Category: Cinema

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Shining a light on Neon

In 2019 the Neon released Korean film Parasite, directed by Boon Joon Ho, won the Palme d’or at the Cannes Film Festival, going on to be awarded Best Film at the annual Academy Awards. A rare double.

This year another Neon release Fjord won the Palme d’or, this time with another Korean director, Park Chan-wook, a friend of the director of Parasite, as jury president.

Photo during filming of FJORD by Director, Cristian Mungiu

NEON released films have now won all last six Palme d’ors from 2019 to 2026 (Cannes 2020 was cancelled due to Covid. )

Should we be concerned at this winning trend by Neon and should we examine the human connections in the Jury’s choice for 2026?

Critics are divided on Fjord. The Guardian’s film critic, Peter Bradshaw called it ‘a disappointment’ awarding it 2 stars out of 5.

Have juries at the annual Cannes festival ever been corrupted?

Are Cannes juries ever influenced by outside forces?

In my novel Out of Competition democracy is used in a one view, one vote method of choosing festival winners in that other famous Côte d’Azur event, the Renne-Sur-Mer Film Festival.

Is a democratic vote a better way of choosing?

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Out of Competition and Democracy

Grifters, sharks, wannabes, liars, creativors cruise the seaside Promenade as an enfranchising of an entire festival grows out of protest, taking voting from annual juries and giving it to the fans, without whom the festival would not be.

When I was writing this the second invasion of Ukraine hadn’t happened. When I was in the the final draft oligarchs lived only in Russia. Now they’re hard at gaming America. When I was in the final draft, political sycophancy was in its infancy now it’s fully grown.

When I was in the final draft there was still an operational Democratic Party, now a couple State governors are performing CPR on its seemingly lifeless body. When I began writing this most of America believed in habeas corpus, personal and civil rights, accountability and independence of the judiciary.

When I was writing this novel it wasn’t clear how much damage the right wing of the Supreme Court could inflict on America.

Is American democracy at death’s door …..

The No Kings Protest, and then what happens..

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Oh dear, oh dear

This old block of apartments was once one of the few examples of an older more interesting building along Cannes’s waterfront. There seems little virtue in destroying interesting architecture, especially with original wrought-iron balcony railings, high ceilings, old shutters. But now it’s gone – while Antibes has kept its past.

Except for the Carlton, what historic buildings are left on Cannes’s waterfront? Why not remodel a site like this?

Well they have.

The developer’s sign says the new offering will provide a private treated heated pool for two penthouse apartments – just a hop, step and tiny jump away from the Mediterranean.

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71 Films

Years ago I saw and argued in print with a Hong Kong reviewer, who disparaged the film. And now I see how right I was to defend it!

Great performance by Al Pacino, in a deft screenplay, whose power is masked by a film which seems to be presenting itself more as entertainment than biting satire.

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67 + 2 films

1994 – Wonderful screenplay, superb direction and ensemble cast in an underrated film that still fires on all cylinders
The PaperRon Howard
DelicatessenJean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro