Cannes Awards Predictions: Deadline's Critics Make Their Picks For This Year's Palme D'Or & Other Main Prizes
PETE HAMMOND
More from Deadline
Neon Taking Rights To Natalie Portman Cannes Animation 'Arco'
'Honey Don't!' Review: Margaret Qualley Stars As A Gutsy Private Eye In Ethan Coen's Messy Comic Noir - Cannes Film Festival
'Imago' Director Déni Oumar Pitsaev On Winning Two Prizes In Cannes: "I Didn't Expect It At All"
I don't think I've seen a Cannes Film Festival with so many enthusiastic reviews from the press. Only a handful of films seemed to get totally negative notices and none of them across the board. I walked out on a couple, including Resurrection, the Chinese film. Life is just too short. I also didn't make it through Sebastian Lelio's The Wave, or the Italian women's prison flick Fuori despite liking Italians and its star Valeria Golino. I just wasn't feeling it.
Otherwise, I have to say everything else I saw was above average but some of it overpraised in other quarters. Calm down! I mean, The Secret Agent was good, but not that good. It wasn't only in the Competition where gems could be found. Iraq's first film ever here, The President's Cake — the People's Choice winner over at Directors' Fortnight — was an early favorite of mine, as was Scarlett Johansson's directing debut — Eleanor the Great in Un Certain Regard — starring the incomparable June Squibb, a powerhouse at age 95.
Also, in UCR I was impressed with Nigeria's first-ever Cannes entry My Father's Shadow. In Cannes Premiere I admired Faith Akin's Amrum, and also Splitsville, the hilarious follow-up to The Climb from Michael Angelo Covino. But here are my predictions for the big prizes in the main competition. Just keep in mind the fact that juries are almost impossible to predict and — endless standing ovations and critical praise aside — we don't really know which way the winds are blowing. You can check out the UCR winners here.
Palme d'Or: (Joaquim Trier) The buzziest possibility. It just feels like a winner
Grand Prize: (Jafar Panahi)The backstory of his two imprisonments in Iran aside, this movie was great.
Jury Prize: (Kleber Mendonca Filho)I just figure the jury might react the way critics did — but not give it the top award.
Director: Richard Linklater ()This is more wishful thinking because it was the best film I saw in Cannes.
Screenplay: (Mascha Schilinski)The first film shown for Competition. Reviews were ecstatic, so it will probably get something. I wasn't overwhelmed.
Actor: Sergi Lopez ()Great movie. This veteran actor is due — plus, what an emotional heartbreaking performance!
Actress: Parinaz Izadyar ()Sorry, Jennifer Lawrence. You gave it your all, but this performance has Best Actress written all over it.
DAMON WISE
This has certainly been the strongest Cannes for many years, and it's tempting to think that some of the films singled out for a panning (Julia Ducorneau's Alpha for one) were in the firing line simply because the critics were struggling to find an out-and-out dud to unload on. Personally, I liked Alpha; it didn't always work, but its hallucinogenic quality has stayed with me. Likewise, I went against the flow with Ari Aster's Eddington — I like films that aim high, and this one, though it's definitely way too long, didn't fall as far as many claimed. Ditto Lynne Ramsay's Die My Love; that woman can do no wrong for me.
Once again, this festival is always an astonishing showcase for acting, and 2025 was no exception. The big difference this year was that so many actors became directors for the 78th edition, all of 'em in Un Certain regard, this year's starriest section. Scarlett Johansson pulled off an accomplished indie with Eleanor the Great, but I preferred Harris Dickinson's superb character study Urchin, a great showcase for Frank Dillane as a homeless guy in London. I'm also thinking a lot about Kristen Stewart's brave debut Chronology of Water, which makes me think of her as a Beatnik born after her time.
As Pete says, juries almost literally live on another planet, being sequestered from the likes of us and our soothsaying. But, for what it's worth, here are my guesses…
Palme d'Or: (Joaquim Trier) Joachim Trier has never made a bad film, and now he's gone ahead and made a masterpiece that would make Henrik Ibsen's sideburns curl. It's brilliantly directed, written and acted; just thinking about it makes me cry!
