Cannes 2026 Awards: Critic Decries Lack of Boldness
Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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Context piece
- The 79th Cannes Film Festival closing ceremony disappointed critic Éric Neuhoff, who lamented a lack of boldness and too many shared awards.
- Neuhoff expressed frustration that James Gray's film, exploring complex brotherly relationships with Russian mafia undertones, was overlooked for the top prize despite its Shakespearean depth.
- The ceremony itself was described as proper and professional, with host Eye Haïdara delivering a somber yet fitting closing remark about letting films speak.
Critic Éric Neuhoff declared the 79th Cannes Film Festival's closing ceremony a disappointment, lamenting a "lack of boldness" and an "unusual generosity" from the jury that distributed awards widely.
What a lack of boldness!
Neuhoff expressed personal frustration that director James Gray, a six-time nominee, left empty-handed again. Gray's film, "Paper Tiger," explored the fraught relationship between two brothers entangled with the Russian mafia, a theme Neuhoff felt possessed "Shakespearean depth" but was perhaps too complex for the jury.
He is still leaving empty-handed. We won't be taken in again.
The ceremony itself was described as "proper" and professional, with host Eye Haïdara delivering her lines with poise. While she spoke of "the noise of the world" and "the almost inaudible whisper of the intimate," her concluding remark, "For one evening, let the films speak," resonated with the critic's sentiment. Neuhoff agreed, suggesting the focus should remain on the cinematic achievements rather than the ceremony's proceedings.
With Paper Tiger, it was his sixth attempt to obtain the supreme reward.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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