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The long-awaited return of Sofia Coppola has arrived at Cannes following this morning's screening of The Beguiled .
The Lost in Translation filmmaker's latest feature offers a new take on a 1966 novel set in a Virginia women's boarding school in 1864 at the height of the Civil War.
Generating much attention has been the film's stellar cast comprised of Nicole Kidman - as headmistress Miss Martha Farnsworth - as well as Elle Fanning (Somewhere ) and Coppola's Marie-Antoinette lead Kirsten Dunst.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016Show all 14 1 /14The films to know about at Cannes 2016 The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Julieta Director: Pedro Almodóvar Starring: Adriana Ugarte, Emma Suárez What's it about? The Spanish filmmaker's 20th film is based on three short stories from Alice Munro's 2004 book, Runaway which tracks a woman's search for her missing daughter.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 American Honey Director: Andrea Arnold Starring: Sasha Lane, Kate Mara, Shia LaBeouf What's it about? In British filmmaker Andrea Arnold's (Red Road ) American road movie - her first film set and filmed outside the UK - a teenage girl who gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying as she crosses the Midwest with a band of misfits.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Personal Shopper Director: Olivier Assayas Starring: Kristen Stewart, Lars Eidinger, Nora von Waldstätten What's it about? Stewart reteams with French filmmaker Assayas following Clouds of Sils Maria for this ghost story set in the fashion underworld of Paris.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 It's Only the End of the World Director: Xavier Dolan Starring: Léa Seydoux, Marion Cotillard, Vincent Cassel What's it about? Xavier Dolan (Mommy ) returns with this film based on the play Juste la fin du monde which tells the story of a terminally ill writer who returns home after 12 years to announce his impending death.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Paterson Director: Jim Jarmusch, Starring: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani What's it about? An original film from Amazon Studios that follows Paterson, a bus driver in the city of Paterson, New Jersey who lives an inhibited life compared to that of his wife, Laura.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 I, Daniel Blake Director: Ken Loach Starring: Dave Johns, Hayley Squires, Micky McGregor What's it about? Written by Paul Laverty (the man behind Loach's Palme d'Or winner The Wind That Shakes the Barley , the film follows the titular protagonist, a joiner who seeks financial felp from the state following an illness.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Loving Director: Jeff Nichols Starring: Joel Edgerton, Michael Shannon, Marton Csokas What's it about? Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special follow-up tracks an interracial couple based in Virginia sentenced to prison in 1958 for getting married.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 The Handmaid Director: Park Chan-wook Starring: Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Kim Tae-ri What's it about? The Oldboy director's latest South Korean film follows an heiress who falls in love with a petty thief.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 The Neon Demon Director: Nicolas Winding Refn Starring: Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks What's it about? Winding Refn's third consecutive film to compete for the Palme d'Or, this horror thriller follows an aspiring model who moves to Los Angeles where 'her vitality and youth are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means to get what she has.'
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Café Society Director: Woody Allen Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively What's it about? Woody Allen's latest will open the Festival. It is a New York romantic comedy set in the 1930s with a cast including Steve Carell, Parker Posey, Corey Stoll and Judy Davis.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 The BFG Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Mark Rylance, Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader What's it about? Based on the Roald Dahl classic, the story follows a young girl named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) who befriends a friendly giant.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Money Monster Director: Jodie Foster Starring: George Clooney, Jack O'Connell, Julia Roberts What's it about? A money-oriented live TV show is interrupted when the presenter is taken hostage by a blue-collar worker compelled to turn to violence following his recent financial losses.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 The Nice Guys Director: Shane Black Starring: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe Reason to see: Shane Black (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang ) and his razor sharp wit return in a comedy set in 70s LA.
The films to know about at Cannes 2016 Captain Fantastic Director: Matt Ross Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, Kathryn Hahn What's it about? In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father who devoted his life to raising his six kids with an irreverent education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the 'real' world.
The plot sees the women's world disrupted by the arrival of a wounded Union army soldier played by Colin Farrell who was the focus of a 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood. Coppola, however, shifted the focus onto “the dynamics between a group of women stuck together.”
Critics across the world - including The Independent 's Kaleem Aftab - have provided their first-look reactions to The Beguiled , which you can see for yourself below.
The Beguiled will be released in UK cinemas on 14 July.
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