Who knows if the opinions of the official festival journal will match those at the premiere?
The answer…is no.
"Elephant," 2.1 out of 4.
Out of a maximum of four points, "Elephant" received a mere 2.1 in the official journal's overall rating.
This…
The good news is that all nine critics submitted their evaluations immediately, which indicates high interest. Thanks to Anson's presence, "Elephant" attracted every critic to the Lumière Hall for the premiere. This is the only film so far with ratings from all nine critics.
The bad news is that 2.1 points, when converted, is considered a failing score.
Looking at the breakdown, there was one four, three threes, two twos, and four ones. Overall, four positive ratings and six negative ones, with the ones leading the pack. It's clear that this is a controversial film.
Upon seeing the scores, the initial tension and anxiety slowly faded away, and Anson became completely calm.
From the beginning, Anson knew that "Elephant" was a controversial film. Its themes and techniques were bound to provoke strong reactions.
So, this journal confirmed that.
This is a good thing.
Controversy and discussion mean that Gus's goal of challenging the audience has been achieved.
Currently, five films have premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and the ratings are generally low.
The debut film "At Five in the Afternoon" by 24-year-old Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf is temporarily at the top with 2.5 points.
French director François Ozon's much-anticipated "Swimming Pool" did not meet expectations either, scoring 2.4 points.
"Elephant" is currently in third place.
Not the best, but not at the bottom either. All the films hover around the passing mark, indicating that the difference between them might only be a matter of a few critics' opinions. The overall variation in ratings isn't drastic.
Anson looked up and announced the score, "2.1."
He didn't try to create suspense; he just said it straightforwardly, revealing the result without warning, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.
Including Edgar.
Before they could even brace themselves, Anson revealed the score. For a moment, it was confusing. Was this a positive score or a negative one?
Everyone was in the same boat.
Eric looked at Anson, "Is that a good score?"
Anson shrugged slightly, "Out of four."
"Oh." Eric nodded, finally reacting a beat late—
2.1 out of 4?
Uh.
Something seems off.
Unlike Anson, the others were not mentally prepared for this.
Is this for real?
Yesterday's premiere at the Lumière Hall, followed by the press conference, was met with thunderous applause and enthusiasm. The madness was still vivid in everyone's minds, even in their dreams last night.
And this is the result?
The stark contrast was like falling from heaven to hell. They had been eagerly awaiting glowing praise, only to be thrown into the cold. No one saw this coming.
Edgar was taken aback. "Anson, did you look at the wrong column?"
"Haha." Anson burst into laughter and handed the journal over for them to see.
Edgar paused his busy schedule and rushed to Anson's side, grabbing the journal. The others crowded around, craning their necks to look at the page.
"Elephant"...2.1 points.
Despite the chaos, Anson hadn't made a mistake. The score was correct.
Just 2.1 points.
Edgar's mind was racing. He could already foresee the media and online reactions. Countless thoughts swarmed his mind.
"How could this be..."
"What happened? Yesterday..."
"Even if there's a gap..."
Murmurs filled the room as people exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. The hesitance, the sidelong glances, the unspoken words—these were far more telling and damaging than direct criticism.
Shock and confusion spread like ripples throughout the room.
Edgar quickly regained his composure and grasped the situation—
This is Cannes, full of unpredictability. The official journal's rating upended their expectations, but it also meant they had more work to do.
Edgar tossed the journal back onto the table and hurried to find Eve.
They needed to change their strategy and set the narrative before public opinion went into a frenzy. A high score from the official journal would have been ideal, but the current score didn't spell disaster.
The reason was simple: controversy. This is what "Elephant" aimed to present. The film is a mirror, reflecting the soul of every viewer.
Whether they liked or hated it, feared it, or were excited by it, what audiences saw was not Gus's perspective but their own views on violence, film, and art.
Just as someone with a dark mind will always see dirt and filth.
So, the contrast between the Lumière Hall's reaction and the official journal's review actually indicated the film's success—
Not a unanimous opinion but a "Hamlet" seen differently by each viewer. "Elephant" perfectly showcased the director's creative intent.
In a split second, Edgar had found a breakthrough. Now, they needed to reach Eve. They had to sow this idea into public discourse before it took a definitive shape.
Water it, fertilize it, and wait for it to take root.
Without wasting time, Edgar got to work.
Meanwhile, as Cannes awoke to a new day, Emmanuel was just getting up, yawning. Last night had been another busy one, but that's always the case during the festival—everyone running on little sleep, constantly busy.
Today was no different. Emmanuel didn't even have time to sit down for a cup of coffee. In Europe, and especially in France, it's frowned upon to drink coffee on the go, like with Starbucks paper cups.
Here, the belief holds that convenience should not come at the cost of cultural traditions.
So, coffee must be enjoyed in a café, served in a proper cup.
Yawning, Emmanuel headed toward the newsstand, where a crowd of journalists had already gathered.
He joined them—
The official journal is free and updated daily.
Emmanuel grabbed a copy, scanned it quickly, and froze.
Wait, what?