I have posted the London Times review which was not overwhelmingly impressed.
If you do not respect opinions of any of the film critics, that's your decision. I find they lead me to some very fine films I could likely overlook (there are so many films made every year). I plan on seeing all the Cannes winners.
Several critics have said the film is more straightforward and there are less of the filmmaker's affectations than Moore's previous work.
ehBeth, I think the semantics of what is and isn't a documentary and how much of it is verifyable fact or how much artistic license is applied is a dead end argument. Because Moore made a film that is timely and politically charged does not automatically disqualify it as winner. You're right about the jury -- there was only one Frenchman and two Americans.
G. Vizier - i was reflecting on the posters who seemed to have a vision of what documentaries can and can't be. you're right about the dead end argument in that there's no global rule for defining documentaries. many of us seem to have personal definitions, but that's all they are.
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'Fahrenheit 9/11' Wins Palme D'Or Award at Cannes
Sat May 22, 3:20 PM ET
U.S. director Michael Moore 's critique of George W. Bush's war on terror, "Fahrenheit 9/11," won the Palme d'Or best film award at Cannes Saturday, capping a festival dominated by politics.
Asia swept three of the top prizes, reflecting its strong presence in the competition.
"What have you done? I'm completely overwhelmed by this," said an emotional Moore, who was momentarily lost for words as the crowd roared its approval.
The controversial documentary, which won a 10-minute standing ovation when shown earlier this week, traces the links that President Bush 's family has with Saudi Arabia, including the family of Osama bin Laden .
It then switches to the war in Iraq , with graphic footage of Iraqi wounded and prisoners being abused by American troops.
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"I have this great hope that things are going to change," said Moore, whose film was viewed by critics as a partisan polemic in the run-up to November's U.S. presidential election.
"I want to make sure if I do nothing else for the rest of this year that those who died in Iraq have not died in vain." Moore's win capped a politically charged festival, with documentaries and films reflecting troubled times and French show-business workers staging demonstrations and sit-ins to protest against cuts in their welfare benefits.
"Fahrenheit 9/11" attracted acres of publicity before the festival when Disney, the parent company of Miramax which produced the film, said it did not want to distribute the picture in an election year.
Thanking the jury headed by cult director Quentin Tarantino , Moore said: "You will ensure that the American people will see this movie...You have put a huge light on this."
Tarantino, who screened his revenge saga "Kill Bill - Volume Two" out of competition, rewarded Asian films, reflecting his passion for genre films including martial arts movies.
Politics dominated the evening which began with unknown Belgian film-maker Jonas Giernaert expressing support for Moore's picture in an acceptance speech for a short film prize.
(...)
"If anyone is watching this from the United States, don't vote Bush," Giernaert said.
British actor Tim Roth chimed in: "I agree wholeheartedly, we should not be voting for Bush in this election."
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I'm guessing no one can argue that there was an anti-Bush agenda driving Cannes. I was really shocked that it was so transparent.
I think they really lost some significance in the film industry with this blatantly partisan award.
Then there's the offering that everything of Moore's is fiction. The word fiction comes from the Latin meaning "to shape." I guess they concede that Moore gives shape to his compilation of documents.
It's an anti-Bush world out there, sofia.
Cannes, and the film industry's attendees, are just highlighting that fact.
Hopefully, we'll find out that the film would be thought great regardless of what year it came out in. I know that I would be disappointed if I discovered that it was a lousy film, and only won because of anti-Bush sentiment.
Yes, the Democrats in Congress and the Senate were on the jury -- didn't you know that?
Sofia, you are sentenced to reading William F. Buckley novels.
Wondering when cinematic release will come? Has it found a distributor yet?
Golly, dlowan -- that's been covered throughout the thread but there's no question the film will reach theaters in the states by July. The DVD is scheduled for October.
LOL! I havena read the threqd - just clicked in to the end. Sorry.
I wonder if some non-US venues will get earlier showings, as distribution had already been set up?
That's hard to say, ehBeth, and as the world's politics is in turmoil at this time obviously inspired this film. The Asian films garnering some top prizes is also not surprising as they have made so many great movies from Kurosawa (arguably the best director of all time) to the present time.
French cinema has been in the doldrums in the past two decades.
I do realize it's an anti-Bush world.
I also (obviously mistakenly) thought the Palm d'Or was really set aside for the finest filmmaking. If I were some guy/woman who made a great film, and somebody like Moore beat me out because of politics--I'd be horribly upset.
But, things happen.
I don't believe Moore won because of politics. There is no way to prove that, just to speculate and that's based on opinion. There may be some thing written about the results of the jury's prizes so we'll have to wait.
You'd also have to believe that Tarentino is a liar and would not expect the other jurors to disagree:
From Variety, just in:
Tarantino sez '9/11' won on the merits
Cannes jury explains verdicts
Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" won the Palme d'Or "not for its politics but for its merits as a motion picture," jury fest prexy Quentin Tarantino said Sunday at a press confab.
sofia - did you see the films in competition? if you have - then tell us which are the better films. otherwise, well, do like lightwizard and watch them all when they're available to you - and then decide. it may well be the best film in competition - the man has won other awards for his film-making - the quality of his books, films, television has been receiving accolades and awards for some time. I'm not saying that he is - but maybe he's the next Orson Welles .... *
* with the disclaimer that I never really 'got' Orson Welles great works.
I think the politics is showing in the reaction against the film which nobody here has seen.
Hmmk - I saw The Triplets of Bellevue last night - that was cute - and French, I believe?
Sorry - gross non sequitur - except to French cinema in doldrums....
