Film Shapes

The Cannes Film Festival of 2013 has just finished with the Palme d'or going to a French film called La Vie d'Adèle - Chapitre 1 & 2 ( Blue is the Warmest Colour ) by Abdellatif Kechiche. Seems to be a 3 hour lesbian romance starring Lea Seydoux. I'm on board. The Grand Prix went to the Coen Brothers for Inside Llewyn Davis , which has garnered some pretty good reviews. I'll watch anything they do but the setting doesn't really grab me (1960's New York folk music scene). Here are the other films that were vying for the top awards. BEHIND THE CANDELABRA directed by Steven SODERBERGH BORGMAN directed by Alex VAN WARMERDAM GRIGRIS directed by Mahamat-Saleh HAROUN HELI directed by Amat ESCALANTE INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS directed by Ethan COEN, Joel COEN JEUNE & JOLIE (YOUNG & BEAUTIFUL) directed by François OZ...

This Japanese poster seems to suggest this will be the last outing for the titular Iron Man/Tony Stark character (さらば　- 　アイアンマン。= Farewell Iron Man) but as long as the box office continues to ching-ching, I'd say that's a premature assumption. Certainly, he'll reappear in the next Avengers movie at least. And I kind of hope he doesn't disappear. He's one of the most likeable 'superheroes' I've seen - a flawed smart-arse who runs like a 'suit' avoiding the rain and reacts to surprises with either a cocked eyebrow or a look of exasperated acceptance. All credit must go to Downey Jr. for this - he's good in other films but this is his Harry Potter or Alan Partridge, he may never be able to shake this role. But the film itself? I'd have to say it's better than it's immediate predecessor but not quite as good as the original. Kind of what you'd expect from a third installment. The script has some gems but at the same time...