Festival Opens Amid Rain as Cannes Struggles to Shine

The Cannes Film Festival kicked off with heavy rain, marking an unusual start to a typically sunny event. As A-listers ascended the stairs of the Palais and the crowd braved the weather behind police barriers, festival president Iris Knobloch wished for great films and a little sunshine.

Highlight Films Struggle to Lift the Festival’s Mood
The early screenings brought mixed results, with Quentin Dupieux’s The Second Act feeling like a flyweight metafiction piece, and Rúnar Rúnarsson’s When the Light Breaks serving a moody, heartfelt narrative about loss in Iceland. Despite being serviceable films, they struggled to break the prevailing despondency of the festival’s first week. However, the festival’s organizers saved their biggest surprise for the middle of week one with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which successfully delivered high-energy and excitement.