Gaspar Noe, an Argentinian- icon Francois Truffaut. Flouting religion, the is a painfully silly, laughably naive Romance born director who works in France will be Director Gus Van Sant poses for photographers during a photo call for the film The Sea of Trees, at the law and their family, the star-crossed lovers with a capital ‘R’,” reviewer Jay Weissberg said. showing his movie “Love”-suggested to be 68th international film festival. — AP run away together from the chateau of their Reviewer Peter Bradshaw of London’s The heavily pornographic, based on an X-rated childhood, and Marguerite quickly gets preg- Guardian newspaper said the movie “joins the poster he released online-in a midnight nant. But the authorities soon catch up with ranks of Cannes’ most appallingly bad films”, screening. The festival wraps up Sunday with them with arrest warrants for a capital crime. calling it “buttock-clenchingly embarrassing”. a gala awards ceremony where a jury led by After a Cannes drubbing, Gus When their father appeals to the king’s secre- “There are turkeys and there are turkeys. This US filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen will tary of state for clemency, he refuses on is a turkey de luxe, with stuffing, bread sauce, decide the Cannes prizes. — AFP image grounds: “All of Europe says the French and a paper hat,” he said. court is a whorehouse.” “It is strange that Cannes will keep on reflects on ‘Sea of Trees’ Donzelli tells the once-upon-a-time story mystifyingly offering us terrible movies from with a childlike innocence, narrated by latter- its home turf or home team.” Trade magazine he full-throated passions of the Cannes Film exceeded the movie’s merits. Such was the case last day girls in an orphanage breathlessly telling The Hollywood Reporter called it “bonkers” in Festival can elevate, just as they can humble. As year when Ryan Gosling’s highly anticipated directori- the scandalous tale. “The idea was to depict style and “rather odd” that the sex between Tthe Palme d’Or winner in 2003 for his school- al debut “Lost River” was booed and slammed by crit- Marguerite and Julien like a myth or a legend- siblings was not presented as “problematic in shooting drama “Elephant,” Gus Van Sant has basked ics. they were like rock stars who fascinated these any way”, even when told as a children’s story. in the festival’s sunny glow, just as he has, this year, “I think maybe because it’s McConaughey, there’s a experienced its cold shoulder. lot of stock in him at the moment and his Lincoln ads Van Sant’s “The Sea of Trees,” which stars Matthew are parodied,” said Van Sant. “And it’s me. It was sort of McConaughey as a man lost in ’s Aokigahara an illustrious screenplay. It had a really good reaction “” forest, received emphatic boos at its pre- among the agents. ... If it was anticipated, I could easi- miere to press members. Though its official red-carpet ly see myself disappointed. If I thought it was a cer- premiere on Saturday went down better, the Cannes tain type of movie, and it was just a different movie.” fate of “The Sea of Trees” was already sealed as (at Van Sant says that festival director Thierry Fremaux least thus far) the festival’s most rudely received film. called to say he wanted the film for Cannes before “I was, as I always am, cautious,” Van Sant said in an seeing it. Later, it was moved from the Un Certain interview about showing “The Sea of Trees” at Cannes. Regard sidebar into the competition where expecta- “It’s a volatile place. So when I heard there were boos, tions are amped up considerably - especially for a I was like, ‘OK. It’s happened.’” Speaking Sunday on a well-regarded filmmaker like Van Sant, the director of windy, seaside pier, Van Sant sounded sanguine about “,” “Milk” and “My Own Private the stormy waters of Cannes. “Who knows what peo- Idaho.” ple thought they were going to see, but they could “Then it went to competition and I was like: ‘OK, easily get really mad because it is very sentimental,” wow. This is scary,’” said Van Sant. “But it doesn’t mat- said Van Sant. “What better movie to get angry at than ter what you’ve made. It’s always going to be scary.” something that’s too schmaltzy for you? I can see But sunnier days could still shine on “The Sea of Trees.” that.” It was picked up for US distribution by and In “The Sea of Trees,” McConaughey plays a man ahead of the festival. The movie- racked with guilt over his marriage (Naomi Watts going public generally has less of an issue with senti- plays his wife) who travels to Japan to kill himself. In mentality than Cannes critics, and McConaughey is the forest, he meets another man (Ken Watanabe) and one of the most popular stars in film right now. A the movie plays out as part spiritual soul-searching, release date hasn’t yet been announced, but some- part survival drama. time next year is likely. In moviemaking, the breaks can go either way. “Every film you do,” Van Sant says, Slammed by critics “has its possibility of hitting just the right note at the Plenty of films at Cannes have been received nega- right time.” — AP tively this year. But usually the loudest booing is reserved only for strongly polarizing movies (even Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” was booed (From left) Director Valerie Donzelli, Jeremie Elkaim and Anais Demoustier pose for photographers during a photo call for the film in its Cannes debut) or maybe if the hype has so ‘Marguerite & Julien’. — AP

