Cannes Film Festival: American Movie 'Paper Tiger' Makes Cannes Debut • FRANCE 24 English
Why It Matters
The film’s presence highlights a rare American foothold at Cannes, offering a high‑profile platform that could accelerate awards momentum for both the movie and its leading talent.
Key Takeaways
- •James Gray's "Paper Tiger" debuts in Cannes competition
- •Film stars Adam Driver, Miles Teller, Scarlett Johansson
- •Set in 1980s New York, explores gritty American Dream pursuit
- •One of only two U.S. films competing this year
- •Johansson busy filming new "Exorcist" sequel, missing red carpet
Summary
The Cannes Film Festival welcomed its first American competition entry of the season, James Gray’s gritty crime drama “Paper Tiger,” on the red carpet Saturday. The film stars Adam Driver, Miles Teller and Scarlett Johansson, reuniting the latter two after their Oscar‑nominated work in “Marriage Story.”
Gray, a Cannes regular now in his sixth appearance, returns with a story set in late‑1980s New York, following two brothers entangled with the Russian mafia while chasing the elusive American Dream. The festival’s lineup includes only two U.S. titles, “Paper Tiger” and Ira Sachs’s “The Man I Love,” underscoring the rarity of American competition entries this year.
Johansson, who missed the premiere to shoot the new “Exorcist” sequel, is shifting from blockbuster franchises like “Jurassic World Rebirth” to a darker, indie‑flavored role reminiscent of her collaborations with Noah Baumbach and Wes Anderson. The film’s gritty aesthetic and period setting echo Gray’s earlier Cannes entries such as “The Immigrant” and “Two Lovers.”
If “Paper Tiger” resonates with the jurors, it could signal a renewed appetite for American‑made, auteur‑driven cinema at Cannes, boosting the profiles of its stars and reinforcing the festival’s relevance as a launchpad for awards‑season contenders.
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