Overview
- Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s drama entered the main competition at Cannes and opened in French cinemas on May 16, drawing strong attention to Javier Bardem.
- Critics from outlets including Télérama and Le Parisien praise Bardem’s turn as a volatile director and predict he could win the festival’s acting award.
- Reviews spotlight bold craft choices that build pressure, including a 90-minute opening lunch filmed in one take, a harrowing on-set blowup, and stark shifts in image and sound.
- The story follows a famous filmmaker who casts the daughter he long ago left behind, turning a professional shoot into a fraught attempt at repair without revealing key plot turns.
- At a Cannes press event, Bardem condemned toxic masculinity, named Trump, Putin and Netanyahu, and said the mass killing in Gaza is genocide, adding he is prepared for any career fallout even as offers continue.