Tag: 2025 Cannes Film Festival

“Caravan” Review: A Realistic Slow Burn Worth Your Time

May 22nd, 2025

Caravan premiered at this years’ Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Zuzana Kirchnerová-Špidlová in her feature directorial debut, the film stars Jana Plodková, Giandomenico Cupaiulo, Anna Geislerová, and David Vostrčil. Overwhelmed by motherhood, Ester steals a caravan and flees to southern Italy with her son David with an intellectual disability. They meet a young drifter whose open heart transforms their makeshift family into something freer, lighter, and full of unexpected hope.

Based on what I am seeing, this seems to be having the most hype out of the screenings I have seen so far, and I can understand why. It’s portrayals between the story and performances are outstanding and realistic. While it can be repetitive at times, the themes are made clear. For a directorial debut, it’s impressive how organic & cinematic the film looks. Not only can I see the filmmaker getting more work after this, I can easily see Jana Plodková & David Vostrčil getting some award recognition.

Ever since seeing Perfect Days, I have had a desire to explore more films grounded in realism. There’s a lot that we can learn through the daily activities of one’s life. I also happen to get a lot more value thematically from watching films like this. Traveling with her son, Jana Plodková’s performance as the mother says so much through her actions and emotions more than her dialogue is. The things she says out loud is to protect her son, but this has resulting in wanting more affectionate attention from men that she no longer gets. This can be a bit repetitive as the men in the film all seem to be quite creepy. For her, though, she doesn’t mind, because she’s finally getting the attention she wants.

David Vostrčil who plays as her son manages to evoke the emotions that is needed out of him. Under Zuzana Kirchnerová-Špidlová’s direction, they are able to bring out the right performances from the cast. Vostrčil, much like Plodková, says so much through his action. His own mother, while frustrated with him at times, still understands his emotions best. What happened to his mother has emotionally broken her, it’s the love of her son that keeps her going, no matter what happens.

The film’s pacing is a slow burn. For the most part, I found myself there with these characters in real time, even if the pacing lacked at times. The film may require a lot of patience, but there is a lot of beauty to behold that I believe will resonate with its viewers. No matter how flawed or complex we may be as humans, we still do it for the love that we have the others. The film also does a great job at conveying how it’s okay to be selfish at times.

The cinematography and sound design both as effective technical characters for this story. The camera knows how to stay on characters long enough, especially in its close-ups, to help better immerse you into each scene. That also speaks of the sound design. Sound design is an underrated component filmmaking that often goes overlooked. When you can hear every sound of a location, it also immerses you better into each scene. This doesn’t quite translate well in the conclusion where the conflict is easily resolved, but the themes are still quite clear in the end.

Overall, I found Caravan to be quite effective with telling the story it needed to tell. While certain plot points can be repetitive, the point is still made quite clear. With standout performances from Jana Plodková & David Vostrčil & solid direction from Zuzana Kirchnerová-Špidlová, this film is a winner.

VERDICT: 3.5/5 (Pretty Good)
“Dandelion’s Odyssey” Review: “Flow”, but for the Environment

May 21st, 2025

Directed by Momoko Seto, Dandelion’s Odyssey is my 7th Cannes screening and I want to talk about it here. Rescued from a nuclear explosion that destroyed the Earth, four seeds of a dandelion find themselves hurled into the cosmos, travelling through planets and constellations. When they land on an unknown planet, they set off on an unforgettable adventure to find a new home and settle for good.

When I first heard this title, I was expecting something lighthearted. While it can be lighthearted at times, I was not at all expecting how deeply meaningful and thematic it would be nor did I expect it to have some incredible animation mixed in with life-like imagery.

The best way to compare this to anything is with last year’s Flow, which won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. Much like that film, there is no dialogue in this film and it involves characters going on a journey. I think what makes me still like this without comparing the two too much is the way it tackles the environment and how we should still see the environment as people.

Through this approach, I can easily see this being a great lesson for kids to be kind to others and the environment they consume. While the environment may not look much at times, treating the environment with respect can help us live in a healthy environment that’s full of life.

While I was a little perplexed by the way these dandelions travel the galaxy, I still understood the point. It’s through their journey where they may seem small, but their presence has a profound impact. To leave this world and to find life on another shows that something small can still start over somewhere else.

The animation may be hit or miss for viewers. I’ll admit that I don’t know much about animation, so it’s always hard for me to critique it and to offer suggestions for improvement. I really liked how the environment looked realistic at times, but it is clear when the animation may look out of place at times. Just when I felt like it was realistic, the immersion broke at times. I still found myself impressed with the overall look & design of the film.

