And There you go ! Thwarting many predictions, the coveted Palme d’Or crowned Saturday Triangle of Sadness by Swedish Ruben Östlund, a hilarious film about a mad Cruise, full of spectacular effects and gags, but very stretched at the end of the game. This is a second palm for the corrosive filmmaker, after The Square in 2017. “We wanted the film to bring pleasure to the public and make them think,” said the lucky winner. The palms go more to works with commercial potential in recent years. And pacification by the Catalan Albert Serra, a major work, but difficult to sell, has bitten the dust, like Tchaikovsky’s wife by Kirill Serebrennikov. It was not always the most deserving who obtained the favors of the jury. We leave the awards ceremony generally disappointed.
At least, the very touching, the marvelous Close by Fleming Lukas Dhont won the Grand Jury Prize ex aequo. And this subtle story, about two distraught young boys, admirable for its direction of actors, its images of beauty, its contained emotions and its deep sensitivity, had been for many of us the palm of the heart. “I made a film about tenderness, for those who choose love over fear,” said the filmmaker in tears. great sound Girl had already made the event in 2018 (Caméra d’or). Lukas Dhont thus climbs to the highest peaks.
The Frenchwoman Claire Denis, for the jazzy and haunting film Stars at Noon, was leaving together with this Grand Prix, which no one had seen coming. This sinuous work set in Nicaragua, against a backdrop of love, alcohol, politics and betrayal, was booed by the room of journalists, as his film had divided the critics.
A special laurel from 75e anniversary crowned the darlings of the Croisette: the Belgians Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for Tori and Lokita, uneven work on children from Ghana persecuted in Belgium. This is obviously an award for their admirable career. But did these double webbed golds need it? Wasn’t it time to give back?
Vincent Lindon praised the extraordinary experience of the deliberations with the jury. It seems that the chemistry of the group was particularly harmonious on this 75th anniversary. All were more on the happiness of being together. The president of the jury was ironic: “It is time to break with this sinister habit which wants the Cannes Film Festival to change its jury every year. »
The Directing Prize went to the highly stylized Decision to Leave by South Korean Park Chan-wook, between romance and thriller, around the myth of the femme fatale, who had seduced by her mastery and her crossovers, without standing out for all that.
Double blow again to the jury prize. First for the exceptional Hi-Han (EO) Polish Jerzy Skolimowski who deserved more. The delightful veteran made a point of thanking the six featured donkeys, naming them on stage by their names, their countries of origin. Jury Prize ex aequo for The high mountains, film about friendship, with impressive cinematography, but without emotion. Directed by the Belgian couple Charlotte Vandermeersch and Félix Van Groningen, shot in Italy, it defeated the most deserving. The fact remains that Belgium finds itself highly prized in the charts and the country can boast.
The Best Actress Award goes to exiled Tehran actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi for her role in Mashad Nights by Iranian Ali Abusi, an investigative journalist in the midst of a society that bullies her. “This film is about women, their bodies, everything that cannot be shown in Iran. I experienced humiliation, ”she revealed. The actress pinned France, tongue-in-cheek: “this country of happy people who love to be unhappy. »
This is the great Song Kang Ho (Parasite), terrific in colorful Korean crook in The lucky stars by the Japanese Harikasu Kore-Eda, who leaves with the statuette for best actor, received with captivating simplicity.
The Swede of Egyptian origin Tarik Saleh received the screenplay prize for Boy from Heaven, a strong proposition about a young villager sent to Cairo in a nest of religious and political intrigue. At least his anti-establishment film had real social significance.
The Golden Camera, prize for the best first feature film, all sections combined, went to war pony by Americans Gina Gammel and Riley Keouch, located on a Native American reservation, presented to In some perspective.
Socio-political considerations seem to have played a part in certain choices on the list. And despite the presence of favorites like Close by Lukas Dhont and Hi Han (EO) by Jerzy Skolimowsi, we deplore on the bulwark the absence, among others, of the Frenchwoman Leonor Séraille with the super A little brother. Did we see the same films as the jury? We sometimes doubt it…
Odile Tremblay is the guest of the Cannes Film Festival.