Names and faces

Friday, April 18, 2014

David Cronenberg deconstructs Hollywood, Tommy Lee Jones goes Western and reclusive New Wave legend Jean-Luc Godard returns in 3-D in films competing at next month’s Cannes Film Festival. Organizers of the famed French Riviera festival announced the much-heralded lineup Thursday for the May 14-25 event, including 18 films vying for the top prize - the Palme d’Or. Also competing for the top prize are two women directors,Naomi Kawase of Japan and Alice Rohrwacher of Italy; The Artist director Michel Hazanavicius of France, Mike Leigh and Ken Loach of Britain, and Belgium’s Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, who will be angling for their third Palme d’Or. Some 49 feature-length films from 28 nations - including 15 by women directors - will be shown at the 11-day cinema extravaganza. Director Jane Campion, the only woman to win the Palme d’Or, is leading this year’s jury festival, which opens with Nicole Kidman starring in the world premiere of director Olivier Dahan’s out-of-competition bio-pic Grace of Monaco. In the Palme d’Or chase, Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars takes aim at today’s media-crazed society, while Jones directs and acts in The Homesman alongside Hilary Swank, and Godard presents his movie Adieu Au Language (Goodbye to Language). Canadian actor Ryan Gosling makes his directorial debut among the 19 films competing for the “Un Certain Regard” prize, presented a day before the Palme d’Or to honor up-and-coming or innovative filmmakers. Gosling’s Lost River stars Christina Hendricks and will be up against films from Italy’s Asia Argento, France’s Mathieu Amalric and Paris, Texas director Wim Wenders of Germany.

Malcolm Young is taking a break from AC/DC to focus on his health, the band said. The announcement saying the 61-year-old guitarist is in “ill health” was posted on the band’s Facebook page. No details were provided. “Malcolm would like to thank the group’s die-hard legions of fans worldwide for their never-ending love and support,” the statement said. AC/DC includes vocalist Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd, bassist Cliff Williams and guitarist Angus Young, Malcolm Young’s brother. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers said in the statement they “will continue to make music.” Young co-founded the Australian classic rock band. He has performed with AC/DC for 40 years. Mark Gable, a friend and musical contemporary of Young, said he doubted the guitarist would ever record again.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 04/18/2014