Following four characters, it’s amazing how every single one manages to bring so much life to the film. Director Momoko Seto understands the importance of bringing these characters to life with different personalities to help us care more about their journey.

Finally, I want to bring up the breathtaking score. I can easily see this score breaking into my top 10 of the year by the end of the year. It acts as another character to the film that helps deepen the emotional core this film presents.

Overall, Dandelion’s Odyssey is incredible from start to finish. The animation immerses you into this world while utilizing modern day animation. The score is terrific and director Momoko Seto shows the importance of the environment. If you’re a fan of something like Flow, I highly encourage you to seek this one out when available.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)
“Militantropos” Review: THE Documentary of the Year

May 21st, 2025

Directed by Yelizaveta Smith, Alina Gorlova & Simon Mozgovyi, the documentary to come out of this year’s Cannes Film Festival has no main actor or character. The documentary captures the human condition through the fractured realities of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The film pieces together everyday lives transformed by war — those who flee, those who lose everything, and those who stay to resist and fight — tracing both the instinct to survive and the need for closeness. Amid devastation and atrocity, the human is absorbed into war — and war, in turn, becomes part of the human.

When I first heard this title, I had no idea what to expect. I had a hunch that it would be about the military, but I had no idea it was going to follow the war in Ukraine. What’s ironic is that earlier in the day before I even watched this, I had the thought that I still hadn’t seen a perfect documentary this year yet nor have I felt where a documentary has been that popular. That all changed after watching this movie.

20 Days in Mariupol was my favorite documentary of 2023, and this could very well be my favorite of 2025. What’s going on over there shouldn’t be happening. To be honest, war shouldn’t be happening period. The repercussions of what happens to those involved is awful. That’s what makes this film great. By immersing you into the climate, you better get the sense of what the feeling is like.

As of lately, some of my favorite films have been Perfect Days and Warfare. They are both polar opposites in terms of tone & style, but immersing you into the feeling is an incredible feat in filmmaking. This film immerses you into the situation with its camera work, sound design, and pacing. I wish I could have seen this in the theater to better immerse myself into the film.

What this film captures is unreal. The cinematic look and the way it captures the violence & trauma doesn’t even look real. It looks like something you only see in fictional movies. There’s something about how real the film looks that makes you feel the trauma these people endure.

The sound design never faults. It captures every little detail in every scene to help us better understand what every single scene feels like for those involved. It even captures some of the dialogue. Even though it never follows a particular character, we still get to see what these people are thinking.

For a film that’s close to 2 hours, I was initially worried with how it would work with its style. I never once felt like it was too long. It feels evenly paced to help immerse you better into the film. I personally wouldn’t have minded it going on longer, but the film still manages to get its point across.

Even though we have had different documentaries throughout the years, this one still manages to stand out on its own. By just capturing moments of this war, there is still a through line that helps explore its themes of how people live in the middle of a war. Even though it becomes a part of their personality, they still want to be good and be there for one another.

Overall, through its approach, Militantropos manages to be not only one of the best documentaries of the year, but one of the best movies of the year. Through its immersion, you better understand and feel what these people are feeling. It’s not an easy watch, but it is a vital one to watch and understand.

VERDICT: 5/5 (Perfect)
“Meteors” Review: A Relatable, Funny, and Sincere Story Coming Out of Cannes

May 19th, 2025

Meteors is the fifth Cannes screening that I have seen ahead of this year’s 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Hubert Charuel & co-written by Charuel and Claude Le Pape, the film stars Paul Kircher, Idir Azougli, and Salif Cissé. France’s rural wasteland. Mika and Dan have big dreams but little luck. Cornered after another blunder by Dan, they end up working for Tony, their best friend, who’s now the king of construction. Mika and Dan need to find a way out of her, a way out of trouble – simply a way out.

There’s not much to say in terms of what I was expecting before I saw Meteors. I love how the synopsis for each film I have seen has been vague enough to the point where I can still be surprised with the film. With different twists and directions this film had led by an incredible performance from Paul Kircher, this may be my favorite of the screenings so far.

One of the biggest reasons why this is my favorite entry so far from the screenings comes down to how much I could relate to it. No, I haven’t gone through exactly what these guys go through, but the connection is still there. I know what it feels like to be stuck in a hometown where only a small group of people understand you as you try to leave the place for good. Every time you try to do the right thing feels like two steps back. Being young, you can take advantage of it until you realize in order to move on, you have to grow up.

