The closing ceremony of the 70th Cannes Film Festival led by Monica Bellucci has just ended. Now is the time to take stock and react. The Square created a surprise by winning the Palme d'Or from the hand of the President of the Jury: Pedro Almodovar. Here is the list of winners of the 70th Cannes Film Festival detailed with our balance sheet.
Palme d'Or: The Square by Ruben Östlund (Sweden)
Very well received here in Cannes by all the critics, the Swedish film undoubtedly owes its success to its original staging, but especially to its humanist subject. Its main subject is the trust of human beings towards their neighbor. He approaches it in different ways, such as the social differences that can exist even in Sweden, a country renowned for its quality of life. Endowed with irresistible scenes of humor, we had judged it in midtone because littered with passages too innocuous creating lengths.
Like the awarding of the prize to I, Daniel Blake by Ken Loach last year, the Palme d'Or awarded is rather chosen for its intelligent and committed approach to a real subject, instead of a more artistic choice as sometimes happens. We cannot, therefore, blame the jury for rewarding directors who choose to evoke their true convictions.
70th Anniversary Award: Nicole Kidman
Present in competition in 2 films this year (The Prey and Killing of the Sacred Deer), the tall blonde was absent from the ceremony and left a video as a thank you for this special prize awarded by the legendary Will Smith.
Grand Jury Prize: 120 beats per minute by Robin Campillo
Robin Campillo's feature film was expected for the ultimate prize. Awarded Palme d'Or by the entire public and critics, it won the second distinction for a film that was also committed. This is the true story of an association that has been fighting since the 90's to fight against AIDS and help HIV-positive people. A story that follows more precisely Sean, affected by the disease and whose commitment proves heartbreaking. The film much too long on the last part is however exciting and well paced. It will have made more than one cry during this Festival.
Best Director: Sofia Coppola for Prey
Also absent from the ceremony, it is Maren Ade of the jury who will have read her word of thanks. The daughter of the great Francis Ford wins a brand distinction for a film that was not unanimous during its presentation.
Best Actress: Diane Kruger for In the fade
The German actress with an international career came tonight to seek an award for which she was a great favorite, since the sensation she had created during the screening of Fatih Akin's film.
Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix in You were never really here
He too was given favorite by many experts. The multifaceted Puerto Rican native has morphed and been incredibly involved in this challenging role. A well-deserved prize!
Jury Prize: Par manqe d'amour by Andrey ZVYAGINTSEV
This touching film telling the lack of love of 2 divorced parents for their son moved most critics. The returns for this work were among the best, so it is not surprising that the jury wanted to reward it with a prize.
Best Screenplay: You were never really here and Killing the Sacred Deer ex-aequo
This is the 2nd prize at Cannes for the Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, 2 years after the jury prize for Lobster. He shares this award with Lynne Ramsay for the film that won two awards tonight with the prize awarded to Joaquin Phoenix.
Palme d'or for Short Film: A Sweet Night by Qiu Yang
If this film charmed the prestigious jury of the Cannes Film Festival, there was in our opinion much better among the 9 films selected in the competition. Find our feedback on all the short films in question.
The Justfocus ranking of films seen this year in Cannes:
- Jupiter's moon and The Double Lover
- The dreaded
- Okja
- Towards the light
- 120 beats per minute
- The square
- You were never really here
- Happy end
- Good time
Among the films seen out of competition, special mention to the Korean film Sans pitié.
Already cult excerpt from the film The Square, 70th Palme d'Or:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaBTxBmc7vY
Watch the closing ceremony of the 70th Cannes Film Festival
Press conference of the Jury after ceremony:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vds8qMIxjE8
