Palme d'Or Winner "The Square" is High on Concept in First Trailer

Scene from The Square

If you want one big difference between world cinema and the more distilled American brand, one need not look further than Cannes and the Palme d'Or. Every year, the festival honors the best in world cinema. This year was a pretty big deal, as Sofia Coppola won Best Director for The Beguiled, and Force Majeure director Ruben Ostlund won the top prize with The Square. What should be a sign of overall quality isn't often the case universally, as the last Palme d'Or winner nominated for Best Picture was Amour in 2012. However, it's still worth checking out what is considered the best in world cinema, and odds are that The Square at least looks to be tons of fun, even if The Academy doesn't think so.

I'll admit that my history with Cannes winners is very limited and I haven't seen most of even the recent winners. However, I still find it fascinating how there never feels like advantage is taken of this title akin to "World's Best Movie." It's rare for The Oscars to recognize any of these films, and it's both indicative of American ideals and just an overall confusing landscape of how films are judged here. In some ways, it does speak poorly about The Oscars. However, I hope that it has encouraged everyone to check out these movies at some point in their lives. After all, there has been some crossover, as Marty has won both the Palme d'Or and Best Picture. Still, it will be an interesting day when the decades old curse of separation is broken and these two awards will speak in unison.

With that said, The Square is at least something that could be promising. For those who don't know, Ostlund's previous movie Force Majeure was one of the best dark Swedish comedies in recent years, managing to be an international surprise hit critically. It's made me curious to see what he could bring and see if he has the potential to be as accessible as other world cinema directors like Giorgos Lanthimos, whose brand of wit and direction wasn't sacrificed in translation. Considering that this film features English-speaking actors, there's more to like about what could possibly be present here.

Check out the trailer below:

Looks pretty good. Here's the plot according to IMDb:

The Square is a poignant satirical drama reflecting our times - about the sense of community, moral courage and the affluent person's need for egocentricity in an increasingly uncertain world.

It's a tough call, but I do think it's a long shot to stand any chance for Best Picture love. Higher concept films like this usually don't fare well with voters. While there's a chance for things to change this year, I think that there's plenty to enjoy even if it doesn't get nominated. It looks to be a fun criticism of art and culture in ways that expand upon what made Force Majeure so beloved at its time. It also stars Elisabeth Moss in a key role, so that's always a plus in my book. If nothing else, take this opportunity to recognize just how much more diverse the Palme d'Or winners have been, and how the concept of Best Picture can differ culturally. Maybe this will be the one time where they merge, but I doubt it. But it still looks promising.