Enter Mika and Dan, two close friends who appear more like brothers. The love these two guys have could be seen as sentimental, but when they only have each other, it’s easier to see them as two brothers who want nothing but the best for each other. At one point, I realized Dan is four years older than Mika, meaning that Mika very much looks up to Dan as a brother. Nothing is really said about these character’s families, and I think you can read between the lines with what is not said about them. Through their connection is where the film succeeds.

Starting off with a humorous situation, I am glad the film eases you into the drama rather than just throwing you into it. I had to hold myself back from laughing too hard in order to better pay attention. I love how the two guys take advantage of their youth. Then, comes a moment when they realize they really have to turn things around if they want to keep living.

In order to get their lives together, the two guys find work with a good friend of theirs. This where the film often finds creative ways to subverted my expectations. As much as I would have liked to have seen the film leaned more into those different directions, the film makes it clear how much damage their partying and drinking has done to them as they try to get their lives together. Seeing how the story unfolds often creates something emotionally impacting. You want these two guys to get better. Based on where the film ends up, the film accomplishes its themes on how connection can help get through the most dire moments in our lives.

One of my favorite aspects on watching indie foreign films like this one is how it gives me a good glimpse into seeing the next big actor. While the main three actors are quite good, it’s Paul Kircher who is the lead actor in this. Without him, the film doesn’t work as his emotions and dialogue have to carry the film. There were so many moments where I felt so bad for him. Even when his character needs to keep his mouth shut, he continues to stand up for what he believes in. Bringing that kind of emotion out of young talent is no easy feat, which makes Hubert Charuel’s work as a director even more commendable.

Lastly, the way the film utilizes its cinematography helps capture the emotions of these men. From light blue to dark red colors, it helps capture the sense of tone the film is going for. While the film has some light humor in the beginning, the use of color throughout shows the darkness these guys go through, as well as properly utilizing the space they are located in.

Overall, Meteors offers a lot of emotional depth through its storytelling and direction. Paul Kircher gives a phenomenal performance that carries the film. This one has stuck out to me the most. While I have enjoyed every Cannes screening so far, this one is my personal favorite so far due to how much I could personally relate to it.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)
“I Only Rest in the Storm” Review: A Long, but Rewarding Film

May 17th, 2025

I Only Rest in the Storm is the next screening I received that premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Co-written & directed by Pedro Pinho, the film stars Sérgio Coragem, Cleo Diára and Jonathan Guilherme. Sergio travels to a metropolis in West Africa to work for an NGO as an environmental engineer on a road project between the desert and the forest. He becomes entangled in complex relationships with two locals, Diara and Gui, and investigates the disappearance of his predecessor, all while navigating the dynamics of the expatriate community and the underlying contradictions of the territory.

As I was looking ahead at the screenings I had, I knew I had a busy week ahead of me, but I saw that this one was 3 and a half hours long, I was overwhelmed and intimidated, especially knowing I had two other reviews due out on the same day. While I certainly felt exhausted by the end of this, I did enjoy it and think it’s something that others should watch even with the runtime.

Under Pedro Pinho’s direction, the film is completely authentic from the performances to the location. Given what is required from the talent, it speaks volumes with the authenticity Pinho requires. What is required from the talent and this story requires even more from the audience as we have to be rewarded. While the film could have used some trimming to its runtime, I can applaud Pinho for creating something incredibly ambitious.

For such a long film, Sérgio Coragem turns in a standout performance. He shows so much restraint in his character who has to hide a part of who he is. My personal favorite performance though goes to Cleo Diára. Again, to have this talent leading such a long & ambitious film is one thing, but to have Diára bring out so much emotion with her performance shows her strength as an actress and gives her a powerful character to tap into.

While it may seem like not much happens, the film gives you something visually stimulating to ponder on. With themes of climate change & identity, the film captures how these characters live in these certain circumstances. It’s something that feels easy to connect with. Based on where this film ends, it shows how these stories and these issues will continue on. It’s just a matter of how we decide to live in this world of ongoing issues.

With such a long runtime, there are certainly aspect of the film that I think could have been cut out to help improve the pacing. Long runtimes struggle in theaters as it is, and I am very curious what the future of this film holds. It almost makes me think it could have possibly been a miniseries to market better to streaming distributor. Then again, it’s rare we get movies this ambitious and honest. I just hope this film finds it earned success. While the amount of runtime did overwhelm me, it easily stuck with me the more I thought about it.

Overall, I Only Rest in the Storm offers something new that’s worth seeking out. The performances phenomenal and stay committed even with what’s asked of them. It’s clear director Pedro Pinho has a bright future ahead of them as a filmmaker. The runtime is a big ask, but it is ultimately a rewarding experience.

