The Cannes Film Festival began this week with “Jeanne du Barry” by Maïwenn, with Johnny Depp in the role of Louis XV, and ends on May 27 with a new Pixar film, “Elemental”. In between there will be plenty of showings, plenty of awkward standing ovations, plenty of awards handed out. This is the first year I understand (sort of) the difference between an “Official Selection” and “Un Certain Regard” and all the other palmes d’or that I will see on the marketing materials of Cannes-affiliated films in the coming months, so I am very attentive to the comings and goings – on.
Of all the films in competition this year, I’m most excited about Todd Haynes’ “May December.” Julianne Moore and Charles Melton play a couple whose marriage is tested when an actress starring in a film about them arrives to look for her role. Wes Anderson also has a new one, “Asteroid City,” on a junior stargazing convention. It features many members of the Andersonian repertoire – Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody and others. Looks weird, like it’s gonna inspire one million TikTok.
In “Firebrand”, by Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz, Alicia Vikander plays Catherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of Henry VIII, played by Jude Law. Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose film “Shoplifters” won the Palme d’Or in 2018, has a new movie, “Monster.” It features Sakura Ando of “Shoplifters,” and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died last month, did the score.
Out of competition, the category that tends to feature big commercial films, we have James Mangold”Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fatethe first Indy film to be directed by anyone other than Steven Spielberg. In it is Phoebe Waller-Bridge, which is a draw for me, someone who saw “Raiders of the Lost Ark” as a child and hasn’t paid much attention to the franchise since. THE trailer excited me reluctantly.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro star in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, about the murders of Osage tribesmen in the 1920s. I’m hopeful it will be as captivating as David Grann’s book on which it is based.
Also interesting: Steve McQueen’s documentary “Occupied City”, about the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam, lasts more than four hours. Wim Wenders presents two films at the festival: “Anselm”, a 3D documentary about the artist Anselm Kiefer, and “Perfect Days”, about a Japanese toilet cleaner, which he described to Deadline as “an ode to the spirit of service and immediacy: living life in the present”. Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” is based on Martin Amis’ novel about a Nazi officer who falls in love with the wife of the commander of Auschwitz. And Cate Blanchett plays a nun in “The New Boy”, by Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton.
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THE WEEK IN CULTURE
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President Biden said he would allow Ukrainian pilots be trained on F-16 fighter jetswhich would be a major upgrade to his army.
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The two parts try to blame the other for the debt ceiling crisis, but some politicians acknowledge that they would share the blame for a default.
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American diplomats Sudanese passports destroyed for security reasons as violence erupted, trapping people in a war zone.
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As Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida traveled the country preparing to run for president, a nonprofit group paid the bills and hid the donors.
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Jim Brown, one of football’s greatest players and civil rights activist whose image has been tarnished by accusations of abuse against women, died at 87.
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Nasa awarded a $3.4 billion contract to Blue Originowned by Jeff Bezos, to manufacture a lander for a lunar mission in 2029.
CULTURAL CALENDAR
📚 “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World” (available now): Yes, anyone who has ever experienced the very specific stress of driving through city streets looking for a place to cram a car will find a connection point in this book by Slate journalist Henry Grabar. But really, anyone with a car, no matter where that person lives, could be interested, says Times critic Jennifer Szalai, who called the book ironic and revealing.
🎬 “Jason Isbell: Running With Eyes Closed” (available now): Ahead of the release of Jason Isbell and 400 Unit’s new album on June 9, it’s worth checking out this documentary, available on HBO Max, about the recording of his latest album. He did it alongside his wife, musician Amanda Shires. It’s an impressive film about making art, about marriage, about healing, about Covid – all in less than two hours.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Strawberry cookies
After a month-long delay due to unprecedented wet weather, California strawberries — in all their reddish glory — are once again plentiful across the United States. Which means now is the time to cook Jerrelle Guy’s strawberry cookies. They’re as easy to make as muffins, but have a crispy, crisp exterior and are light and fluffy on the inside. Serve them hot from the oven, or let them cool and bring them for a snack with your afternoon tea. And when strawberry season ends, make the recipe with other berries or diced stone fruit. You will want to repeat this simple and amazing recipe.
REAL ESTATE
What you get for $325,000: A Victorian home in Waynesboro, Georgia; a townhouse in Baltimore; or one cottage in Little Rock, Ark.
The hunt: They wanted four bedrooms for $275,000 in upstate New York. Which house did they choose? Play our game.
Gastronomic pilgrimage: Schedule a trip to mexico around peppers.
sad songs: We listen to them feel connected to others.
Bird watching: Help the scientists and the Times watch the birds in your area.
Seasonal allergies: They can play a role in mood disorders.
WIRECUTTER TIPS
Make moving less painful
Spring is the start of peak moving season, and if you’re one of those moving between now and September, you know what’s to come: the process takes planning, organization, time and meticulous money. Wirecutter’s experts have put together everything you need, including the right gear (you should use uniformly sized boxes) and suggestions to avoid (no, wine glasses shouldn’t go in socks; yes, use shrink wrap, but strategically). Check Wirecutter’s ultimate move guide here. — Christine Cyr Clisset
Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm, WNBA: It will be the super team season. The New York Liberty rounded up a star-studded roster, and the Aces — who won the title last year — added the great Candace Parker to a squad that already included last season’s MVP A’ja Wilson. “The easiest decision in my ranking was to put the Aces at the top,” wrote Sabreena Merchant of The Athletic. WNBA Preseason Breakdown. “Anything short of the league’s best regular season record would be a surprise, if not a disappointment.” 3 p.m. Eastern Time today on ABC.
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How did the Liberty attract two former MVPs in the offseason? Times’ Kurt Streeter went behind the scenes.
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After almost a year of captivity in Russia, Brittney Griner is back on the field.