The Wizard of the Kremlin (Olivier Assayas, 2025) 1½ out of 5 stars I have not read Giuliano da Empoli’s 2022 novel The Wizard of the Kremlin, on which French director Olivier Assayas’ largely listless new film is based, but if it’s anything like the cinematic adaptation, one has to question why it has received […]
Animal Farm (Andy Serkis, 2026) 1 out of 5 stars When British author George Orwell wrote Animal Farm in 1945, he had a specific purpose in mind. Inspired by the rise of Joseph Stalin after the Russian Revolution, Orwell’s novella told a bleak cautionary tale about the dangers of totalitarianism. It may have had a […]
Kristen Stewart and Woody Harrelson’s star power shone brightly inside the Palais at the premiere of their new film, the absurd father-daughter comedy “Full Phil” from French musician and filmmaker Quentin Depieux. Before the screening began, Depieux and his cast, including Charlotte Le Bon and Emma Mackey (whose last film, “Ella McCay,” was a massive […]
“Paper Tiger” director James Gray tried to call Scarlett Johansson on his cellphone so she could share in the 7-minute standing ovation at the Cannes premiere of “Paper Tiger” on Saturday. But the star didn’t pick up his FaceTime. Johansson couldn’t be on hand at the South of France because she is filming “The Exorcist” […]
Back in Cannes with Kieślowski-inspired "Parallel Tales," starring Isabelle Huppert and Vincent Cassel, the two-time Oscar winner ("A Separation," "The Salesman") explains his unwillingness to work in Iran.
Cannes regular Javier Bardem was the toast of the Palais on Saturday as “The Beloved” had its world premiere in competition and received a 7-minute ovation. A beaming Bardem went up and down the line of the film’s cast, hugging each one. He also waved enthusiastically to the crowds up in the balcony. At one […]
Kristen Stewart was ready to sign on to Quentin Dupieux’s “Full Phil” before she even read the script. The Oscar-nominated actor and director had long been a fan of the French filmmaker — known for his absurd and surreal style — and was curious about his DIY approach, often shooting projects quickly and on a […]
Cannes: The Romanian satirist’s latest loosely adapts Octave Mirbeau’s novel into a sharp-witted mother-daughter epistolary.
Chilean filmmaker Patricio Valladares is making his debut in the video game space with an untitled FMV horror title that merges analog filmmaking with interactive storytelling. Currently in development through Vallastudio Films, the English-language game is being developed for platforms such as Steam and an app-based release. “In terms of format, the project is being […]
CANNES IS ON
The 79th Cannes Film Festival is officially underway in France. As is our habit here at MTFB, we will monitor the fest for the next two weeks looking at buzz, critical reception and ultimately prize winners to assess prospects for films to do the Cannes/Telluride Two Step.
As I have often mentioned, the link between the two film fests is...