Inside Out Film Review Cannes steps into ‘ ’ trouble with n paper, “Inside Out” sounded like another lunatic gamble: enough for Pete Docter and co-director Ronnie Del Carmen to one corner of Oz in the 1939 film, or how “Wreck-It Ralph” only taps an adventure that takes place entirely within the head of an introduce such a compelling model for how the brain really works; into a few of its potential gaming universes. Docter and Del high-heels dress code O11-year-old girl, featuring her Emotions as characters- they’re also expected to craft an interesting story around it. For the Carmen make it a point to poke around here, and though the film although if anyone could pull off a logline like that, it would be the first 11 years of Riley’s life, her Emotions have stood crowded absolutely could have been denser, they’ve opted for just the right he Cannes Film Festival is coming under scrutiny for team that made us care about rats who cook, toys that bond, and around an instruments panel of what looks like an air-traffic control balance of context and story, lest spending too much time with the its strict dress code after women not wearing high robots who fall in love. Sure enough, in execution, Pixar’s 15th fea- tower inside her head. Amusingly swift glimpses into the minds of Emotions deprive auds of experiencing the actual emotions that heels were turned away from a premiere. Many are ture proves to be the greatest idea the toon studio has ever had:, other characters suggest everyone is wired more or less the same come from connecting with Riley and her family. T criticizing the festival after Screen International reported delivering creative fireworks grounded by a wonderfully relatable way, while still allowing for wild variation in the efficiency of the Though her parents (Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan) express that several middle-aged women were refused entry to family story. five Emotions they’ve been dealt. concern, it’s up to Riley-and by extension, the five Emotions strug- Sunday’s premiere of Todd Haynes’ ‘50s lesbian romance Could “Inside Out” be Pixar’s best movie? Frankly, that question In Riley’s case, she’s young and her Emotions are still hammer- gling to operate her mental command center-to keep her happy “Carol” for wearing flats. Yesterday, actress Emily Blunt called is almost beside the point. Objectively speaking, several of the stu- ing out the dynamic between themselves. Like, what’s Sadness’ amid all these changes. But something’s off: Blame it on the cross- the report “very disappointing, obviously.” dio’s previous films work better in terms of character appeal or nar- role exactly? “I’m not actually sure what she does. I’ve checked,” Joy country move or the approach of puberty, but the Emotions don’t “Everyone should wear flats, to be honest, at the best of rative accomplishment (though when it comes to cartoons, play- says, hinting at one of the points on the film’s positive-minded seem to work as they always have before. Most alarming, Sadness times” said Blunt, who was there to premiere the Mexican ing favorites is inevitably a subjective game). In terms of its ambi- agenda: helping young audiences to understand and appreciate is tired of being excluded, but every time she touches something, it drug war thriller “Sicario. “You kind of think there are these tious underlying concept, however, “Inside Out” blows the others what role Sadness plays in their own lives. (If only the film could turns blue ... and so does Riley. new waves of equality.” Director Denis Villeneuve joked that away, going beyond the screen to become something audiences also teach them that Boredom isn’t necessarily bad, either, but Joy-who superficially resembles Disney’s favorite fairy, he and his male stars, Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin, Tinkerbell, minus the wings-means well, but she’s a bit of a control would wear heels to the evening premiere of “Sicario” in freak, and in trying to protect Riley’s “core memories,” she acciden- protest. The red carpet at Cannes is highly regulated by tra- tally ejects herself and Sadness from Headquarters. It’s a long way dition. Men must wear tuxedos with bow ties and black back, as the brain terrain crumbles around them, and in the inter- shoes, and women are expected to wear dresses with heels. im, Riley’s mental state begins to unravel with Fear, Anger and The dress code isn’t explicitly spelled out by the festival but Disgust left in control, unwisely deciding that