Is Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s “Biutiful" the last best hope of the Cannes Film Festival, or just the latest little Cannes controversy?
You could make a case for either one after the film’s press screenings and Cannes premiere this week , which resulted in a bunch of mostly positive reviews, a handful of naysayers and one seriously heated Internet debate that devolved into (literal) name-calling and (figurative) foot-stomping.
Read also: “Exclusive: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Explains ‘Biutiful’
Before the screenings, expectations were high. Throughout a festival lineup that many found uninspiring – despite well-received offerings like Mike Leigh’s “Another Year” and the documentary “Inside Job” – numerous Cannes-watchers had looked ahead to the new film from Inarritu, director of “Amores Perros” and the Oscar Best Picture nominee “Babel.”