1. Judging It Like a Summer Blockbuster
This is the most common error. A film that premieres at Cannes is rarely designed to satisfy the same narrative or emotional expectations as a Marvel movie. These are often art-house films, prioritizing theme, mood, and formal experimentation over plot-driven entertainment. Asking a two-and-a-half-hour Romanian drama to have the pacing of 'Top Gun' is like asking a Michelin-starred chef for a burger and fries. It's a category error. Appreciate it for what it is, not what it isn't.
2. Ignoring the Director's Body of Work
Cannes is an auteur's festival. Directors like the Dardenne brothers, Julia Ducournau, or Apichatpong Weerasethakul return year after year, building on specific themes and aesthetic signatures. A new film from one of these directors is often in direct conversation with
their previous work. Judging it in a vacuum means you might miss the subtext, the evolution of an idea, or the subversion of their own tropes. A quick search of a director's filmography can provide crucial context that deepens your understanding.
3. Falling for the Hype (or Backlash)
The festival operates inside a high-pressure bubble. A five-minute standing ovation or a chorus of boos from the press corps can create a narrative that’s hard to shake. But these immediate, often extreme reactions are just that: immediate. They’re born of exhaustion, groupthink, and the hunt for a good headline. A film that was booed might be a misunderstood masterpiece, while a film that got a 10-minute ovation could just be a crowd-pleaser that fades from memory. Wait for the dust to settle and form your own opinion.
4. Misunderstanding the First Audience
The first people to see a Cannes film are typically critics and industry professionals who have been watching three to four films a day for over a week. They are sleep-deprived, over-caffeinated, and often jaded. Their response is not the same as a paying customer seeing a movie on a Friday night. Their praise might be more intellectual, and their criticism harsher. So when you read those first-blush reviews, remember the unique, slightly unhinged environment they were written in.
5. Demanding a Clear Moral or Message
Many of the most celebrated Cannes films are deliberately ambiguous. They are designed to ask questions, not provide answers. They explore moral gray areas and uncomfortable truths without offering a neat conclusion or a tidy lesson. If you walk out of a movie like 'Triangle of Sadness' or 'Titane' asking, "So what was the point?" you might be missing *the point*. The point is the provocation, the feeling it leaves you with, and the conversation it starts in your own head.
6. Dismissing 'Slow Cinema' as Boring
Long takes, minimal dialogue, and a deliberate, meditative pace are hallmarks of a certain kind of festival film. It's easy to label this as "boring" or "pretentious." But "slow cinema" is a legitimate artistic style that uses duration and observation to immerse the viewer, build atmosphere, and explore subtleties of time and human behavior. It's not a bug; it's a feature. Instead of checking your watch, try to sink into the film's unique rhythm and see what it reveals.
7. Not Knowing Which Section It Played In
Not all films at Cannes are created equal. A film in the main Competition is vying for the Palme d'Or and is expected to be a major artistic statement. A film in Un Certain Regard often showcases emerging talent or more unusual storytelling. The Directors' Fortnight and Critics' Week have their own distinct curatorial mandates. Knowing where a film premiered helps you understand its intended purpose and the context of its selection. It’s the difference between a main event and a promising undercard.
8. Treating the Palme d'Or Like a 'Best Picture' Oscar
The Oscar for Best Picture tends to reward films that achieve a consensus of excellence, often blending craft, popularity, and cultural resonance. The Palme d'Or is different. The jury, led by a single president, often awards the prize to the film they feel is the most daring, innovative, or artistically significant—a film that pushes the boundaries of cinema. It’s a prize for artistic provocation, not necessarily the "best" or most likable film of the festival.
9. Watching a Theatrical Film on a Laptop
Filmmakers who premiere at Cannes are masters of sound and image. They compose their shots for a 40-foot screen and mix their sound for a theatrical system. Watching a visually ambitious film like 'The Tree of Life' or a sonically complex one like 'Memoria' on your laptop with AirPods is a compromised experience. You lose the scale, the detail, and the immersive sensory power that is central to the film’s effect. If you can, always try to see these films in a proper cinema as the director intended.
10. Forgetting It's a Marketplace
While critics debate art in the theaters, the Marché du Film (Film Market) is buzzing downstairs. Cannes is the biggest film market in the world, where producers are trying to sell their films for distribution. This commercial reality influences everything. A film's buzz can determine its sale price, and sometimes a film is programmed specifically because it has commercial potential. Understanding that Cannes is a dual engine of art and commerce helps explain why certain films get hyped and others get buried.
