Movies to watch out for at Cannes

POWER OF LOVE: Angelina Jolie plays the role of Mariane Pearl in the film A Mighty Heart.

    

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Cannes (France): It is not just about stars and star gazing at the Cannes Film Festival in France, as many as 22 films will be competing at the event for the prestigious Palme d'Or. Here’s a look at some of the best in the run for the coveted prize.

Let's begin with Chinese filmmaker Wong Kar Wai's new film My Blueberry Nights which was the opening film at Cannes this year.

Now first things first, I'm going to admit I'm a big fan of Wong Kar Wai, I think he has a very distinct visual style and that's evident in every film he's made.

My favourite Wong Kar Wai film is In the Mood For Love which is just one of the most poetic romances I've ever seen.

Now this year Wong Kar Wai makes his English language debut with My Blueberry Nights which is the story of a heartbroken young woman played by Norah Jones, who discovers that her boyfriend's been cheating on her.

She befriends the owner of a local café, played by Jude Law, and she shows up at the café every night to chat and to eat blueberry pie. Eventually she decides to head off on a cross-country trip and the film pretty much follows her as she meets this odd assortment of people, while at the same time slowly overcoming her lost love.

Another of my favourite filmmakers is David Fincher who's made such excellent films as Seven and Fight Club. Fincher's brought his latest film Zodiac to Cannes this year, the film is in the competition section of the festival.

Now Zodiac is based on the true story of a serial killer – much like Jack the Ripper – who'd terrified the San Francisco bay area by not only committing these horrific murders, but also by leaving behind clues and hints for the police to follow up.

This film is really about the obsession among four men to solve the mystery and trace the identity of the killer. It's a film that has an ensemble cast of Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr among others.

Now unlike last year or the year before last when such blockbuster films as The Da Vinci Code or Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith were premiered at Cannes, this year the selection seems clearly focused on artistic merit.

I think the only film this year that can be described as a big event picture is Ocean's 13, and even that remember has been directed by Soderbergh who is of course Cannes alumni.

Now Ocean's 13 has its world premiere at Cannes, and continuing in the footsteps of Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12, this third film, too, is about Danny Ocean and his friends coming together to take down the casino of a new nemesis. Joining George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and the others in Ocean's 13 is Al Pacino as the guy whose casino they're going to crack.

And finally, the film I'm betting my money on is A Mighty Heart which is based on Mariane Pearl's memoir about the disappearance and the eventual murder of her husband, journalist Daniel Pearl.

It's a film that stars Angelina Jolie as Mariane Pearl and it's the story of her courageous desire to rise above the bitterness and hatred that plagues this post 9/11 world.

The film is special to Indians for two reasons specifically, one it was filmed extensively in Pune and Mumbai, and two, actor Irrfan Khan plays a prominent role in the film.

Like Ocean's 13, A Mighty Heart will have its world premiere at Cannes this year, and will be screened out of competition at the festival.

Those are just four of the many films that are being screened at Cannes, but it's virtually impossible to catch everything. The idea is to find out which ones have a buzz around them and then to look out for those films when they're released theatrically.