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In Another Country
Why It's Great: Korean director Hong Sangsoo explores the relationship between the strange and the familiar in this low-key but well-observed comedy of manners. Isabelle Huppert is excellent as a glamourous director, frustrated housewife and hapless divorcee, while the film's three-segment structure is charming rather than a distraction. The humour is gentle but recognisable, and Huppert carries the whole thing off with Gallic charm.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: Not showy or "important" enough to trouble the big hitters, Huppert will probably have to rely on Amour to catch the jury's eye.
On The Road
Why It's Great: Given the sprawling nature of the source material, it's perhaps to be expected that Walter Salles' adaptation is a little on the bloated side, while the plot never really shakes the feel of a series of vignettes. However, a pair of sparkling performances from Sam Riley and particularly Kristen Stewart really lift proceedings, the latter shedding her sulky Twilight persona to play the sexually adventurous Marylou. Garrett Hedlund's Moriarty isn't quite so successful, but the total package remains a beautifully shot, intoxicating hit of Americana.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: There are more deserving films at this year's festival, although Stewart and Riley deserve recognition for their contributions.
Lawless
Why It's Great: John Hillcoat doesn't quite manage to reinvent the western with this blood-spattered tale of prohibition-era America, but for fans of the genre, this is still a rollickingly entertaining tale of ruthless outlaws, crooked lawmen and smouldering dames. Guy Pearce's turn as bent copper Charlie Raikes tips a little too far into panto territory, but Tom Hardy is reliably excellent as gruff, tough bootlegger Forrest Bondurant.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: Extremely unlikely. Lawless is a highly enjoyable couple of hours, but it's distinctly mainstream entertainment.
Holy Motors
Why It's Great: Leos Caraz's utterly bizarre film ticks the "something completely different" box at this year's festival, taking the audience on an eerie trip around what are nominally the streets of Paris, but soon transform into the bizarre landscapes of somewhere else entirely. Eva Mendes and Kylie Minogue are among the talent involved, but the real star is Caraz's seemingly boundless imagination.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: It has been talked up as a potential winner, but the jury may consider this one a mite too obscure to land the trophy. A win however would certainly reestablish the festival's reputation for recognising truly "out-there" filmmaking.
The Hunt
Why It's Great: Thomas Vinterberg presents his best movie since Festen with this disconcerting tale of a kindergarten assistant accused of inappropriate behaviour by a young child. Mads Mikkelsen plays the accused, and is a revelation as the increasingly desperate man at the centre of what swiftly becomes a witch hunt. Lean, mean and incredibly tense, it's one of the finest thrillers on show at this year's festival.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: The familiarity of the subject matter might prevent The Hunt from winning the Palme d'Or, but Mikkelsen should be among the favourites to lift the award for best actor. It's an electrifying piece of work.
Reality
Why It's Great: Matteo Garrone has made the surprising leap from mafioso drama to reality telly satire with considerable aplomb, successfully skewering our obsession with Big Brother and its ilk with this sharp comedy. Newcomer Aniello Arena plays a deluded fishmonger who becomes obsessed with appearing on the Italian version of the show, his devotion to his task taking on quasi-religious levels of fervour. About as far removed as Gomorrah as you could imagine, but no less entertaining for it.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: Comedies don't tend to score big at Cannes, and that will probably be the case again this year.
No
Why It's Great: Pablo Larrain brings his Pinochet trilogy to a close with this deadpan take on the 1988 referendum, where the hated dictator was finally ousted from power in the director's native Chile. Gael Garcia Bernal stars as the ad-man who masterminds the campaign against the General, while Larrain wrings plenty of humour out of one of the most significant events in his nation's history. Superlative stuff.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: It's got an outside chance, particularly if the jury awards some kind of Return Of The King -esque recognition for the entire trilogy.
The Angel's Share
Why It's Great: Ken Loach returns to la Croisette with this bittersweet Glaswegian comedy following a group of ne'er-do-well mates who embark upon a whisky heist that could see them on easy street for the rest of their days. Starting off with a stark portrayal of protagonist Robbie on the road to rack and ruin, Loach guides the film into more comedic waters with a laudably steady hand to create a potently life-afirming concoction. Cheers!
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: Probably a little too parochial to land the big one, which shouldn't take anything away from one of Loach's finest films in years.
Rust And Bone
Why It's Great: Jacques Audiard's moving love story establishes an unlikely relationship between a bare-knuckle fighter and a killer whale trainer and runs with it to surprising and remarkably heartfelt places. Boasting a pair of powerhouse central performances from Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts, don't be surprised to see this one scoop at least one of the acting awards, if not the Palme d'Or itself.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: Audiard is among the bookies' favourites to lift the prize, having missed out to Michael Haneke's White Ribbon back in 2009. However, with Amour the toast of this year's festival, don't bet against history repeating itself...
