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This film was a surprises screening during the closing ceremony after the awards were presented. Honestly, I suffered for the first thirty minutes and I wanted to leave, but I thought I can't leave my last screening in Cannes. Eventually there was a breaking point and I started to enjoy the film quite a bit, even getting a little emotional towards the end. I haven't seen Onward, Soul, and Turning Red, so I can't compare it to the newer or more recent Pixar efforts. But for God's sake, if I take Monsters Inc. (for me the best), Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Brave, Inside Out, Coco, these are films are of a significantly higher level, and Elemental is, I’m sorry to say, terribly boring and not up to Pixar standards, although there are scenes that definitely made me laugh and moved me, though it pushed too hard on the latter... (Luca is also pretty much borderline, by the way). Kids will probably like it, it's cheerful and colourful, but also full of contemporary popular clichés. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

I am a huge fan of Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight, and I would describe One Night as a kind of French version of the first part of that trilogy, but it’s certainly not a copy. It all starts with a stormy argument between two strangers in the metro, which grows into mutual sympathy and a night spent together full of interesting dialogues and adventures in Paris. Accompanied by Vincent Blanchard's beautiful music, some scenes will make you laugh, others will move you. Both characters are authentic, endearing, and I believe the ending will make you want to see it all again. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

This film is proof that there is beauty in simplicity. When compared to the other films in the festival, The Old Oak probably delivers the most human story. No exaggerated plots, no WTF twists, no emotional wringing, no mindfucks, a popular tool nowadays where there is a lack of quality content. This is a story about ordinary people, about the clash of cultures, about the difficulties of fitting in, about embracing the unknown... The Old Oak is simple, minimalist and at the same time magnificent in the emotions it evokes. It's moving but perfectly balanced, it doesn't push the envelope... [Festival de Cannes 2023]

The second Gondry film I've had the chance to see and I'm beginning to understand his huge popularity (at least in France, the response in the cinema was incredible). I won't go on at length, but it’s the best comedy I had the pleasure of seeing at Cannes, and probably one of the best comedies of the last few years. I don't think I've ever seen so much laughter in a movie theater. I wish so much that other directors would take at least a little example from French comedies, they are so fresh, unpredictable, with novel humour and dialogue. A great Pierre Niney, who made me cry with laughter with his conducting scene. One big Bravo. Put this film on your radar, if it comes to us as part of the French Film Festival, don't miss it. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

Quite a good film about a summer romance between a lawyer and her stepson, but it left me with very conflicting feelings and thoughts. On the one hand, Léa Drucker is fantastic, the way she plays the innocent wife when everything blows up is absolutely perfect. But on the other hand, I found her inner motivations a bit vague and undefined. What could she possibly see in that obnoxious and troubled 17-year-old boy? What was it about him that attracted her, was it purely physical lust? I feel like I didn't quite have a chance to understand her, nor was I sure if she felt any remorse. So I will remember her performance as great, but at the same time unreadable. Samuel Kircher as the stepson annoyed me a lot. As I mentioned above, he’s an obnoxious young rebel, unlikeable in every way, whom I couldn't even feel sorry for in the end. Was that the intention, or was this young actor absolutely not to my taste? Despite the conflicting feelings, I ended up actually liking the film, but I probably won't feel the need to see it again. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

Agra is one of the most visited cities in India thanks to the famous Taj Mahal. It's a land full of contrasts, especially social; there are beautiful historical monuments, luxury shopping malls and restaurants, from which you can see a family of six with a newborn baby having dinner on the pavement – not something you’ll see in Bollywood. I was all the more interested in this film and the story of a young man, torn between fantasy and reality, who, like many men from lower castes, suffers from sexual frustration. This pushes him to absolutely desperate measures, whether it's attempting suicide or raping his cousin. He tries online dating, but fails, and eventually tries to succeed with a disadvantaged woman who doesn't have much chance of finding a suitable match herself. I think the film is successful at reflecting that sad reality, but a bit flawed at times (for example, the violent scenes where it is quite obvious that it is a fiction). What will stick in my mind forever is the opening "love scene" with the squirrel, and the fact that the cinema was brutally cold, which definitely spoiled the experience. But the film held my attention and I wanted to finish it. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

In the beginning everything is like a fairy tale, Blanche has found her prince charming, but it turns out too good to be true. The whole time I wondered if the film could have the same emotional impact on people who have never experienced the situation it portrays. Even though I experienced only a tenth of what the main character Blanche did, it is a very personal film for me, with strong, real and important themes. I have to praise both actors. Virginie Efira is a beloved star in France and in this film she proves that she has every right to be, and Melvil Poupaud, he's both stunningly charming and terrifying, as manipulators can sometimes be. I also have the piano score etched in my memory, really beautiful music. One of the most impressive dramas of this year's Cannes. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

This is one big caress to the soul. A beautiful ode to French cuisine, the French language and to love itself. The opening twenty minute or so cooking scene is a masterpiece, so be warned, don't watch it hungry :D In this film, food is the main character, it's either prepared or consumed, or it's very colourfully and poetically assessed and described, in a way that perhaps only the French can do. The production design is amazingly detailed and it wasn't until the end of the film that I noticed that there was no music; the soundtrack is the sounds of the kitchen: the bubbling of boiling water, the sizzling of oil in the pan, the shuffling of pots on the stove, a wooden spoon sliding on a skillet, the crackling of the fire in the fireplace, the clinking of cutlery on plates. Cooking here is not just a tool to fill the stomach and satisfy the appetite, cooking is portrayed as a very important way of communication, to express love and feelings where words are not enough. Similarly, the relationship between Eugenie and Dodin is beautifully and delicately portrayed. They love each other, admire each other, cook for each other with love. This film is like a dream. And rightfully won the Best Director award at Cannes. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

I wasn’t sure how to rate this film, it took me a long time. It’s your typical Anderson oddity, and in this colourful oddity there’s also an even bigger oddity in black and white that I believe spoils the film a bit. Otherwise, the colour part of the film is funny, I liked the cinematography a lot, but it lacks something for a higher rating. And yet it's absolutely packed with Hollywood stars. Maybe my expectations were too high. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

The best short I saw at Cannes (though I didn’t see all the shorts). It's raw, confusing at times, we don't quite know what is imagination and what is reality, which I didn't mind at all in this rendering. I love Polish cinema, and this budding director can be proud of his film. [Festival de Cannes 2023]