The final day of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival was marred by a region-wide power outage, which was reported as an act of sabotage. However, that doesn't mean that the important festival didn't feature some very good cinematic productions.
"Amrum"
“Amrum” is a touching poetic drama, which takes us to World War II and makes us learn more about the unusual story of a 12-year-old boy, who creates sympathy and pity in us. “Amrum” brings the story of the life of a boy, who in other circumstances would have had a completely ordinary childhood, but in the bloody war, he understands that at the root of evil lies man. The only way to leave evil behind is to recognize its source.
"Bono: Stories of Surrender"
In Andrew Dominik's masterfully directed film, based on the U2 band member's 2022 solo show, Bono tells the story of his life, telling us about his ambitions, fame, charity, passions, hypocrisy and demons.
“The Chronology of Water”
Kristen Stewart's directorial debut is based on the memoir of Lidia Yuknavitch, who tells the story of growing up in a family where she experienced sexual abuse and how she tried to escape the legacy of this trauma through swimming, drugs, sex and other means of escape. In the end, she chose writing.
Stewart presents this story as a series of precise, memorable moments. Meanwhile, Imogen Poots' stunning performance conveys not only Lydia's hunger for life and happiness, but also the broken pieces within her.
"Eddington"
The thriller comes from the bold director Ari Aster and challenges cinema in general, as befits Ari. The events are moved to the desert town of Eddington, during the Covid summer of 2020. A local sheriff, Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), refuses to wear a mask, and behind this thought and refusal, hides a wider picture of America, which depends on anger, cults and conspiracy theories.
“Highest 2 Lowest”
Spike Lee takes Akira Kurosawa's "High and Low" to the next level, while also conveying the situation about the direction culture is heading. The film tells the story of David King (Denzel Washington), who, after a challenging and chaotic situation, rediscovers his priorities and creativity.
“Homebound”
This is a film you shouldn't miss! Poor young people trying to escape the circumstances into which fate and other factors have led them create a poignant portrait of characters, as well as a powerful indictment of the India in which they live.
“Homebound” is built in the spirit of a traditional Bollywood social drama, meaning it contains broad political statements, presented almost directly to the camera, while also conveying the ideas and struggles of youth.
“It Was Just an Accident”
Like Iranian director Jafar Panahi, the five main characters in his film spent time in prison and emerged with clear ideas for fighting back. Each of these characters swears that they would know the prosecutor who led them to torture, even though they never saw him with their own eyes. The prosecutor had only one leg, and when someone goes to the garage where Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) works, the calculations begin. The drama has a slow pace, travel scenes, sarcasm, humor, and absurdity a la Samuel Beckett.
It also reminds you of Quentin Tarantino's revenge films. The characters' personal stories were inspired by what Panahi heard while in prison.
“The Love That Remains”
Minds become distorted and situations become increasingly surreal. This is the feeling that director Hlynur Pálmason gives you with the film "The Love That Remains", bringing a mosaic of painful, but also humorous scenes, which tell of a marriage that, while the woman tries to keep it stable, becomes increasingly unstable.
“The Mastermind”
Kelly Reichardt offers a clever response to the common drama of a robbery gone wrong. A very ordinary man experiences different situations, in a film that is not at all moralistic, which gives you special feelings and different perspectives. Practically, the world does not force you to do anything, but if you steal from it, it will steal from you.
“My Father’s Shadow”
The film is fantastic, albeit with a fairly simple structure. Written by brothers Akinola and Wale Davies, it chronicles a day in the life of two young boys who travel with their father from a small village in rural Nigeria to the capital, Lagos. However, as the audience is drawn into this intimate and carefully observed drama, they also discover the violence and conflict that rages in the background.
"New Wave"
In this docu-drama, it seems as if Jean-Luc Godard (Guillaume Marbeck), with his sunglasses on, has come back to life before our eyes. The film takes us to Paris in 1959, to the streets, cafes and hotel rooms of the hotels where “Breathless” was filmed. “Nouvelle Vague” will give you the feeling of stepping into a time machine and watching one of cinema’s masterpieces come to life.
