GOING BIONIC #267 – HOT SLICES OF CINEMA AT CANNES! – May 17, 2015

May 17, 2015

Greetings from Cannes and Welcome to Going Bionic #267. Today we’re licking our cinematic finger and raising it into the air in order to gage our first “atmosphere check” into the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival. By atmosphere, I mean the temperature of how critics are responding to key “red carpet” screenings, as opposed to the actual weather, which has been nothing short of blissful sunshine, minus a few gusts of winds and rain sprinkles for ten minutes.

Since the Cannes Film Festival tends to be a reasonably reliable barometer for how a picture will play with mass audiences and critics alike, films lucky enough to be screened here can get glimpse inside of their box office future.

So, without further ado, here are some films that have caught headlines.

This intensely visceral gem has thus far earned a 98% “fresh rating,” on Rotten Tomatoes, with 206 of 210 critics endorsing it’s merits. The picture’s audience rating is almost as electric with a 94% fresh rating, which should give it healthy “legs,” on its distribution run.

Should you be wondering how well the screening here at Cannes went, Mad Max: Fury Road received no less than three major applauses during its red carpet premiere, and the critics are already mentioning it as a possible Best Picture contender for the 2016 Academy Awards.

However, the only potentially less satisfying news is that Mad Max: Fury Road is not projected to win it’s opening weekend at the box office. Pitch Perfect 2 is expected to win the weekend with a $65 million plus take.

In this wildly satirical comedy, Collin Farrell and John C. Riley have 45 days to find love, or they’ll turn into the animal of their choice and be released into the woods. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos in his first English language film, The Lobster is an immediate hit here in Cannes both by critics and moviegoers alike. Its off-kilter, yet deliciously fresh take on relationships is as engaging as its and comment on society’s obsession with nuclear war is thought provoking. While it’s yet to be seen if this picture can pinch its way into box office success, it’s surely already being tracked for a Best Screenplay Oscar.

                    Photo Credit: Noah Pitifer

Woody Allen’s 46th directorial effort is another murder mystery, his genre of choice in recent years. This time the story focuses on a philosophy professor who finds the will to live after committing an existential act. Starring Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Posey and Jamie Blackley, Irrational Man is enjoying a spirited reception here in Cannes. While critics aren’t yelling “bravo” at the top of their lungs, they are endorsing the picture as one of Allen’s better ones in recent years. IMDb rates Irrational Man as an 7.5/10, based on 67 user reviews at the time of publishing of this article. The wide release by Sony Pictures Classics, is set for July 17.

That’s what I have for you today. As always, I thank you for lending me your eyes, and I look forward to borrowing them again soon, as I’ve got a lot more to report from Cannes shortly. Until then, I can be followed on Twitter @Lonelyseal.