France promises great proposals for the race for the Palme d’Or of this 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. After Jeanne du Barry by Maïwenn, which opens the festivities, out of competition, this Tuesday, May 16, the competition then begins with The return by Catherine Corsini (18). will follow Anatomy of a fall by Justine Triet (21st), The Passion of Dodin Bouffant by Tran Anh Hung (24th) and Last summer of Catherine Breillat (the 25th) are not lacking in assets to consider winning the prestigious trophy.
Since Julia Durcournau relaunched the winning machine by postponing the Palme d’or 2021 for Titaniumwe begin to dream of a new French victory and we must recognize that, out of 21 films in competition, the selection offers four good chances to see this wish granted.
Three ladies and a gentleman, four possibilities
A trio of directors offers works as different as they are attractive, at least on paper. In The returnCatherine Corsini (The divide) goes to Corsica to discover the island to two teenage girls who had not been there since the death of their father when they were children. Justine Triet (Sybil) draws the viewer into a trial film to Anatomy of a fall where Sandra Hüller, suspected of having killed her husband, is defended by Swann Arlaud. Finally, Catherine Breillat (RomanceX) returns to business after ten years away from the sets to make Léa Drucker fall under the spell of a very young man in Last summer.
The only male director in the French selection, Tran Anh Hung (The smell of green papaya) takes the Juliette Binoche/Benoît Magimel duo to the kitchen for a gourmet variation on the pleasures of eating in The Passion of Dodin Bouffant.
Summer loves, detective suspense, romantic initiation or gastronomy? The jury presiding by Ruben Ostlund will be spoiled for choice to pick from the delights that French cinema has to offer this year.