The already discussed series The Idol, starring Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, and Lily-Ross Depp arrives at the Cannes Film Festival 2023, with its mix of music, sex and the pursuit of fame.
The last week of Cannes 2023 kicks off with a title already at the center of controversy and gossip even before arriving on screens: the series The Idolstarring Lily-Rose Depp and Abel Tesfaye.
However, the serial parenthesis will not detract attention from the many cinematographic works that will make their world premiere on the Croisette.
La serie The Idol
Sam Levinson, after Euphoria, signs a new TV series with The Idol, a project conceived together with The Weeknd, the stage name of Abel Tesfaye, who also plays the role of a nightclub owner who gets attention and trust about a young pop star, Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), who wants to regain the title of the sexiest and most popular singer.
The representation of the world of music and women, in addition to the numerous sex scenes, are just some of the elements that would have caused problems on the set and are already at the center of various controversies. All that remains is to wait for the first reactions of the public and critics to find out what can be expected from the episodes arriving soon also on Italian screens.
The films in competition
Aki Kaurismaki will try to win the favor of the jury with his Fallen Leaves. In the center of the plot are two lonely people (Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen), who meet by chance one night in Helsinki and try to find the love of their life, having to deal with alcoholism, lost phone numbers and numerous obstacles.
Jessica Hausner has instead signed Club Zero, starring Mia Wasikowska in the role of Miss Novak, a young woman who joins the staff of a prestigious school and teaches her students that “eating less is healthy”, a lesson that soon has consequences.
In some perspective
Omen is Baloji’s debut film, a film presented in the section In some perspectiveand at the center of the plot are four people accused of being witches and sorcerers in Africa, finding a world to get away from the destinies imposed by society.
Felipe Galvez instead makes his debut with The Settlers, which follows an expedition set in Chile carried out by a young half-breed, an American mercenary and a British soldier who are hired by a landowner to mark the territory and open an access route to the Atlantic Ocean.
The other films of the official selection
Bing Wang’s Man in Black chronicles the life and career of Chinese composer Wang Zilin, who was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution.
Marguerite’s Theorem, directed by Anna Novionl, stars Ella Rumpf, Jean Pierre Darroussin and Clotilde Courau. At the center of the plot is the brilliant mathematics student Marguerite who, during the presentation of her thesis, makes a mistake, causing all her certainties to collapse and therefore deciding to abandon everything to start over.
The last title in the program is Close Your Eyes, directed by Victor Erice. The film tells what happens when a famous Spanish actor disappears during the shooting of a film, an event that years later becomes the focus of a TV program shot by a close friend of him.
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The Fortnight of Filmmakers
The first title of the day presented at the Quinzaine des Cinéastes is The Other Laurens, directed by Claude Schmitz, in which a private detective finds himself investigating the death of his twin brother, having to deal with a group of very different people.
The thirtieth anniversary of The Valley of Sin directed by Manoel de Oliveira will be celebrated in the presence of actress Leonor Silveira and producer Paulo Branco.
From Italy comes Enrico’s Birthday, a 17-minute short directed by Francesco Sossai, set in 1999 and shot like a thriller.
Critics’ Week
Lost Country, directed by Vladimir Perišić, will be presented on Monday 22 May.
The story is set in Serbia in 1996, during student demonstrations against the Milošević regime. A fifteen year old, Stefan, finds himself realizing that her mother, a spokeswoman for the ruling party, is an accomplice to the crimes and, despite the love he feels for her, tries to confront her. Also in the cast is the acclaimed actress Jasna Duričić, recently starred in Quo vadis, Aida?.
