Prior to making some of the biggest sci-fi blockbusters of the 21st century, Denis Villeneuve directed this French New Wave-influenced drama. Premiering at Cannes, August 32nd on Earth highlights the striking visuals that would become Villeneuve’s trademark, here presented in a gorgeous restoration.
Weaving a cosmically-charged web of connections from its privileged protagonist all the way to a talking fish, Denis Villeneuve’s boldness of vision took a giant leap with this dark, philosophical comedy. Prefiguring his later work on Enemy, Maelström is an early great from the blockbuster auteur.
While not your typical anthology film, Cosmos does feature six stories from as many directors, woven together into an interconnecting whole. The most artful segment comes from an up-and-coming Denis Villeneuve, 25 years before he ventured into a less metaphorical cosmos with his adaptation of Dune.
