Preview: Cannes Film Festival 2010

Each May the most anticipated films of the year premiere in the seaside town of Cannes. The Skinny will be there bringing you the highlights of the festival. To whet your appetite here’s a taster of some of the films which will be creating a buzz this year.

Robin Hood (Ridley Scott)

Opening the Festival is Ridley Scott’s big budget adaptation of Robin Hood. Russell Crowe stars as the lead, Mark Strong as Sir Godfrey and Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian. Don’t expect Scott’s adaptation to be in the vein of the light-hearted Men in Tights though – this version looks set to be dark and atmospheric. Cannes is known for picking high profile opening films – last year Pixar’s Up received a warm reception. Audiences won’t have long to wait either – Robin Hood hits UK cinemas on the same day the festival opens.

Another Year (Mike Leigh)

A strong British contender comes from Cannes regular Mike Leigh. The director won the Palme D’Or for Secrets and Lies in 1996 and was short-listed in 2002 for All or Nothing. The details of his latest project are being kept under wraps but the film is believed to be a comedy and stars a host of Leigh regulars including Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Leslie Manville and Ruth Sheen.

Biutiful (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

High expectations accompany Inarritu’s latest film, Biutiful which stars Jarvier Bardem (No Country for Old Men). It tells the story of Uxbal, a lonely man who struggles to protect his young family within his tough neighbourhood. The critically acclaimed Mexican director has received a host of awards for his previous films which include Babel, 21 Grams and Amores Perros. Will his latest do the same?

Socialisme (Jean-Luc Godard)

Many people are unaware that Jean-Luc Godard, the giant of French sixties cinema is still making films today, albeit ones which barely reach cinema-goers. Highly political and keen to experiment with cinematic form and language Godard’s most recent films have explored the very margins of cinema. We imagine his latest, Socialisme, to carry on in this tradition. Curiously Patti Smith is also listed as starring in the film.

Chatroom (Hideo Nakata)

Following on from his success in Nowhere Boy and Kick-Ass, actor of the moment Aaron Johnson takes centre stage in this British thriller about the dark side of online friendships. Chatroom is directed by Japanese director Hideo Nakata (The Ring, Dark Water) and is written by Edna Walsh (Hunger). It also stars a host of rising British stars including Matthew Beard (An Education), Hannah Murray (Skins) and Imogen Poots (28 Weeks Later).

The Certified Copy (Abbas Kiarostami)

Iranian director Kiarostami was last on the festival circuit with his film Shirin (which showed at last year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival). He returns with The Certified Copy, a story of a middle-aged writer who meets a French gallery owner whilst on tour in Italy and the two enjoy a brief encounter. It stars Juliette Binoche and British opera singer William Shimell and marks a change of direction for the Iranian director, as it’s one of his first films to be shot outside his homeland.