The 77th Cannes film festival has ended with the awarding of the Palme d’Or to Sean Baker’s universally popular screwball comedy Anora. Screening towards the middle of an event that had a slowish start, the profane, furiously paced film – a radical variation on Pretty Woman – produced shrieks of delight at its press screening and red-carpet premiere. The film stars the electrifying Mikey Madison as a sex worker who marries a Russian client and is propelled into sickening mayhem through the streets of New York City.
Baker, from New Jersey, seemed stunned to receive the award from George Lucas. “Right now, as filmmakers, we have to fight to keep cinema alive,” he said. “This means making feature films intended for theatrical exhibition.
We have to be reminded that watching a film at home while scrolling through your phone and checking emails and half paying attention is just not the way – although some tech companies would like us to think so. Watching a film with others in a movie theatre is one of the great communal experiences.” READ MORE Cannes 2024: Sean Baker’s screwball comedy Anora wins Palme d’Or Cannes 2024: Stars get shady on the carpet as the Nicolas Cage renaissance rages on with Irish director Lorcan Finnegan Cannes 2024: The Apprentice review – Long shadow of Succession hangs over controversial Donald Trump biopic Cannes 2024: Kevin Costner’s epic sprawl, Julianne Moore’s return and Kermit’s green coat [ Cannes 2024: Stars get shady .
