On the heels of a $1 million robbery, Cannes was rocked again by a scary incident when a man fired two blanks from a starter pistol during a live TV interview with Academy Award winning actor Christoph Waltz. The man responsible for the gun shots also had a dummy hand grenade. He was captured by security while Waltz and attendees scrambled for cover. The interview was restarted within minutes of the interruption.
Three new films were debuted at Cannes, each receiving wonderful reviews from fans and critics alike.
First was Joel and Ethan Coen’s Inside Llewyn Davis. The film, stars Oscar Isaac as a folk singer who attempts to break through to stardom in the 1960s. The cast includes Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman. From the early reviews, Inside Llewyn Davis could be Oscar bound. The film will be released this December.
Another powerful film coming out of Cannes is Like Father, Like Son by Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda. The film is the classic ‘switch at birth’ story. Critics have loved this sweet and low-key film.
A third film to watch is Chinese director Jia Zhang-Ke’s ‘A Touch of Sin’. The violent film takes a harsh and absurdist look at the social inequities in contemporary China.
The Trophée Chopard is designed to encourage new talent in the world of cinema by rewarding a Best Young Actor and Actress of the Year. The award is given in conjunction with Variety magazine and with the support of Cannes Festival President, Gilles Jacob. This year’s winners were Blanca Suárez and Jeremy Irvine (shown above). Suárez starred in Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In, while Irvine was the star of Steven Spielberg’s War Horse. The awards were presented by actor Colin Firth.
In other movie news, Harvey Weinstein bought the rights to Stephen Frears new film Philomena for $6 million. The film stars Judi Dench as an Irishwoman searching for the son she was forced to give up for adoption.