What were the surprises at this year's Cannes Film Festival? Does the showcasing of films like Waltz with Bashir and Che at the world's premier film festival mean that traditional film making has been replaced by a new wave of technology and technique? Which factor had more to do with the lower-than-expected number of sales at this year's Cannes Festival -- weak films, or the weak dollar? Is there a subtle subtext to the past few years at Cannes, and what were the films that got away this year? Joining us this week to talk about all these topics and more is Glenn Kenny, the former film critic for Premiere who's now blogging independently at Some Came Running. Cinematical's podcast is now available through iTunes; you can subscribe at this link. Also, you can listen directly here at Cinematical by clicking below:



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Kim and James both loved Steven Soderbergh's Che at Cannes and Kim, at least, was adamant that the film must be seen in its current four-hour form. Distributors understandably disagree, since a four-hour movie is a tough sell. Exhibitors would probably cry foul too -- intermissions are a logistical pain in the ass, and a long running time means fewer showings per day and more screens theaters must dedicate to an in-demand film. Soderbergh, for his part, seems to have conceded that an uncompromising four-hours-or-bust release might not be in the cards. His suggestion: show Che as one movie for a week in every market, and then split it in two.

That seems to me to be, uh... not thought through. So, what: you show the four-hour version for a week at regular ticket prices, and thereafter offer two halves instead? Do you show the full version and then stagger the two films' releases? Both options seem awkward, even giving the appearance that the distributor's trying to pull a fast one -- "I have to pay twice now?!"

On the other hand, I appreciate that Soderbergh is doing everything he can to make sure that the people who want to experience Che as a four-hour epic get to do so. (I'm pretty sure that Telluride and Toronto attendees will get that chance this fall.) He didn't talk about the possibility of cutting the whole thing down to a more pedestrian two-and-a-half or three-hour length, but I can't imagine he'd consider it if the option to release two films is available. The good news for everyone, of course, is that there's always the DVD.

Plenty of people are going to be talking about Steven Soderbergh's Che Guevara biographical films -- The Argentine and Guerrilla, screened at Cannes tonight as one presentation simply called Che -- over the next few months. There will be arguments about the politics of the films; there will be discussions of whether or not the films have any emotional center; there will be questions of if, when the film gets some kind of U.S. distribution deal, exactly how they should be released -- two films released staggered throughout the last half of the year or cut down to one three-hour film or shown as a long, big double bill that presents the separate films back-to-back. There will be talk of if Benicio Del Toro deserves a Best Actor nomination for his work as Guevara, or if Soderbergh's portrait of Che is too flat to engage us; I can easily imagine discussions of the look and feel of the film, shot in high-resolution digital with all the craft and care Soderbergh usually brings to shooting on film. I can't predict how all of these questions and possibilities will play out, but I can say -- and will say -- what a rare pleasure it is to have a film (or films) that, in our box-office obsessed, event-movie, Oscar-craving age, is actually worth talking about on so many levels.

I have to hand it to the wardrobe people for Steven Soderbergh's The Informant since it's not easy making a guy who normally looks like this look like such a schlump. The Bad and Ugly have posted some behind-the-scenes photos for the comedic thriller, and even though there is nothing earth shattering going on, they are definitely a step up from the other pics floating around out there.

The Informant is based on the true-life novel by Kurt Eichenwald. The story revolves around Mark Whitacre (Damon), a rising star at the agriculture conglomerate, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). At the urging of his wife (who had threatened to go to the FBI), Whitacre spilled the beans to an agent that he had been involved in a price-fixing scam with other major corporations over the food additive, lysine. As if that wasn't enough of a story, it was later revealed that Whitacre (one of the most high profile, whistle-blowers in history) was suffering from Bipolar disorder and had defrauded millions from ADM.

For such serious subject matter, it came as a bit of a surprise when casting announcements first went out for the film and the list was chock-full of comedic actors (including Scott Bakula and Tony Hale). Soderbergh later confirmed that the film was going to be a "dark comedy", which makes sense because Damon is a pretty funny guy, and a great straight man. Soderbergh has just begun filming on location in Decatur, Illinois and there is no official release date, but The Informant is expected to arrive in theaters in 2009.

If you thought leading a revolution was easy, try filming one. In The Huffington Post, Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere discusses Steven Soderbergh's two-part Che Guevara biopic, comprised of The Argentine and Guerilla. Despite earlier rumors to the contrary, it appears that both movies will definitely screen next month at the Cannes Film Festival, where Soderbergh was warmly welcomed last year for the premiere of Ocean's Thirteen. The reception of his latest project could be even more positive, but its distribution prospects are another story: As Wells explains, Soderbergh's project guarantees to offend some people for its apparent exclusion of Che's stint as the overlord at La Cabana fortress, where he ordered the execution of over 600 political prisoners. Add to that the heavy amount of Spanish dialog and the director's insistence that the two movies should be enjoyed as a four hour-plus package, and you've got enough red flags to send even the bravest U.S. distributors packing.

Wells, who read both scripts, analogizes the project to Lawrence of Arabia. "Hey, how about presenting the two films as a single, gargantuan Lawrence of Arabia-styled deal with an intermission, running between four or four and a half hours?" he suggests, perhaps somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

Jon Stewart had it right during the Oscars this year when he ironically geeked out over Lawrence of Arabia on an iPod. If most audiences can't appreciate that movie on the big screen now, why would they turn up for something like this?

When we encounter prostitutes in the movies, they're almost invariably destitute, sick, absurdly dressed, and roaming the red light district in search of a client or a fix. That may well be accurate for a majority of women in the profession, but the rarely-glimpsed high-priced call girl is just as much of a curiosity. After he finishes The Informant with Matt Damon, Steven Soderbergh will direct The Girlfriend Experience -- a look at the life of a prostitute who commands a fee of $10,000 a night and earns over $1,000,000 a year. The filmmaker dropped a hint about this project over a year ago, but now plans for the movie are coming together, and we have a lot more details.

The movie, written by Ocean's Thirteen scribes Brian Koppelman and David Levien along with Soderbergh, will be shot over 14 days this fall, in the same improvisational style Soderbergh used for Bubble. It will also follow Bubble's controversial pattern of a simultaneous theatrical and DVD release. According to the Variety story, Soderbergh is considering casting an adult film actress, instead of a Hollywood star, in the lead role. The title refers to encounters where men pay not only for sex, but also for the woman to act like the perfect girlfriend in the experience.

Dear Lord, Soderbergh is prolific: if his two (already-completed) Che Guevara movies hit their 2008 release dates (they're premiering at Cannes), and The Informant and The Girlfriend Experience stay on track for 2009, he will have directed 13 movies in a 10-year span. The man loves to work. This new project is particularly intriguing since it looks like it might give us a well-researched look into a world that I, at least, know virtually nothing about. And it might also confound the usual arguments for why prostitution is a Bad Thing...

When you're dealing with one of the most controversial figures of 20^th century counterculture, it's important to take your time and get things right. That's exactly what Steven Soderbergh appears to be doing with his two upcoming Che Guevara biopics, The Argentine and Guerilla. While both movies looked like they were set to premiere at next month's Cannes Film Festival just a few weeks ago, Variety now reports that Soderbergh is still tweaking the final cuts-and doesn't want to unveil one movie without the other.

Judging by the polarizing figure at the center of the story, that's probably a good thing. Since Soderbergh envisioned these two films as a single unit, it wouldn't make sense to reveal one half of the saga and let people start tearing into it. Considering Fidel Castro's recent retirement, this essential component of Cuban history seems especially relevant, but that's not enough to develop interest in it (topicality didn't help Steven Spielberg's Munich). It's hard to keep audiences interested in a story that stretches across two movies, as we learned with the muted reaction to Clint Eastwood's second Iwo Jima film. Soderbergh will need to get strong reactions to both movies early in the game if they're going to have any success in theaters.

