2024’s Cannes has arrived, and as per usual, access was incredibly limited on a virtual level. Nevertheless, Allison and I got to catch a couple of exciting titles. Don’t miss our full coverage for the international film festival after the jump!
Films
ALL WE IMAGINE as light
(Written by Intern, Sean Barry) Although subtlety is usually preferred, there is such a practice as being too reserved. All We Imagine As Light follows two Indian nurses, Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha), as they work through respective relationship troubles. Anu looks for a romantic spot to get intimate with her boyfriend, while Prabha struggles with the moral dilemma of wanting to be loved, whilst stuck in an estranged marriage. Frequently encountered by good men who care about her, Prabha must consistently turn down unconditional love from possible partners because society expects her to be loyal. Admirable themes of female solidarity and power to the lower classes become more apparent as time goes on, but they are for naught if they get lost in the presentation. Far too little occurs in the story to maintain interest for nearly two hours. Writer/director Payal Kapadia creates an understated environment where everything’s true meaning must be analyzed and discovered. While this ideology is oftentimes effective, showing only a small handful of scenes with intriguing content is not enough to justify countless instances that seemingly lead to nowhere. Not without its merits, certain aspects work with more muted direction. When Prabha talks with a doctor who likes her very much, the lack of traditional meet-cute dialogue makes this moment far more intense. A single unmoving long take keeps the focus directly on the possible couple, as Prabha grapples with the internal conflict of staying fully committed to her unseen husband. Performances by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, and the rest of the cast never stray from naturalistic movements and actions to keep their characters planted in the environments. Prabha displays a slow acceptance of her independence up until the conclusion. Unfortunately, without many connective plot threads or notable events throughout, All We Imagine As Light is better left forgotten.
BLOCK PASS
Full review at the link.
HOLY COW
(Written by Intern, Sean Barry) Holy Cow ultimately wastes its promising setup with meandering plotlines and scarce audacious choices. Rowdy teenager Totone (Clement Faveau) must care for his young sister after the patriarch suddenly passes away. Totone is forced to immediately learn responsibility and discipline in order to take over his father’s job at the factory. When he learns about a large monetary sum given for the winner of a dairy contest, Totone tries anything he can to win and get a better life. From the onset, writer/director Louise Courvoisier paints a clear picture of Totone and his friends as hooligans who cause mischief and start fights rather than attending school. When his dad dies, Totone has an opportunity to change from a ruffian into an adult. However, Courvoisier does not effectively expand on the possibilities of the concept. Considering how pivotal it is to the family, the reveal of the death is never shown in full view and is not outright said until afterwards. Later on, his sister only makes an occasional sparse appearance on screen. What begins as a story about a boy needing to quickly grow up, turns into one about a person seemingly unaffected by a recent passing motivated only by the potential to win money. The script does not give Totone enough to do in the first half, so when he merely mills around the warehouse everyday, it becomes a bore to watch. Praise must be given for showcasing serious messages whilst maintaining restraint, but important themes can get lost as a result. In the end, Holy Cow is unsuccessful, but additional instigating events and more dynamic character development would have made for an exciting and moving final product.
WHEN THE LIGHT BREAKS
(Written by Intern, Sean Barry) When the Light Breaks is an incredibly intimate and emotionally fulfilling addition to the coming-of-age canon. Set in a small Icelandic town, Una (Elin Hall) experiences her late teenage years as a blissful dream. When tragedy strikes, she must navigate how to move forward with her life and discover what is truly important to her. When her group of friends come together to support one another through this tough time, Una sees the love and support system she and many others so desperately need. Much of the action is played naturalistically, with characters merely existing in an environment as regular people rather than actively showcasing different acting styles or abrasive outbursts. This allows for far more realistic performances from the actors, especially from Elin Hall, who is impressive in her portrayal of a broken down young adult. Camera placement and movement also adds to this feeling. Scenes are often filmed with only one angle and zero cuts to strengthen the real-world setting. One of the only times the frame is consistently in motion is during select instances when a character is walking. The camera follows them to imply the next tragedy someone encounters could always be just around the corner. Some of the most impactful moments come from writer/director Runar Runarsson’s ability to say so much with so little. Several shots linger on a person or object merely sitting in a room to show the stillness of life. Even the score, which only plays very sparsely, provides a simplistic but hauntingly beautiful background noise to the images onscreen. When the Light Breaks effectively communicates the fleeting days of youth and the slowly approaching march of reality in the future.
For more information about 2024’s Cannes International Film Festival, head over to the official website.