The 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival is officially in full swing, with nearly everyone in Hollywood transported to the prestigious French fest for a week and a half of wheeling and dealing. Catch up on all the goings-on with Cannes Chatter.
Much like Cannes’ jarring 2011 breakout, We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Hunt, from Danish helmer Thomas Vinterberg, is inspiring talk across the festival about a hot-button issue: Child abuse. The film — about a nursery school teacher (Mads Mikkelsen) wrongly accused of sexually abusing a student — was screened to applause, and, interestingly, a few boos at the festival. Despite its detractors, Vinterberg and several critics are standing behind the film, which looks to explore the danger of false rumors. [Associated Press]
Marion Cotillard has already built up plenty of Oscar buzz for her performance in Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone, but the director is also hoping chatter surrounding the film will help revive the B movie. Despite having an Oscar-winning star leading the cast, the film does have some elements of the long-forgotten genre: Without spoiling anything, let’s just say there’s an unfortunate killer whale incident (paging Orca!) and a scene scored with a Katy Perry song. [Reuters]
Speaking of Oscar buzz, it looks like Harvey Weinstein is hoping to start the awards season early. After picking up Australian comedy The Sapphires, about a group of Vietnam-era singers who find notoriety singing for U.S. troops, Weinstein was heard telling a reporter at a party for Lawless, “Have you seen The Sapphires? The Artist just happened again.” [L.A. Times]
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