La Tête Haute

La Tête Haute (Standing Tall), by Emmanuelle Bercot, is a powerful film involving obstacles, strength and determination. Bercot is the first woman director to open the Cannes FIlm Festival since Diane Kury's Un Homme Amoureux in 1987. La Tête Haute brings in spectacular performances, especially from Catherine Deneuve. It follows the story of Maloney, (Rod Paradot) and his struggles with violence, detention centers, family drama and self worth issues, which always leads back to a juvenile court judge (Catherine Deneuve). It's a heavy film that discusses real issues in a way that allows the audience to connect to it's protagonists. It's raw and emotional while still being a smart-minded film with quick dialogue and interesting cinematography. 

While some may argue two hours could be too long for the film, as it repeats the same scenes over and over again, just in different time periods, it can be said that the scenes flow smoothly and lead to an all around uplifting story of overcoming what was once thought of as impossible. Seeing the film at the Palais helped to set the ambiance as the lights dimmed and the first scene of the premiere film began to play. The mood shifted and the crowd was enveloped in the story. It was a smart choice to start the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, and should be recommended to all who want a genuine movie going experience. 

By: Carly Eaton