Edinburgh versus Cannes: No Contest
Great films, great people and moderate weather are all you need for a happy film festival and this year's EIFF scored highly on all of the above counts. I also got to share a stage with Sam Mendes and if you tuned into Five Live last week you'll know we did the Friday Simon Mayo show live too. Here's a little taster before we put up the edited highlights later on...
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You're making me miss Edinburgh.
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The problem with the Cannes Film Festival is simple.....it's not really a film festival! Cannes is more of a trade fair. It is not the movies themselves that are the main focus of Cannes it's the money. Cannes is basically a place where people are seeking distribution deals, financial backing, script purchasing etc. etc. Of course there are wonderful films screened at Cannes, and many genuine film fans, but it's all drowned out by the cacophony of Hollywood vulgarity and classic 'South of France' opulence.
As you say, Edinburgh is a true film festival with it's roots firmly in showcasing exciting and interesting film projects.
Interesting you mentioned Mark Cousins. He should be congratulated in doing his bit for bringing film to a new audience. Apparently he and Tilda Swinton organized a tour of China with a print of Powell and Pressburger's 'I Know Where I'm Going', specially treated to include mandarin subtitles. THAT is what film screening is about
p.s: Mark, a while back you did a piece about one of the Scottish isles trying to get enough funding to build a cinema/theatrical complex. Any chance of an update on how that's going?
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Cannes is for sure about the money but not "all" about the money.
Apart from the south of France i would add Bosnia (Emir Kusturica) and Greece (Theodoros Aggelopoulos).These guys seem to occupy the Cannes with every movie they make.Rightfully i would add..
I would challenge though everyone of you to sit all the way through an Aggelopoulos movie.I doubt if you manage that.Give it a shot with his most famous Eternity and a day.Just for the trill of it...or the boredom of it.
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thrill,not trill :)
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Cannes maybe a huge, overheated hellhole with hot tempered critics and mad filmmakers but you cannot deny that Cannes as the biggest most popular film festival in the world doesn't recognise new talent. Granted some filmmakers just abuse it too get their less than satisfactory films some press such as The Da Vinci Code, Death Proof and others. But the new fresh talent also premiers at Cannes whether it be at the Un Certain Regard, the Short Film categories or whether playing out of competition is where other talent can be discovered as opposed to the movies competing for the Palme d'Or. Also films like Wolf Creek, A History of Violence, Bug and Pan's Labyrinth have played in Cannes, which are said to be some of your favourite films of this decade, so you shouldn't right it off just because of the atmosphere.
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I completely understand your preference for Edinburgh over Cannes.
What is this croisette that you keep mentioning? Is it something you can eat?
However, I was a little disappointed with last weeks programme. Finally we got
more than 2 hours devoted to film matters but only 16 minutes of the podcast was on current film reviews including the top 10. Not only that, but we had the indignity of Cornelius Lysaght popping up like some pantomime dame to conduct audience-participation horse-racing coverage.
NO!!!!
Listen! Horse-racing is for toffs and grandads. It does not belong on Five Live.
And here's a hint, BBC: Just like swimming, tennis (I suppose you have to make an effort for Wimbledon) and conjuring, it doesn't work on radio, does it? If you MUST put it on, put it on 5Live extra, OK? I am surprised that BBC research hasn't revealed that nobody is listening. We even recently heard Cornelius (I think) begging for more twitter correspondents. Pathetic.
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What? You fail to mention the most important thing, the movies!
This year Cannes had a far more interesting selection than edinburgh.
You missed a wonderful opportunity to cover one of the most high profile Cannes competions in a long, long time.
It would have been very interesting to hear your thoughts on the entries of Arnold, Haneke, Tarantino, Almodovar, Von Trier, Chan Woo Park, etc.
But no, you had to go off to Japan, and instead of your diatribes against Von Trier and Tarantino, I had to make do with Bradshaw's commendable yet not wholly satifying write offs.
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Just a quick note:
Bowie is pronounced Bo-ee not Bow-ee.
It is a common mistake but completely incorrect.
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and one day i will drag myself there
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I have asked this question on another post but is the Sam Mendes interview going to be broadcast at some point? I for one would really like to see it. I am hoping it will be shown as a Culture Show special or something like that.
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The chap at the beginning of the Q&A section of last Friday's broadcast asked your opinion of "Fall (2007)" and met with blank responses.
Coincidentally I watched it for the first time last week on DVD, and I can back this guy up. Fall is a significant movie, which somehow missed getting a significant cinematic release for some unknown reason. Awesome photography and a pretty inventive plot.
I suspect Mark would be a fan. Robert Ebert, Spike Jonze and David Fincher definitely are.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1001348/
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I screwed up the IMDB link to "The Fall" in my last post ..
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791
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Dear Maestro Kermode
Much as I like reading about film fests (almost), am I the only one that reads them with a sense of irritation nonetheless? IMHO, they are as relevant to me as a filmgoer as the concept car at motor shows: all well good, until you realise you cant buy it. This isnt so much a problem with the big festivals (though they have their moments in this regard) but the smaller ones. Many and legion are the times Ive read about some potentially interesting and worthwhile film in some press reports of such-and-such a film festival and thats all I will ever hear of it again. Frankly, that sucks.
I had differing views as to why I disliked it, but I share your views on TERMINATOR SALVATION. And what were you doing in Japan?
Best regards
projectmolcos
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