Cannes 2015: Highlights, Lowlights and “Flatgate” on the French Riviera
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With the 2015 Cannes Film Festival’s unofficial bans on red carpet selfies and women in flats (aka “flatgate”) dominating social media coverage last week, it was easy for some of the festival’s more outré titles to get lost in the mix. Fortunately, this year’s jury – which was headed by Oscar-winners Joel and Ethan Coen – more than made up for that by highlighting an eclectic array of films at Sunday’s Closing Ceremonies.
Taking the festival’s top prize, the coveted Palm d’Or, was celebrated French writer-director Jacques Audiard’s Dheepan. A drama about a trio of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees posing as a family to start a new life in Paris, Dheepan’s win over heavy favorites Todd Haynes’ Carol and Hou Hsiao-hsien’s The Assassin was seen by many as a major upset. But there were just as many in attendance who felt Audiard has been overdue for the top prize since his last outing Rust and Bone lost the Palm to Michael Hanake’s Amour in 2012. So, as they say, the jury’s still out on this one – even though it’s not.
Also raising eyebrows was the split decision for Best Actress. Cate Blanchett was expected to win top honors for Haynes’ 1950’s-set lesbian romance Carol before the film even screened last week, but on Sunday it was her co-star, Oscar nominee Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) who won. French actress Emmanuelle Bercot shared the Best Actress award with Rooney for her work in writer-director Maïwenn’s Mon Roi.
And speaking of Best Actress, hot off her Oscar win for Still Alice Julianne Moore returned to Cannes to collect the Best Actress prize she won last year for her performance in David Cronenberg’s Hollywood-set psycho-drama Maps to the Stars. And though no one would have blamed Moore for challenging flatgate protocol and donning a pair of sensible crocs under her gown this year – particularly after her memorable “toemageddon” experience at Cannes in 2013, where her little toes “popped” loose and jutted out over the platform of her heels as she walked the red carpet – the Oscar winner dazzled in sky-high footwear everywhere she went.
Also making news everywhere they went were Mad Max: Fury Road (which screened out of competition on day two of the festival) co-stars Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy, who apparently had no love lost between them on set. The fact that the duo broke Cannes protocol by not entering the theater together at their screening reverberated through the Palais des Festivals louder than the boos at the ill-fated screening of Gus Van Sant’s Matthew McConaughey drama Sea of Trees. And from all accounts, that booing was loud.
And while some critics chided festival organizers for labeling this year’s fest “The Year of the Woman,” especially considering the paucity of meaty female roles on display and the flatgate uproar, the festival included, nonetheless, several high-profile projects written, directed and/or produced by women. Natalie Portman’s directorial debut A Tale of Love and Darkness screened out of competition, Naomi Kawase’s AN was in the running for an Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, and Best Actress-winner Emmanuelle Bercot’s Standing Tall opened the festival with a bang on day one. So, though it might be slow in coming, progress is definitely being made on the gender-equality front at Cannes. You know, as long as you wear heels.
For a full list of the winners at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, please see below.
Cannes 2015 – Complete List of Winners:
1. Closing Ceremonies – Palm d’Or
Palme d’Or: Dheepan Directed by Jacques Audiard
Grand Prix: Saul Fia (Son of Saul) Directed by László Nemes
Best Director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien for Nie Yinniang (The Assassin)
Best Screenplay: Michel Franco for Chronic
Best Actress (tie): Emmanuelle Bercot in Mon Roi & Rooney Mara in Carol
Best Actor: Vincent Lindon in La Loi du Marché (The Measure of a Man)
Jury Prize: The Lobster Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Palme d’Or – Short Film: Waves ’98 Directed by Ely Dagher
Caméra d’Or: La Tierra y La Sombra Directed by César Augusto Acevedo
2. Un Certain Regard
Prize of Un Certain Regard: Hrútqr (Rams) Directed by GrÃmur Hakonarson
Jury Prize – Un Certain Regard: Zvizdan (The High Sun) Directed by Dalibor Matanic
Directing Prize of Un Certain Regard: Kishibe no Tabi (Journey to the Shore) Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Un Certain Talent Prize: Comoara (The Treasure) Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu
Promising Future Prize (tie): Nahid Directed by Ida Panahandeh & Masaan Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan