Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor introduced tears to Cannes Movie Competition attendees on Wednesday night time with Oliver Hermanus’ “The Historical past of Sound,” which earned a six-minute standing ovation.
Whereas Mescal acquired a standing ovation when strolling in, O’Connor needed to miss the premiere as a result of he was ending filming his half in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming movie and couldn’t make it.
Although O’Connor wasn’t current, Mescal carried the load. One rowdy fan screamed, “We love you, Paul!” seconds earlier than the movie began, when the viewers normally sits in reverent silence. By the top, moviegoers had been weeping and swatting at one another attempting to get video of Mescal, who was additionally tearing up.
“This has been one of the great artistic collaborations of my very, very brief profession, however this has been a testomony to the genius of Paul Mescal,” stated director Hermanus.
The movie’s stark, attractive folks music performances — typically delivered a cappella — had a big effect on the gang. Within the males’s room following the triumphant screening, a row of tuxedoed friends had been buzzing melodies on the urinals.
Additionally in attendance had been stars resembling Gracie Abrams (who’s relationship Mescal), Jenny Slate (who’s married to screenwriter Ben Shattuck), Michelle Rodriguez, Cara Delevingne and John C. Reilly.
Based mostly on Shattuck’s brief story of the identical title, “The Historical past of Sound” follows the connection between two males who journey to New England collectively in the summertime of 1919 to file the people songs of their rural countrymen. Alongside Mescal and O’Connor, the movie stars Chris Cooper, Molly Worth, Raphael Sbarge, Hadley Robinson, Emma Canning, Briana Middleton and Gary Raymond. South African director Hermanus directed and penned the screenplay.
“The Historical past of Sound” marks Hermanus’ sixth characteristic, together with his most up-to-date being 2022’s “Dwelling” starring Invoice Nighy. The final time Hermanus was in Cannes competitors was in 2011 together with his sophomore movie “Magnificence,” which adopted a closeted man coming to phrases together with his sexuality. The movie gained the pageant’s Queer Palm and was chosen as South Africa’s Oscars entry for greatest overseas language movie, however didn’t in the end make the shortlist.
Mescal, the “Regular Individuals” and “Gladiator II” star who is ready to play Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’ four-part Beatles biopic, was most not too long ago at Cannes with the 2022 coming-of-age drama “Aftersun.” That movie earned him an Oscar nomination for greatest actor. “The Historical past of Sound” marks the primary Cannes go to for Emmy winner O’Connor, who additionally stars in one other movie in competitors with Kelly Reichardt’s “The Mastermind.”
Cannes Movie Competition runs Could 13 to 24.
