PRAISE FOR "SLEEPING BEAUTY" AT CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

Still from Sleeping Beauty

Andrew O’Hehir at Salon is one of the first to review Julia Leigh’s Sleeping Beauty which is getting a tremendous amount of buzz at the Cannes Film Festival. In the Review, he calls the Australian Film “a strikingly impressive debut”. 

The Toronto International Film Festival’s Cameron Bailey who would is on the look-out to being titles over to Toronto this September, noted on Twitter that “Realized I watched SLEEPING BEAUTY through feminist film theory goggles, but others didn't.” – meaning he “got” it, despite mixed reactions. I’m expecting this one to get a Premiere at TIFF, seeing that Producer Jane Campion has a good relationship with the Festival and that TIFF is never shy of avoiding controversial titles.

Sleeping Beauty although not directly based on The Brothers Grimm’s Fairy Tale, centers around Lucy (Emily Browning) who enters a secret Prostitution Ring under the wings of a Madame named Clara (Rachael Blake). Lucy’s specialty however is her drinking a Special Tea (pardon the pun) which makes her fall asleep as her older Gentlemen have their way with her. Controversial and shocking. O’Hehir notes that Sucker Punch’s Browning is seen nude through much of the Film – rather daring for this young up-and-coming Australian Actress who also happens to be quite a Vocalist. Am so intrigued by all of this!

See Photos from the Red Carpet, graced by the likes of Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Aishwarya Rai and Diane Kruger, over at Zimbio here. 

(Photo credit: Paramount Pictures)