Grand Prize: (Oliver Luxe)The grand slam of the festival; everyone either loves this apocalyptic techno drama, or loves the beginning, or loves the ending.
Jury Prize: Sound of Falling (Mascha Schilinski)This is an amazing film, end of. I saw it twice and look forward to seeing it again.
Director: Bi Gan ()It drove me mad, but there is so much brilliance on show here.
Screenplay: (Sergei Loznitza)After Navad Lapid's incendiary Yes in Directors' Fortnight, this is the most political film in the festival, a Kafkaesque nightmare about Soviet life under Stalin that, somehow, we are all now living through.
Actor: Guillaume Marbeck ()Everything about Richard Linklater's sparkling white wine of a dramedy deserves a prize, but Marbeck's performance as Jean-Luc Godard is the one that stands out most for me.
Actress: Jennifer Lawrence ()Sorry, Parinaz Izadyar. Pete's right; you are terrific in Woman and Child, but Lawrence's performance here has got to be her best to date. And that's some high bar.
Best of Deadline
'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg
Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far
Everything We Know About 'The Testaments,' Sequel Series To 'The Handmaid's Tale' So Far
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Awards Chatter' Live Pod: Stellan Skarsgard on ‘Sentimental Value,' Lars von Trier and Ingmar Bergman
Last Friday, the veteran Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard reflected on his life, career and latest project — Joachim Trier's Cannes Grand Prize-winning dramedy Sentimental Value, in which Skarsgard plays a veteran filmmaker who has a complicated family life — during a recording of The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast in front of a packed house at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic. The 74-year-old, who was in town to receive the fest's highest honor for an individual, the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema, had the crowd enraptured and often in stitches. He discussed how he broke into the biz when he was just 16. He dished on colorful collaborators ranging from Ingmar Bergman to David Fincher. And he dissected his varied adventures in art house films (e.g. his five collaborations with Lars von Trier, most notably 1996's Breaking the Waves), studio movies (e.g. installments of the Dune, Mamma Mia!, Pirates of the Caribbean and MCU franchises) and prestige TV (e.g. the 2019 limited series Chernobyl, for which he won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy, and the 2022-2025 drama series Andor). More from The Hollywood Reporter HBO's 'Harry Potter' Reveals First Costumed Photo; Casts Neville and Dudley 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' Unveils Season 2 Cast and Sneak Peek at Emma Myers' Return Brazil's Jorge Amado Novel 'Tieta' to Be Made Into Film With Suzana Pires, "Feminine Lens" (Exclusive) But Skarsgard seemed most passionate and proud when discussing Sentimental Value, which many — including yours truly — feel showcases his best performance yet. In it, he is both hilarious and heartbreaking as Gustav Borg, a stubborn Norwegian director who for years neglected family in order to focus on his career, but late in life, after his ex-wife's death, tries, in his own way, to make things right with his two daughters (played by the brilliant Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), while also pursuing what will probably be his last outing as a director, with a Hollywood starlet (a wonderful Elle Fanning) in the leading role. Be sure to check out the audio of the conversation at the top of this post, as well as all of Team THR's coverage of the 2025 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival — the first since the death of longtime festival president Jirí Bartoska — at which other special guests included Michael Douglas, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard and Vicky Krieps, and at which the films Better Go Mad in the Wild, Bidad, Sand City and Forensics were awarded top prizes. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Solve the daily Crossword
Elle
9 hours ago
- Elle
‘Bend It Like Beckham 2' Is Reportedly ‘In the Works'
