Martin Scorsese and Company: this Was the Highest Grossing of Cannes 2023

Yesterday the 76th edition of Cannes ended, in which new bets on the filmography of renowned authors were projected, the most controversial series of the year and the end of an iconic franchise. As usual, prestigious directors like Martin Scorsese see this as the stage to take a first look at their new work. We tell you which are the most discussed titles and when we can see them in Latin America.

Starting May 16, entertainment stars met again on the French Riviera, amid various controversies, to present some of the most anticipated film works of the year: a “queer” western by Pedro Almodóvar, an epic crime thriller directed by Martin Scorsese, the final chapter in the adventures of Indiana Jones and the controversial music industry satirical series from the creator of "Euphoria."

To these are added the discoveries of the official selection. Among those who competed for the Palme d'Or stood out the adaptation of a novel about the family life of the Auschwitz commander; a judicial drama about a waitress who tries to prove her innocence in the murder of her husband, and the foray into the life of an actress of an odd couple. We tell you a little more about the reactions to these films, and when and where we can see them in the region.

Big Titles

Undoubtedly, the main event of this edition was the premiere of “Killers of the Flower Moon” by Martin Scorsese, out of competition. Based on David Grann's book of the same name, the film features the murders of native settlers in the Osage Nation in 1920 after the discovery of oil wells. It is the first western of the director, with a budget of more than 200 million dollars and a duration of 206 minutes.

The film met expectations and at the same time surprised. On this occasion, Martin Scorsese opts for a slower pace, with which he seeks to establish in detail all the elements that led to an almost forgotten episode in American history and that demonstrates the atrocities that the white man commits to satisfy his ambition. As far as acting, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, his regular collaborators, are receiving praise, but critics have singled out Lily Gladstone as the best performance in the cast. It will probably get a lot of nominations in awards season.

As it is an Apple Studios production, its release in theaters in Latin America is not clear. It will hit select theaters in the United States on October 6 and will expand nationwide on the 20th, so it will likely be on the Apple TV+ platform by the end of the year.

Another of the great filmmakers who made his debut in the western genre was Pedro Almodóvar with his short film “Strange Way of Life”, starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal. Described as his answer to "Brokeback Mountain," the reception was more subdued, especially given the obvious financing for the Saint Laurent fashion house. It will reach the small screen through the MUBI platform.

With a 5-minute ovation is "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate" by James Mangold . The latest installment in the saga of cinema's most famous archaeologist is Harrison Ford's farewell to the character, and that aspect is the counterbalance to what has been described as a soft, overloaded and unnecessary story. In movie theaters on June 30.

But the worst criticism has fallen on the series "The Idol" by Sam Levinson, starring Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd, also a co-creator and producer. It is a “satire” of the entertainment industry in which Jocelyn, a singer, seeks to reinvent her career, guided by a man who leads a contemporary cult. In March, Rolling Stone published an article in which 13 production sources confirmed rumors that there was highly explicit sexual content. Those who have seen the series confirm that the line is transgressed towards the pornographic, without any kind of narrative intention beyond the scandal. It premieres on HBO and the MAX platform on June 4.

Also read: Juries and Directors: How Much Gender Equality is There at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival?

In Search of Gold

On the festival circuit there is no more prestigious award than the Palme d'Or, and this year the official competition had a very marked tone. The stories focused on the limits of morality and the questioning of the cancel culture, something that is not free for an edition under scrutiny for its reception of controversial figures in the industry.

One of this year's favorites was Jonathan Glazer's “The zone of interest”, a loose adaptation of the Martin Amis novel. The story of a Nazi officer who seeks to create an idyllic life with his family next to the concentration camp has been described as the scariest film of the year since the concept of the banality of evil.

Curiously, Glazer's film shares the lead with what had been his biggest competition and the ultimate winner of the Palm d'Or. The German Sandra Hüller, who is the real winner of this edition, heads the cast of the legal drama “Anatomy of a fall” by Justine Triet, in which a woman accused of killing her husband must prove her innocence in court. There, she will reveal the complex dynamics of her marriage. The film was acquired by Neon for distribution, who have bought the rights for the last three winners.

One official competition film expected to see at awards season is Todd Haynes' “May December,” starring Natalie Portman and Julianne More. It is a comedic drama about an actress studying the woman she is going to play in a biopic. The protagonist has decided to have a relationship with a boy 30 years younger, for which she was imprisoned. Netflix bought the rights for the United States, but Diamond Films will take it to theaters in Mexico, with the rest of the region to be confirmed.

There will therefore be many premieres to enjoy in the second half of 2023 and in the first half of 2024; all with the seal of the Cannes selection.