{shortcode-242f1e27425d3ce764aef9bad9476506e63a64c8}Tianxing V. Lan ’18:

Having slept for less than six hours, I get up at 7 a.m. and rush to the line for the 8:30 a.m. press screening of “Rester Vertical (Staying Vertical).” If I am still half-asleep when I arrive at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, the film immediately wakes me up—and not in a completely pleasant way. The absurdist French comedy features very graphic, matter-of-fact sex scenes, as well as one involving childbirth, earning a reception equal parts applause and confused murmurs as the credits begin to roll.

Read more in Vincent’s review of “Staying Vertical”: “When the audiences at Cannes are shocked by a film’s graphic nature, that’s saying a lot—but French director Alain Guiraudie’s new film, 'Rester Vertical (Staying Vertical),' manages to achieve just that.”

After “Rester Vertical,” I am able to catch up on Woody Allen’s “Café Society.” Most films in Cannes’s official selection have three rounds of screening—an advanced press screening, the official red carpet premiere, and a second-round screening after the premiere––so even though I missed the first two screenings the day before, I am still able to attend the second-round screening today. I find the film very sweet and adorable, one of Allen’s finest since “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” After “Café Society,” I am finally able to pick up the suitcase I left at the Palais the night before and take a break back at my apartment to enjoy a well-deserved bath. The weather on the French Riviera is warm and lovely, and from the terrace I can see the whole town spreading along the gorgeous coastline.

Of course, there isn’t much time for me to rest. At 4 p.m., I’m back at the Palais again for “I, Daniel Blake.” Directed by English realism master Ken Loach, the film focuses on an unemployed but optimistic working-class hero as he fights against bureaucracy and helps others in need.

Read more in Steven’s review of “I, Daniel Blake”: “'I, Daniel Blake,' simply shot and minimally edited, is drenched in visceral and unadulterated realism. It is also one of the most powerful and moving films in recent memory.

Read Steven's review of "Money Monster": "'Money Monster' is a largely unambitious film that does little new. What it does do, however, it does reasonably well."