Lace up your cleats, fans! This week, writer and director Gurinder Chadha announced she is working on a sequel to the hit soccer film Bend It Like Beckham, released in 2002 and starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley. 'I'm excited to revisit the original characters and revive the enduring story and build on the legacy we helped to create for the women's game,' Chadha told Deadline in an interview. Here's everything we know about the project so far. In the original film, Nagra plays a teen girl named Jasminder who loves both soccer and Manchester United's David Beckham. Unfortunately, her parents are very unenthusiastic about her engaging in sports. She ends up joining a girls's soccer team in secret, where she meets Jules, played by Knightley. There, she discovers just how great she can be while also learning to navigate first romances and friendship. Her success ultimately brings her closer to her family in an uplifting story about following your dreams. Since it's 23 years later, everyone would obviously be in a new time in their lives. Chadha says a sequel will also address the changes in women's sports. 'I didn't want to do anything because I didn't have a story,' she said of the time gap since the first film. 'And then I came up with a great story, really super-cool story. So now I'm inspired. Literally came up with it just about a month ago. It's my very clear wish to bring the characters back very, very soon. Women's football is more competitive, more exciting, and more global than ever. It is an honor for me to be a small part of it.' She wrote the original screenplay with Guljit Bindra and husband Paul Mayeda Berges. Aside from Nagra and Knightley, fans would expect the return of Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the Hounslow Harriers team manager and Jasminder's love interest. But so far, no one is officially confirmed. Chadha stated that Nagra, Knightley, as well as cast members Archie Panjabi and Juliet Stevenson 'are aware that a sequel is being developed, but they obviously want to see a script before they commit.' 'I'm pretty certain that everyone's going to want to come back,' she added. 'Everything hinges on the script and if the original cast likes it. I am working really hard to make sure every character I bring back has a decent arc and scenes.' The goal for Chadha is to have the sequel out by 2027 for the original film's 25th anniversary, which will coincide with the FIFA Women's World Cup tournament in Brazil that year. This post will be updated.
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
Tom Hiddleston's ‘The Life Of Chuck' New On Streaming This Week, Report Says
Tom Hiddleston in "The Life of Chuck." Director Mike Flanagan's The Life of Chuck, starring Tom Hiddleston, is reportedly coming to digital streaming this week. After opening in limited release on June 6, The Life of Chuck — which is based on a short story by Stephen King — expanded to theaters nationwide on June 13. Released by indie studio NEON, the film's summary reads, 'From the hearts and minds of Stephen King and Mike Flanagan comes The Life of Chuck, the extraordinary story of an ordinary man. This unforgettable, genre-bending tale celebrates the life of Charles 'Chuck' Krantz as he experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.' Rated R, The Life of Chuck is expected to be released on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday, July 29, When to Stream. While When to Stream is typically accurate with its streaming reports, the streaming tracker noted that Neon has not announced or confirmed the release date of the film and as such, it is subject to change. The Life of Chuck is currently listed on Prime Video for pre-order for $19.99, which is also the film's digital purchase price. Since PVOD rentals are typically $5 less than purchase prices, viewers can expect to rent The Life of Chuck for $14.99 for 48 hours. In addition to Prime Video, The Life of Chuck will also be available on such digital platforms as Apple TV, Fandango at Home and YouTube. Tom Hiddleston Says He Was 'Overwhelmingly Moved' By 'The Life Of Chuck' Screenplay In an interview with Men's Health published in mid-June, Tom Hiddleston said that he read Mike Flanagan's screenplay for The Life of Chuck in one sitting and that he was "overwhelmingly moved' by it. 'I understood what Mike's extraordinary screenplay and Stephen King's short story was trying to say, which is that every seemingly ordinary human life is magic,' the Loki star told Men's Health. 'And that inside the soul of every human being is an internal world of connections, both real and imagined, connections to people we love, to experiences we've shared, to memories we've made.' In addition to Hiddleston, The Life of Chuck also stars Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak and Cody Flanagan as the younger versions of Chuck. The film's cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mia Sara, Karen Gillan, Carl Lumbly, David Dastmalchian, Matthew Lillard, Harvey Guillén and Mark Hamill. The Life of Chuck is expected to be released on PVOD on Tuesday.
