In between racing from screening to screening, intrepid critic (and Hollywood.com contributor), Lisa Nesselson*, has honored us with a quick round-up of some of the films she’s seen thus far. Here’s what she had to say:

Since 1800 film critics shouting out how many stars they’d give the film they’ve just seen is awkward. In Cannes, it’s a press screening tradition to applaud or boo if so moved.

Both means of expression got their biggest workout so far on Sunday night after Lars Von Trier’s “Antichrist.” What Von Trier describes as, “the most important film of my entire career!” has explicit sex, talking animals and the most grisly use of old tools likely to grace any screen this year. It’s running in official competition.

Meanwhile, two films in the official line-up offer wonderful roles to excellent actresses as real-life heroines born WAY before their time: Abbie Cornish excells as poet John Keats’ muse in Jane Campion’s “Bright Star” and Rachel Weisz is radiantly convincing as 4th century astronomer and teacher, Hypatia, in Alejandro Amenabar’s “Agora” set in ancient Alexandria, Egypt.

Jacques Audiard’s riveting prison drama “A Prophet” follows a 19-year-old juvenile delinquent as he gets a criminal education thorough enough to start a Corleone’s Jr. franchise.

Speaking of “The Godfather,” attendees could do little else during the Q & A with Francis Ford Coppola after his latest self-financed film, “Tetro,” opened the Directors Fortnight sidebar. A florid misfire that has little in common with the mafia classic except that it also concerns a secretive family, “Tetro” stars a so-so Vincent Gallo opposite promising newcomer Alden Ehrenreich as his younger brother.

Johnnie To’s “Vengeance” is as silly as it is stylized.  And Ang Lee’s “Taking Woodstock” may not elevate the art of cinema, but it sure is funny and entertaining. Standup comic Demetri Martin shines as the guy who held the permit that made Woodstock possible and Liev Schreiber steals the film as a cross-dressing ex-Marine named Vilma.

*Thanks for the heads-up, Lisa!

Posted by Nancy