Cannes 2024 Movie Round-Up (Part 2)

Chapter 1 of Costner's 'Horizon: An American Saga,' Trans Crime Musical 'Emilia Perez,' Quiet Indian Stunner 'All We Imagine as Light,' and Sorrentino's 'Parthenope'

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Hunters,

A fresh round of reviews from Cannes:

• Horizon: An American Saga, Chapter 1 of Kevin Costner’s planned four-part (!) Western epic

• Emilia Perez: buzzy trans crime musical thriller starring Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez (yes, you heard all that right)

• All We Imagine as Light is a quiet feminist stunner out of India

• Parthenope continues Paolo Sorrentino’s obsession with beauty

A reminder, this week’s SchmearCast was a break down of Cannes Week 1 and some of the biggest premieres there including Megalopolis, Kinds of Kindness, and Furiosa. Listen here:

And if you missed the other batches of reviews, find them below:

Cannes Movie Round-Up Part 1

Brainwash - Cannes Edition

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Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 (Kevin Costner)

Logline: Chronicles a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West.

Category: Out of Competition

Release: June 27th in theaters

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Kevin Costner’s Horizon is a planned multi-part saga about the making of the American West that is so stupidly ambitious, so anachronistically retro, that heading into the screening of Part 1, I had an unshakeable belief that it would cut against the grain and be a surprise hit.

And while I still think the saga will be a success, especially for underserved audiences in the very states the action takes place in, my enthusiasm was dampened by the film itself, which has some strong moments but spreads itself far too thin in setting up its expansive canvas. 

Undeniable in Horizon, and core to the Western genre, is the escapism it inspires. Costner shoots the film across various terrains and topographies, from the snowy Montanas to the deserts by the San Pedro River, and the sheer reverie these vistas inspire is worth the price of admission. 

Costner

Costner, who won every award imaginable with Dances with Wolves, still knows how to direct big-screen action. An early home invasion action set piece, the highlight of the film, is chaotic, loud, and thrilling. Gunshots in Horizon bring the boom, and I found myself feeling grateful to witness some old-school derring-do. 

It’s the story, characters, and performers themselves that don’t hold up their end of the bargain. We’re thrown in medias res into numerous storylines, each, in some way, descending upon the titular, fought-over town of Horizon. An exemplar of “Manifest Destiny” for some, an asylum for others, and a home for the native indigenous population, which they’ll defend to the death. 

There’s Costner’s Hayes Ellison escorting a baby and a young lady around, and Sam Worthington’s Army captain falling in love with Sienna Miller. Luke Wilson is leading a stagecoach caravan to Horizon. If this sounds random, it’s because it is. Though the individual stories are far from complicated or complex, it’s still annoying to have to track them all. 

Sam Worthington

At three hours, there are lulls within the narrative, which is fine; not everything can be an action set piece. To its credit, Costner instills Horizon with a throwback, big-hearted earnestness. The movie does have a soul. But because we can’t see the bigger picture and since the actors aren’t compelling enough, Horizon can feel wearisome. 

I found myself wondering why bigger actors weren't cast. Part of me thinks that for this massive, multi-film, multi-year endeavor, it might be hard to sign up the best and brightest talent. Part of me also believes Horizon has to first and foremost be the Kevin Costner show. Hearing about his Yellowstone dustups, it seems he desires complete creative autonomy, so why not be the sun of a heliocentric blockbuster? At least he put his money where his mouth is.

But Horizon: Chapter 1 amounts to an extended, entertaining, but somewhat shrug-worthy pilot episode. Intro’ing Giovanni Ribisi as the “big bad” at the end? Give me a break. Also, I wouldn’t call the film racially misguided, as some are saying, but I would agree that it’s not iterating or showing us anything modern in terms of its politics or thoughtfulness. 

Horizon ends in a baffling way, effectively showing a 3 minute teaser trailer of what’s to come within the saga. I wanted to walk out, partially because it was weird and also because why would I want to see details of what comes next? This isn’t TV, or is it? 

A sharper story with more legible arcs and better characters wouldn’t need to present a proof-of-concept teaser at the end of its film. Some critics are saying that we can’t properly judge these until we’ve seen all the films. I say, even if the sum total will amount to Costner’s magnum opus, any film should be able to stand on its own two feet, Horizon included.

Verdict:

Kevin Costner's Horizon: Chapter 1 ambitiously aims to revive the Western genre with its sweeping vistas and old-school action, but its fragmented storylines, underwhelming characters, and excessive runtime make it feel more like a tedious pilot episode than a standalone epic.

Grade: 67

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Emilia Perez - Jacques Audiard (Netflix)

Logline: Mexico, today. Lawyer Rita receives an unexpected offer. She has to help a feared cartel boss retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming the woman he's always dreamed of being.

Category: Palme d’Or Competition

Awards: Jury Prize, Best Actress (Ensemble)

Distributor: Netflix (Date TBD)

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A sensitive Mexican cartel leader hires a lawyer to help him secretly transition to a woman. Years later, she re-enters her old life to be with her children and make amends for the violence she caused. So Sicario meets Mrs. Doubtfire, and lest I forget to mention, it’s a musical.