The vitality of independent filmmaking is in the spotlight at this year’s Deauville American Film Festival. Inspired young directors and smart screenplays are adding a spark to the competition. The public has the chance to discover the phenomenal Beasts of the Southern Wild, which is enjoying a great box-office run in the US. Compliance, another compelling film, recounts the tense drama that unfolds over the course of a day in a suburban fast-food restaurant. The French have films in the running, too, with Wrong, directed by Quentin Dupieux (aka Mr. Oizo), and Michel Gondry’s The We and the I. Naming the winners is in the hands of the jury and its president, Sandrine Bonnaire.
Rachel Weisz, in Deauville to present The Bourne Legacy
Deauville is also a favorite venue for premiering major releases. This year’s crop? Oliver Stone is back with a fierce bit of filmmaking titled Savages, the Jason Bourne franchise is getting a new lease on life as Jeremy Renner takes over from Matt Damon, a teddy-bear with an attitude stars in Ted (a huge hit in the United States), and the wintry (and chilling) thriller Blackbird has Eric Bana in the leading role. Action-movie fans won’t want to miss Olivier Megaton’s Taken 2. After wiping out the bad guys to rescue his daughter in Paris, Bryan Mills is on his way to Istanbul and to more trouble.
Jeremy Renner – an Oscar for The Hurt Locker, a leading role in The Avengers – attends the presentation of The Bourne Legacy, in which he stars
William Friedkin, legendary director of The Exorcist, plunges us into horror once again, five years after Bug, with Killer Joe, featuring a powerful performance by Matthew McConaughey
The nonstop program leaves little time to try one’s luck at the casino or take a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk! Uncle Sam’s Docs has a lineup of nearly a dozen documentary films, including Room 237 (a slice-and-dice of The Shining) and Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis. Agnès B. has carte blanche to rework a few classics (Freaks, Lost Highway). And the festival agenda holds many more exciting surprises!
The Bad Lieutenant debarks in Deauville! The festival is paying tribute to Harvey Keitel, whose many films include Reservoir Dogs and The Duellists
Festivalgoers can get a charge from automobiles as well as movies in Deauville. Renault’s ZOE is on display at the Hotel Royal and Hotel Normandy, alongside the Renault Twizy. Celebrities who want to attract (even more) attention can take the quadricycle for a spin!