Frankly I'm amazed that the announcement for a fourth Bourne movie wouldn't get a little more fanfare than buried half way down an article. In a press release in Variety, Universal announced that Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass will be returning for a new installment of the Bourne franchise. Originally, when the two were peppered with questions about a fourth film, they had the stock answer that Damon would only reprise his role if Greengrass returned to direct, and Greengrass would only return to direct if Damon was willing to star. Confused? Don't be, it was basically the PR equivalent of keeping the idea of a film on the back-burner without promising anything too specific.

Universal released the info in a release about their upcoming slate of films, and according to them both Damon and Greengrass are definitely returning to work together on the spy franchise. There are two books left in the Bourne series, so at least there would be some source material to start with. The two are currently working on the Iraq drama, The Green Zone, and Damon has already signed to star in The Informant for Steven Soderberg and is also in talks to star in The Human Factor for Clint Eastwood. Greengrass is also going to be busy with his upcoming Vietnam drama, They Marched into Sunlight. So it could be as late as 2010, before the two can even get started on making another Bourne flick, let alone get one into the theaters. However, with Bourne Ultimatum taking home three Oscars last night (three!), I imagine the fourth flick might be made a priority. For Universal's sake, I hope this one is a done deal. I can't help but think how embarrassing it must have been for MGM's Harry Sloan when his studio got a little overzealous about a certain spy franchise.

[via Empire]

Back in 2006, Javier Bardem was going to play Fidel Castro in Steven Soderbergh's double Che Guevara pics -- The Argentine and Guerrilla. But then Mr. Director had to go and make Ocean's 13 first, for whatever reason, which made Bardem move on. For Javier, that wasn't so much of a bad thing. Instead of playing the famous President of Cuba, he's been wowing everyone with his portrayal of Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, and has a slew of interesting projects on the way. As for Soderbergh, he had to find someone else, and settled on Mexican actor Demián Bichir.

While we won't be able to tell how well Bichir does with the role until the movies hit the screen, AICN did nab some photos of the actor in full Fidel attire. If photos are any indication, Demián is destined to impress. There are three shots -- a close-up on his face, one with a pipe, and a full-body pipe shot that could almost be confused with the infamous Cuban himself -- if the pictures weren't so crisp and new. Between these and the image of Benicio del Toro as Che, which came out in October, I'm pretty excited.

The films also star the likes of Franka Potente, Benjamin Bratt, Catalina Sandino Moreno... the list goes on and on. The Argentine follows Che and a group of Cuban exiles led by Castro who topple the regime of Fulgencio Batista. Guerilla then jumps into the '60s as Guevara makes a trip to New York City to address the United Nations. Both films are set to come out some time this year.

I'm still waiting for the day when we get Benicio Del Toro as Che Guevara t-shirts -- you know it would be a good promotional item -- but for now we must settle on this bright image put up by Jeff Wells over at Hollywood Elsewhere. It's a photograph taken on location in the Andalusian section of Spain, subbing for Bolivia, and it features Del Toro just chillin' with a big pipe, a flat cap (not the iconic black beret with a star on it!) and some books. Behind him are some fellow guerrillas with guns, also just hangin' out. The scene comes from, Guerrilla, the second installment of Steven Soderbergh's double-dip look at the legendary revolutionary. If it's any indication of how exciting the film will be, then Wells is certainly right by predicting that the first film, The Argentine, will be the more engaging.

Apparently this shot was also taken a little while ago, because The Argentine is now filming in Puerto Rico. Or is it just part of that film being shot now? Are the films being shot simultaneously? If not, I think it's strange that Soderbergh shot the second one first and vice versa. If you were to believe what the Daily News wrote about the films yesterday, you'd think Guerrilla hadn't even begun production yet. So, who knows? (Surely somebody does and can help me out in the comment section). I guess it doesn't matter how the shooting is going. All that is important is that both films are due sometime late next year.