Lukas Dhont’s follow up to Close (2022) is a touching tale of art-making during war, touching on themes of sexuality, fantasy and the harshness of reality.
Theatre at War
Tag: Cannes
The Kieślowski Universe
Asghar Farhadi’s Parallel Tales has been critically panned, but our reviewer found its tribute to the work of Kieślowski remarkably touching.
Titanic Ocean Is No Ordinary Film
With an impossibly beautiful aesthetic, Konstantina Kotzamani’s Titanic Ocean is a unique mermaid movie that transports you to another world.
Her Private Hell? Absent Parents.
Told with his usual neon-heavy aesthetic, Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell is a beguiling tale of absent parenthood, playing Out of Competition.
Avedon. Imagination and Reality.
Ron Howard’s tribute to Richard Avedon is a faithful exploration of how the famed photographer invented reality with his imaginative photographs.
Promised Spaces. Liminal Traces.
Angela Schnalec’s DOP travels to Cambodia for an intellectually rigorous, if slightly tedious docufiction about the rich-poor divide.
Another Unhappy Family, Excellently Portrayed
Valentina Maurel’s sophomore feature, Forever Your Maternal Animal, is a touching tale of familial bonds, mental illness and feminine sexuality.
Shana. Chaos Under Pressure.
Anchored by an excellent performance by Eva Huault, Shana is a deeply entertaining Parisian-set tale of Jewish identity and feminine chaos.
What Remains from Cannes 2025?
Jafar Panahi’s Un Simple Accident Palme characterises a Cannes line-up that will be better known for its political potential than its aesthetic content.
Love Me Tender Keenly Depicts The Perils of Queer Parenting.
The way institutions discriminate against queer parents is expertly depicted in Love Me Tender, with a standout performance from Vicky Krieps.