Movie Magazine International Blog

By Moira Sullivan Movie Magazine International was at Cannes again for the 10th time at the 77th Festival de Cannes. What I was looking forward to at this festival was of course the documentary on Faye Dunaway: Faye directed by French American Laurent Bouzereau held in the Cannes Classics venue in Salle Buñuel where I always can get a seat. Faye (2024) © Festival de Cannes Faye Dunaway loves the Cannes Film Festival and her image was the official poster for 2011. I have stood in line in the past with her waiting to get into the Agnes Varda Theatre till an usher recognized who she was and took her in to the front row. She goes to the seminars and asks great questions; she’s a real Cineaste! So the debut of this new documentary film at Cannes Classics Faye  was really something to look forward to.  Dunaway has had her share of difficulties, on the set, certainly not unique for actors, but she is a woman and that makes it different (compare Marlon Brando, John Travolta). ...

By Moira Sullivan The Substance premiered May 19 at Cannes starring Demi Moore. The film opens with the placement of a star on the sidewalk of Hollywood and Vine for guru fitness coach Elisabeth Sparkle. It’s sparkling new but with the passage of time cracks on the star signify the years gone by. What has happened with the career of Elizabeth Sparkle?. The walls in her office are lined with posters of Sparkle that represent her career and she is still at the top of her game. The Substance is extremely well-made and crafted with bright vibrant colors that change for the various scenes. Most of the shots in the film are set in this long corridors and anterior shots were filmed in Antibes near Cannes. Enter program director Harvey played by Dennis Quaid who says “we need her young. We need her now”. Sparkle started her career at the age of 25. She enters the unisex bathroom and overhears ageist and sexist remarks by Harvey about getting a new fitness guru. At a meal he slowl...

By Moira Jean Sullivan The poster for George Millers’ 2024  Furiosa A Mad Max Saga  was the opening film at the 77th Cannes Film Festival and the most anticipated event of the 10 day pageant. There were several screenings and the frenzy to aquire press tickets intensified its launch. Mad Max: Fury Road was an excellent rivieting "road movie" of such extraordinary intracasy and finess so it was a smart move to launch the film, also out of competition. The casting of Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa and the magnificent poster graced the wall of the Palais de Festival promising a comparable ride as its predecessor. The narrative features the towering War Lord of the Biker Horde Dementus (Chris Elmworth) standing above Furiosa, eclipsing her. The prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road  , Australian director George Miller decided to cast Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger Furiosa, instead of Charlize Theron. The film seems to have a more polished look compared to its predecessor, with mode...

By Moira Jean Sullivan OLYMPIC Moves was the slogan of the 46th Créteil International Women's Film Festival preceding the 2024 Olympics in Paris in July. The opening film was Hard, Fast and Beautiful by Ida Lupino (1951) about a young tennis player caught between the plans for her career made by her mother and coach and a young man she's met who loves tennis. Another sport film, the French documentary on the Olympique Lyonnais women's team, Les joueuses (The Squad 2020) is about one of the best football teams in the world , written and directed by Stéphanie Gillard. The French director also made The Ride (2011) about the 300-mile journey by horseback by Lakota Sioux through the South Dakota Badlands.  Both films were co- produced by the Rouge International team - Julie Gayet and Nadia Turincev. Ironically, I am back from the Créteil film festival that connects to the Paris metro system. Its a long hike from Opéra to Créteil and the metro tunnels, ramps and stairwa...