On the internet bright and early we unfortunately missed out on tickets to the Walter Salles film On The Road but we did manage to get some for Holy Motors, an intriguing sounding film by Leos Carax with an even more intriguing cast including Eva Mendes and Kylie Minogue. Happy in the knowledge that we’d be able to see at least one film, we set off for the first screening of the day.
With pain au chocolat consumed en route and a quick stop at the Palais to pick up today’s screening guide, we joined our first queue. It’s Sarah’s first time in Cannes but I think even she is getting bored with my over enthusiasm, and my frequent declamations of “I’m so excited!” which get a response from a bystander who shouts out “yes we’re in the queue”! However we’ve just been admitted to our first screening, a film by Benot Delphine and Gustave Kervern called Le Grand Soir, and it has to be said, I’m so excited!
With Le Grand Soir and The Sapphires (fab singing! The only time I’ve seen people dance out of the aisles at a festival) under our belt we head for a much needed coffee to plan our next move, especially seeing as the sun has managed to poke through the black clouds.
Taking full advantage of the cafe’s wifi and by constantly pressing refresh on the browser we manage to scoop some tickets for the 8.30am screening of The Paperboy on Thursday. Deciding that a supermarket trip is much needed we plan to go to a late night screening and head off to stock the fridge with camembert.
We’ve had a good first day, we’ve managed to get into both films we queued for, and the sun has put in an appearance. So queuing for the 22.15 screening of Perdre la Raison we are very buoyant.
We’ve read a short synopsis of the film, but it in no way prepares us for what we are about to see. The second scene in the film is of four small white coffins being boarded onto a plane so I know there will be no dancing in the aisles with this screening. The film then flashbacks five years earlier to provide the prelude to the four coffins.
I sometimes struggle to truly engage with characters when I know a tragic ending is going to befall them. It is the casualty effect, I’m constantly waiting for someone to fall off a ladder or get run over. So this being said we then spent two hours watching a woman be mentally abused by her husband and doctor, unable to cope on her own with four young children, and spiral into deep depression.
My colleague Sarah and I had very different experiences of the film as she missed the opening scene. It was so interesting to hear how she had really gone on an emotional journey with the protagonist and was so shocked by the conclusion of the film. I think I would have preferred her screening experience.
All in all a very good first day!