VERDICT: 3.5/5 (Pretty Good)
“Love Letters” Review: A Realistic & Poignant Story on Love, Motherhood and Connection

May 17th, 2025

Love Letters is a film that premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Written & directed by Alice Douard, the film stars Ella Rumpf, Monia Chokri, and Noémie Lvovsky. France 2014, Céline, 32, is awaiting the arrival of her first child. But Céline isn’t pregnant. In three months, it’s her wife Nadia who will give birth to their daughter. By law, Céline must gather testimonies assuring she will be a competent parent to adopt the child. While doing so, she will confront her own definition of what a ‘good mother’ is.

As I started watching this, I began to realize why I love foreign films so much. As someone who wants to travel the world more, foreign films give me the opportunity to see other parts of the world in the meantime. I began to realize this as I noticed how much life is injected to this film. Set about a decade prior just when France legalized same-sex marriage, it’s hard to believe just recent this is. Based on writer & director Alice Douard’s life, she presents importance with bringing her real-life story to the big screen.

The film wastes no time getting us familiar with the main couple we follow and the legal hurdles they have to endure even though same-sex marriage was legalized. After getting legally married, Céline has to understand how to ensure she stays the mother of her unborn child with her wife. As she learns more, she realizes it’s not as easy as it may appear to be. One slip, she could no longer be her mom. On top of that, she is still having to deal with the way others look at her as they struggle with understanding how it all works between her own mother and random strangers.

Ella Rumpf as Céline turns in one of the best performances I have seen this year. By the end of this year, she may still be in my top 10 performances. It is so easy to connect with this character. She is patient with people like her mom to help her understand the procedure as well as to understand how her own mom treated her. It becomes a full circle moment as Céline has to struggle with understanding what kind of mother she wants to be. With so many obstacles in her way and still having to put on a brave face every day, her performance is consistently wonderful from start to finish.

With a runtime around 90-minutes, it’s impressive how well paced this is. It tackles so many themes that help Céline on her journey to become the mother she is destined to be. The overall look and feel of this has a feel-good nature to it reminiscent to comedy. It can be funny at times, but it can also be quite emotional at the right times. There are even some moments that I found to be visually pleasing. There’s so many moments that made me happy that I want to talk about, but it’s best for you to see it to experience what I felt without giving away any spoilers.

The only thing that I think may hold it back is within its structure and plot beats. While the information is interesting and Ella Rumpf gives a terrific performance, it’s easy to be reassured what kind of movie it will ultimately become. The story can be unpredictable at times and the end result is satisfying, but the structure there can feel familiar.

Overall, Love Letters is a crowd-pleasing feature anchored by a tremendous performance from Ella Rumpf. There is so much information to learn from this that makes it even more interesting. The journey from start to finish is worth exploring, even if the path there does feel familiar.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)
“A Useful Ghost” Review: A Dark, Timely, and Unique Film Premiering at Cannes

May 17th, 2025

A Useful Ghost is a new fantasy black comedy that premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Written & directed by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, the film stars Davika Hoorne, Witsarut Himmarat, Apasiri Nitibhon, Wanlop Rungkumjud, and Wisarut Homhuan. March is mourning his wife Nat who has recently passed away due to dust pollution. He discovers her spirit has returned by possessing the vacuum cleaner. Being disturbed by a ghost that appeared after a worker’s death shut down their factory, his family reject the unconventional human-ghost relationship. Trying to convince them of their love, Nat offer to cleanse the factory. To become a useful ghost, she must first get rid of the useless ones.

Based on the synopsis alone, I still didn’t know what I was going to get myself into, but it sounded wild enough to watch. In a world where we crave originality, this one fits perfectly within that. The concept alone sounds like something A24 would make. If the film becomes popular enough, I am sure someone is set to remake this. The problem that comes from this is that I don’t think the weirdness will attract everyone. If you are open to something that’s weird, funny, and thematic, I highly encourage anyone to check this one out.

The film wastes no time getting you right into this concept. Knowing there was still about 2 hours ahead of me, I was surprised by how quickly the film jumps into things. The way technology acts like a ghost and moves is impressive on a practical level. It also speaks on our obsession and acceptance of technology that we will depend on it if it meant bringing back our loved one. That’s a theme that is better explored than David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds. While all the performances are great, it’s Davika Hoorne as Nat who steals the show.

To achieve this thematic message, the film shows certain individual perspectives, showing whether they say a deceased loved or simply just a moving vacuum. While it may sound silly in hindsight, writer & director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke executes this by giving every single character depth, making it quite easy to connect with every character. That’s not to say it always works. There are some plot lines that I think I could have done without. With a 2 hour and 10 minute runtime, the slow burn nature already makes the film feel longer than what it is. Sticking with the main couple would have improved the pacing and runtime.

