Cannes Review: Biutiful, Tamara Drew and more

Robert here, scouring the internet to give you the latest on the films premiering in Cannes.  Lots and lots to catch up on!

In Competition

•  Biutiful Alenjandro Gonzalez Inarritu's film is one of the most anticipated of the festival.  In a piece entitled "Beautiful Biutiful" Sasha Stone of AwardsDaily raves the film, while admitting that overall reaction has been mixed.  Lou Lumenick of the New York Post is among the dissenters, calling the film "a soul-crushing endurance test at 2 1/2 hours."  Entertainment Weekly agrees that the film is depressing but finds a bigger fault. "The problem is that none of the characters are remotely developed." says Owen Gleiberman.  Rounding out the mixed reactions, we have MovieLine.com who declares the film "the best film shown so far at the festival."
• Certified Copy "The best film so far in this year’s Cannes competition" is what Time Out London is calling the new Abbas Kiarostami film (his first outside Iran).  Eric Kohn of IndieWIRE isn't quite as ecstatic, but still positive, noting that the film "wanders a bit but never loses focus."  Meanwhile Mike D'Angelo of The AV Club was "choking back tears in his seat." 

 Un Certain Regard

• Blue Valentine Derek Cianfrance's film starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as a couple already premiered at Sundance earlier this year.  It drew positive reviews there and is drawing positive reviews here.  We'll let AwardsDaily take it from there.
• Film Socialisme This Jean-Luc Godard film or cinematic essay is, according to reactions, um... different (and thus pure Godard.) "It is doubtful that anyone else could have made this film and found an audience for it" is how Roger Ebert puts it.  Time Out Chicago skirts the issue of what it's exactly about (as do most) but gives it points saying  "Film Socialisme is stunning to look at."  Screen.com's Lee Marshall nails it down a little more, calling the film an "occasionally amusing, rarely thought-provoking and ultimately wearing reflection on civilization, language, democracy."

Special Screening

•  Tamara Drewe Stephen Frears' latest stars Gemma Arterton as a woman who returns to her home village as an unrecognizable beauty.  The Cannes crowd seems to like it.  IndieWIRE says "the plot wanders all over the place, but it remains enjoyably cynical throughout."  USA Today reports of Frears "He has concocted an assortment of joys."  And IFC says its "Sassy, slick, slight and speedy"

A quick word about good news that was naught today.  IndieWIRE has the information about dashed hopes that Iranian director Jafar Panahi would be released from prison (he was incarcerated in March for reasons unspecified, though he's been an outspoken government critic).  It's a reminder that despite all the Hollywood marketing, artistic intellectualizing, and scantily-clad beach-going Cannes, and other film festival, serve the cinematic community by championing free expression and welcoming filmmakers who were unwelcome even in their homes.  Mr. Panahi was supposed to be on the Cannes jury this year.  Here's hoping he can take his rightful seat on the jury next year.