the best idea is for is enforced by security guards or “hosts.” Riley to run away. Given the sheer complexity of concept, it was Festival spokeswoman Christine Aime suggested that wise for Docter and his team to keep the story simple, although festival staff had made a mistake “There is no specific men- one can’t help but wonder how an edgier emotional challenge- tion about the height of the women’s heels as well as for such as divorce, death or an unthinkably risky “trans-parent” situa- men’s,” Aime said of Cannes’ dress code. “Thus, in order to tion-might have given Riley’s character so much more to deal with. make sure that this rule is respected, the festival’s hosts and While Riley and her world look consistent with Pixar’s other hostesses were reminded of it.” Some were already calling human creations, dating all the way back to “Toy Story,” everything the incident “Shoegate.” Asif Kapadia, the director of the to do with her Emotions demanded a unique visual solution. Amy Winehouse documentary “Amy,” added on Twitter that Docter and Del Carmen seem to have reached into Disney’s past his wife was also initially refused entry to his film’s Cannes for inspiration, seizing on the 1950s-era style seen in shorts like (From left), Actors Mindy Kaling, Gilles Lellouche, Marilou Berry, director Pete Docter, producer Jonas Rivera, director premiere Saturday because she wasn’t wearing heels, but “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom” (plump, bespectacled Sadness she was eventually allowed in. The dust-up is particularly Ronaldo Del Carmen, actress Amy Poehler, chief creative officer at Pixar John Lasseter, actors Melanie Laurent, and looks just like that Oscar winner’s Professor Owl host), as well as Charlotte Le Bon pose for photographers upon arrival for the screening of the film Inside Out. — AP awkward for Cannes because this year’s festival has been then-rival UPA’s more abstract cartoon aesthetic (Fear resembles marked by considerable discussion about gender equality Gerald McBoing-Boing’s dad, while a crazy shortcut to Imagination in the movie industry. — AP will carry around for the rest of their days-not as tie-in merchandise merely the sign of an inactive mind.) Land embraces such deconstructionism outright). or spinoff theme parks (although there will inevitably be plenty of Incoming memories are stored in bright glowing orbs, color- Concepts like this come around maybe once a decade, but both), but as an elegant and iconic visual metaphor for under- coded according to whatever Emotion was dominant at the time linger for centuries, and even if others (like early-’90s TV show standing their own emotions, and empathizing with others’. she experienced it, then stored in the appropriate place in the vast “Herman’s Head”) got there first, you’ve gotta hand it to Pixar for “Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on landscape of her mind. (Oddly, while Riley’s memories play like lit- making it endure. At the risk of hyperbole, people will still be think- inside their head?” asks Joy, a radioactive-yellow gal (voiced by tle movies, projected inside her head but seen from an objective ing in terms of these anthropomorphized Emotions long after Amy Poehler, at her peppiest) who serves as both narrator and outside view, her dreams are made at a movie studio with a subjec- movies as we know them are gone, in the distant future, when chipper team captain for a group of five Emotions assigned to tive pov camera.) Riley’s brain might as well be another planet- screens are obsolete and immersive stories are beamed directly Headquarters: the place in Riley’s brain where all her thoughts and unusually dangerous, all things considered, with different islands into your frontal lobe. There’s a reason they call Pixar’s inner team feelings originate. As the upbeat young heroine’s dominant for each of her key qualities. It’s full of amusing nooks and crannies, the “Brain Trust”: They can be counted on not only to imagine, but Emotion, Joy serves alongside blue Sadness (Phyllis Smith), violet like Imagination Land and the more sinister Subconscious, which to execute such original ideas as these. — Reuters Fear (Bill Hader), fiery red Anger (Lewis Black) and green Disgust this fantastic voyage takes time to visit along the way, giving com- (Mindy Kaling) to manage memories, generate ideas and other- poser Michael Giacchino the chance to augment his heartening wise help Riley deal with life’s challenges. score with separate mood-appropriate themes for each of these An unidentified guest walks on the red carpet as Just when her Emotions think they’ve got everything under realms. she arrives for the screening of the film La Loi du control, Riley’s parents decide to move from Minnesota to San Too often, movies that introduce wildly fantastical parallel Marche (The Measure of a Man). — AP Francisco, sending her Emotions into turmoil-because it’s not worlds never find time to explore them-the way Dorothy only visits