Even with such emotional themes and silly concepts, the film embraces the concept with humor and leans into it. The way other characters interact with the technology can make for some good humor to help break how dark the film can get. While the first half leans heavier in the humor, the humor takes a backseat in the second half that subverts expectations and gives one wild conclusion.

How wild the conclusion gets might be an understatement. It’s deeply satisfying and helps get its whole point across. It’s also incredibly satisfying. If you were to tell me that’s where it ends based on where it begins, I wouldn’t believe you. For that, I could easily see this doing well in theaters. Hopefully, the U.S. can get on board with that.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed A Useful Ghost with the way it embraces its humor and tackles its plot. Davika Hoorne gives a tremendous performance and Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke proves to be an effective filmmaker that I’d like to see more of. The slow burn nature and other plot points weren’t quite for me, but I still loved how the film ended, making everything before worth watching.

VERDICT: 3.5/5 (Pretty Good)
“Death Does Not Exist” Review: My First Cannes Screening of 2025 (and ever!)

May 15th, 2025

Death Does Not Exist is a new Canadian-French animated drama written & directed by Félix Dufour-Laperrière. The voice cast includes Karelle Tremblay, Barbara Ulrich, Zeneb Blanchet, Mattis Savard-Verhoeven and Irène Dufour. After a failed armed attack on wealthy landowners, Hélène abandons her companions and flees into the forest. Manon, one of her friends and accomplices, returns to haunt her. Hélène must revisit her convictions and choices, in a valley where metamorphoses and great upheavals disrupt the natural order of things.

While I may not be physically in France right now, I am able to screen a series of different films premiering at this year’s film festival. Death Does Not Exist is the first film I am screening and reviewing. What a way to start the festival with this film. I knew nothing about it beforehand. I didn’t know what it was about nor did I know it would be animated. Given the title of the film, the last thing I expected was animation. I personally love film festivals as it is the perfect opportunity to see a film without any expectations. With that being said, I found the film to be unique and meaningful.

I am not familiar with Félix Dufour-Laperrière’s work, but I will be going forward. The filmmaker appears to be a pro with the specific animation medium he is working with. As someone who has watched thousands of films, it amazes me how I can still be surprised by watching something I have never seen before. Dufour-Laperrière stands out loud with his work here that makes the film one that demands to be seen.

Given how I didn’t know what the film was about beforehand, I was certainly shocked as to what was happening within the film’s opening minutes. As mentioned, I didn’t know this was going to be animated, so when we are introduced to the colors & style, I was completely engrossed as to what I was watching. It has a nice way of bringing you into this world. Almost immediately, there’s an inciting incident that hooked me. It was such an intense & shocking scene that helps catapult the story forward.

This opening scene also has this incredible score that maintains its grand quality throughout, giving me inspiration to make a top 10 scores of the year and adding this one to the list. The film is intentional from the story to the animation, but it can lack in motivation. As we learn the motivation throughout, the beginning starts to make more sense. For that, I will credit the film for not only making me want to watch it again, but to also pay attention to more details that I may have missed.

The way this film works reminds me a lot of the way I was introduced to Studio Ghibli’s films. I am in no means comparing the two, just my experiences with both. Like Studio Ghibli, I found this film to be thematically rich beyond my wildest dreams. It’s dark, which works for the given title name. It goes to places that require a mature mindset. I don’t think you will fully understand it the first time around. I personally love films like that that challenge the viewer. Just when you think you understand it, the film continues to challenge you even more.

At a brisk 72 minutes including credits, the film maintains its pacing by adding in plenty of material. While I loved the opening, I also wish we got to see more of this world beforehand and understand the character’s motivations a little better. The film has some other vague components of the story that I think could have been further explored. Then again, I love how the filmmaker makes these daring choices that allows the viewers to think on what they saw. For that, Dufour-Laperrière might just be one of the most unique voices working in the industry today.

Finally, in order for this film to work, the film has to be completely intentional with the dialogue. The film is perfectly set with the minimal dialogue as it makes every word feel earned and meaningful. It’s a film that captures the eye visually, but also sustains its quality through dialogue that makes you ponder even further.

Overall, what a way to start the 2025 Cannes Film Festival with Death Does Not Exist. It is, undoubtedly, one of the most unique films I have seen so far this year. It’s a film that requires 100% of your attention and rewards for it. Director & writer Félix Dufour-Laperrière shows interest in stimulating the human mind for its viewers. If you have the opportunity to see this when it becomes more widely available, I highly recommend you check this one out.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)