Cannes 2022: Forget the fashion, focus on the films

It's not the red carpet where the real action lies at this prestigious film festival

After a cancelled edition in 2020 and an attempt for revival in 2021, the Cannes Film Festival is back to its original glory this year with in-person screenings, marking its 75th anniversary. Cannes 2022 has an enviable lineup with some great work by cinema's biggest names. However, in the past few years, the media's focus and certain sections of the audience have been more on fashion than film. It's all about who wore what on the red carpet at Palais de Festivals.

This year too, the buzz is about Deepika Padukone's Sabyasachi outfits and dramatic makeup rather than the world-class cinema that will be showcased at the event. "The Indian media gets everything wrong regarding Cannes and reinforces its insularity," film critic Saibal Chatterjee told DH. "They behave like it is a fashion show, not a film festival. Therefore, it is easy to see why smaller film-producing nations like South Korea, Iran, Thailand, and Taiwan are way ahead of India on the international film festival circuit. So, while they showcase their films at the heart of the festival, India tom-toms its stars and starlets on the red carpet, blissfully unaware that the red carpet is not where the action is."

So, while everyone else is going on about fashion, check out these notable films at Cannes Film Festival 2022. There are big studio efforts, indies, films by newcomers, and filmmakers contending for the coveted Palme d'Or and the UN Certain Regard category.

Elvis
The Elvis Presley biopic, helmed by Baz Luhrmann of Moulin Rouge! (2001) and The Great Gatsby (2013), traces the life and times of the king of rock 'n' roll. It is told through the eyes of Elvis Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. It features Austin Butler in the titular role and Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley, Elvis' wife. The film is expected to release on June 24, 2022, worldwide.

Three Thousand Years of Longing

Directed by George Miller, the fantasy romance is a follow-up to the 2015 action epic Mad Max: Fury Road, which debuted at Cannes. When a successful yet lonely academic (Tilda Swinton) meets Djinn (Idris Elba), he offers her three wishes for his freedom and wonders if granting love is a wish.

Top Gun: Maverick

Starring Tom Cruise, this film is a much-awaited sequel to the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun and sees the actor reprising his role as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The pandemic delayed the film, and it is now slated to release on May 27, 2022, with a world premiere on the second day of the Cannes Film Festival.

Crimes of the Future

The Kristen Stewart film Crimes of the Future is a contender for the prestigious Palme d'Or. It is helmed by Canadian director David Cronenberg, who is returning to Cannes for the sixth time, and the body horror genre with this gory flick.

The Natural History of Destruction

With Ukraine at the centre of a war with Russia's invasion, Cannes Artistic Director Thierry Frémaux confirmed that two Ukrainian directors, Sergei Loznitsa ("The Natural History of Destruction") and Maksim Nakonechnyi ("Butterfly Vision"), would showcase their recent projects at Cannes 2022.

Broker

Acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is back at the Cannes Film Festival with his second non-Japanese film, "Broker." The project depicts the concept of broker boxes, where people anonymously drop their babies. Set in North Korea, the film features "Parasite" star Song Kang-ho.

Armageddon Time

Starring an ensemble cast of Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Strong and Michael Banks Repeta, the coming-of-age film showcases what it was like growing up in Queens in the 1980s. The James Gray directorial is a strong contender for the coveted top prize.

Final Cut

Directed by French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius, Final Cut is the opening film of the Cannes Film Festival 2022. Earlier, titled Z, this zombie comedy is a remake of the Japanese film One Cut of the Dead (2017).

Showing Up

The latest collaboration of director Kelly Reichardt and Michelle Williams, this American entry to the Cannes has the actor in the role of a sculptor, aiming to balance her work and the drama of her everyday family life in the face of an upcoming exhibition.

All That Breathes
Getting India to the world map, Shaunak Sen's All That Breathes was the only Indian film at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. It depicts an earthworm's point of view in the middle of Delhi's air pollution and how it is difficult for the birds to survive due to the toxic air. A documentary about two brothers, "All That Breathes," will get a special screening at Cannes 2022.

Holy Spider
Iranian-Danish director Ali Abbasi is taking his maiden steps towards the Cannes main competition with Holy Spider and contending for the Palme d'Or. The film highlights the story of a religious man who tries to cleanse the streets of the holy city of Mashhad and eradicate corruption, so much so that he goes on a murderous spree. Abbasi's 2018 fantasy drama Border was praised in the UN Certain Regard section, and Holy Spider is also looking for applause.

(Gurpreet Kaur is a journalist who writes on lifestyle, entertainment and culture)