The 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival took place from May 17 to 28, 2022, granting a place in movie history to Triangle of Sadness with the Palme D'Or, one of the most prestigious awards in the film industry. Even though the movie received an eight-minute standing ovation at its premiere, the feat is far from being among the most noticeable ovations at the festival, which are a long-term tradition.
The standing ovations at Cannes work almost like a radar to the critic's reception of the movie and reflect on the impact certain films had by the end of their screening. Sometimes, some minutes of non-stop applause says it all, and in this year's festival, there was one special record-breaker, finding a place among the 10 longest standing ovations ever at the festival.
The Artist (2011) - 12 Minutes
This Oscar Best Picture winner established a solid early buzz around it with a 12-minute standing ovation. Set in Hollywood back in the 20s, the silent movie star, George Valentin, is worried that the arrival of talking pictures might take his stardom away, as he develops a relationship with a young dancer set for a big break.
A black and white silent movie released in 2011 is already a brilliant homage to the years that preceded Hollywood's Golden Age, in itself, but The Artist goes beyond that by delivering a beautiful, heart-warming story about love and cinema.
Elvis (2022) - 12 Minutes
Elvis was one of the most anticipated movies in the Cannes 2022 lineup and the latest addition to its standing ovation record-breakers, making the crowd go wild at the exuberance of this biopic about the legendary King of Rock 'n Roll. Crafted by the lauded hands of Baz Luhrman, the movie tells the story of Elvis as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, played by Tom Hanks.
Elvis was out of Cannes' competition and didn't receive any awards, but the praise for Baz's inventive style and Austin Butler's groundbreaking performance created a lot of buzz about this vibrant, energetic film, out in the U.S. on June 24, 2022.
Bowling For Columbine (2002) - 13 Minutes
Considered by many to be Michael Moore's best film, Bowling For Columbine is a groundbreaking documentary feature on USA's predilection for gun violence. Still relevant as ever, the film analyses the specifics of this fascination for guns and the effects of a country where anyone has the potential to purchase a constitutionally protected Uzi, for example.
Using the details of one of the biggest tragedies in America's history, the mass murder at Columbine, as the base of the narrative, the film is a journey through the U.S., taking past events that, pieced together, don't look so isolated after all, in a brutal reflection on the fearful heart of a whole nation.
Belle (2021) - 14 Minutes
This Japanese anime feature starts in a simple rural setting, as the 17-years-old Suzu retreats into her painful past. When she finds out about a massive online reality called "U," she dives into her alternate persona, Belle, a globally-beloved pop singer.
Crafting a beautifully animated internet world, Belle doesn't cease to amaze the viewers with stunning and colorful visuals, retelling the famous Beauty and the Beast story with an inventive narrative centered around the modern age.
Capernaum (2018) - 15 Minutes
Starring a real-life refugee in an unforgettable child performance, Capernaum follows a 12-year-old impoverished boy scrambling to survive on the streets of Beirut. He sues his parents for having brought him to such an unfair world, where being a refugee with no documents usually means having basic human rights denied.
Nominated to Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscar later in the year, Capernaum is a heart-rending courtroom story with huge social impact, and also a special lesson on empathy to anyone who watches it.
The Paperboy (2012) - 15 Minutes
Poorly received by critics after its Cannes premiere, The Paperboy failed to maintain the hype it created after 15 minutes of standing ovation. The movie follows an investigative reporter and his partner as they travel to Florida to look into a career-making case involving a death row inmate.
With an incredible ensemble cast, The Paperboy is a fun crime thriller but doesn't hold up to the praise it initially received, scoring low with both critics and the public audience, but delivering a great Zac Efron performance.
The Neon Demon (2016) - 17 Minutes
The Neon Demon remains as one of the most divisive movies of recent years, but for the audience at Cannes, it was certainly a big yes. Set in a surreal L.A., Jesse is an aspiring model that attracts the unwanted obsession of sinister integrants of the fashion industry, with the intention to take hold of her beauty.
Staying on the verge of horror through its running time and filled with weird violent and sexual content, The Neon Demon is definitely not for everyone, but it's undeniably a mind-bending experience.
Mud (2012) - 18 Minutes
Mixing a coming-of-age narrative with an engaging drama, Mud wowed audiences at Cannes 2012. Two boys find a fugitive on an island by the Mississippi River and form a pact to help him reunite with his lover and escape. The initial thoughts on the film described it as a remarkable vision of youth and a heart-warming story.
Mud knows how to balance serious themes with sentimentalism, and counts with a brilliant performance from Matthew McConaughey in the title role, establishing itself as an instant crowd-pleaser.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) - 20 Minutes
Another movie by Michael Moore, Fahrenheit 9/11 is certainly his most controversial work until now. It documents Moore's vision of what happened to the United States after the 9/11 tragedy, and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the event to push forward the US's unwanted influence in the Middle East, escalating wars and political conflicts that last until now.
Clearly a political documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11 is not subtle in its charges. Winning the Palme D'Or, the movie was unanimously accepted at Cannes as a vital message to the whole world. As for the audience, it really comes down to where the viewers stand politically.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - 22 Minutes
22 minutes of standing ovation is a feat that another movie will hardly accomplish anytime soon. Pan's Labyrinth premiere at Cannes felt almost like an event in itself due to such warm praise.
Guillermo Del Toro's masterpiece is a dark fantasy tale about a little girl living with her tyrannical stepfather and her pregnant mother, as she discovers a fantastic labyrinth guarded by a faun who claims to know her promising destiny. Beyond a beautiful metaphor for the war between good and evil, Pan's Labyrinth is as visually charming as it is terrifying.