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The Paperboy
Why It's Great: Lee Daniels' follow-up to Precious is this sweaty, sexy and frequently hilarious noir, based on Pete Dexter's pulpy thriller. Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron are decent enough as a pair of brothers attempting to expose a miscarriage of justice, but its the supporting players who really sparkle, with John Cusack smarmily repellent as a convicted crook and Nicole Kidman outstanding as his blowsy fiancée. A steamy treat that crucially never takes itself too seriously.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: The top prize will probably go to something a little more affecting than the pure entertainment on show here.
Beyond The Hills
Why It's Great: Romanian director Cristian Mungiu has followed up his 2007 Palme d'Or win for 4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days in fine style with this compelling mystery set in a nunnery. Based upon the non-fiction account of a monk who died during an exorcism ritual, it's an unsettling examination of religious oppression, and one that could see Mungiu recognised by the jury once more.
Chances Of Winning the Palme d'Or: Strange, mysterious and compelling, it's the kind of thing the jury usually laps up. Five years after his last triumph, Mungiu should be in with a shout once more.
Killing Them Softly
Why It's Great: This bloody, brutal crime film has been dubbed "this year's Drive ", thanks to its minimalist plot, wince-inducing violence and impossibly cool leading man. Brad Pitt is the killer in question, and his greasy-haired gun-toting performance is right up there with his best work. Pulpy, hard-boiled and utterly gripping, Killing Them Softly has cult classic written all over it.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: Despite Pulp Fiction scooping the prize back in 1994, the jury tend to reward more artsy fare than American-made crime films. An unlikely winner then, but the buzz generated at the festival will be prize enough for Andrew Dominik and his crew.
Moonrise Kingdom
Why It's Great: While unmistakably a Wes Anderson film (the opening scene examines a cross-section of a family home, a signature Anderson flourish that makes the audience feel as though they're peering into a giant dolls house), this tale of 12-year-old love boasts plenty of the heart his work is often accused of lacking. The supporting cast are great, with Bruce Willis particularly fine as a local copper, but it's the two young leads that make this one so easy to fall in love with. A worthy opener to this year's festival.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: Anderson and his cast are certainly in the festival's good books, particularly after a good-natured press conference on the opening day, but we've a feeling Wes might miss out to one of his European rivals. Shame, as this is his best film in years.
Amour
Why It's Great: Michael Haneke has served up another shocking, striking piece of cinema, but this time there are no killer children or teenage psychopaths to be seen. No, the villain in Amour is simply the passing of time, as an elderly couple come to terms with the onset of debilitating illness. Haneke confronts death with quiet understatement, facing the realities of old age with an unflinching eye and creating an unglamorous but affectingly romantic story in the process. A triumph.
Chances Of Winning The Palme d'Or: The frontrunner at present, having scored rave reviews across the board. Haneke won in 2009, which could count against him, but on its own merits, the film deserves to be among the strong favourites.
