The director: Maïwenn (France)
The talent: Actress-turned-writer-director Maïwenn Le Besco (who prefers going by her first name, and whom US viewers might remember as the blue-tentacled soprano from “The Fifth Element”) takes the lead role herself, starring opposite French rapper-turned-actor Joeystarr. Supporting them, a host of familiar French faces, including Nicolas Duvauchelle (“White Material”), Frédéric Pierrot (“I’ve Loved You So Long”) and Louis-Do de Lencquesaing (“The Father of My Children”). Among the below-the-line names is Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck (“Shakespeare in Love”).
The pitch: Maïwenn’s third feature as director appears to be equal parts romantic drama and socially conscious tract. She stars as a photojournalist assigned to document goings-on at the Paris police department’s Juvenile Protection Unit, where she falls in love with a sensitive, unorthodox cop; the official synopsis emphasises the former’s bourgeois background, which implies class difference could play a significant role in the relationship. The synopsis also stresses the gruelling day-to-day routine of policemen in the unit, which may or may not hint at a kind of urban docudrama treatment.
The pedigree: Like yesterday’s Competition-crasher Michel Hazanavicius, Maïwenn is a Cannes novice. Neither of her previous two features premiered at major festivals — nor did they travel much outside their home country — though her 2006 debut, “Forgive Me,” did net a César nomination for Best First Film.
The buzz: I’d be lying if I said I’ve heard much talk about this one at all — much of Maïwenn’s work before and behind the camera hasn’t travelled, so her inclusion in the lineup likely means more to the French media than international observers. There has been some talk, abetted by festival director Thierry Frémaux, of the film representing the “new generation”: at 34 years of age, the director is the youngest in Competition.
The odds: The bookies and I agree on this one: on paper, given its limited international profile and the presence of more heavyweight filmmakers (not to mention female filmmakers) in the lineup, “Polisse” looks like one of the longer shots for the Palme. That could change if the film packs a punch, but it’d need to match two recent Cannes award-winners with a gritty, institutional focus: Laurent Cantet’s “The Class” and Jacques Audiard’s “A Prophet.”
Comments
One response to “CANNES CHECK: ‘Polisse’”
The interviews on the film’s press kit are very enlightening and cool. This is probably one of my most anticipated.