By Dave McCoy
MSN Movies

As you likely know, Quentin Tarantino lopped off his part of the megaflop, "Grindhouse," titled "Death Proof," and submitted it to Cannes for competition. But Tarantino wasn't satisfied with just sending over the original 90-minute version. No, he added 37 minutes to the movie, which was already too long and indulgent. Leave it to one of America's most self-absorbed, egomaniacal filmmakers to take his most self-indulgent work to date and make it even more indulgent. It's a grindhouse B-movie, for heaven's sake! It's not supposed to be 90 minutes, let alone 127. Genre, Quentin: Learn it, know it, live it.

Anyway, as you can tell, no, I didn't like "Grindhouse." I loathed it. I found the endless babble between the ladies insufferable and sanctimonious. It was the first time I really felt as if QT was too in love with his own cleverness, characters be damned (though I do agree with a friend and colleague who's pointed out for years that nothing genuine comes out of the mouths of QT's characters; it simply sounds like conversations he and his buddies would have). By the time the big chase scene happened, I didn't care what happened to whom, and honestly, I didn't know enough about Kurt Russell's menacing character to feel engaged there either.

But apparently, with the extended European version of "Death Proof," QT has, according to himself (who else?), added more depth to Russell's sketch of a character, and more emotion to the film.

Well, sorry QT (and sorry readers). I thought about seeing "Death Proof." I struggled long and hard for a good two minutes before coming to the conclusion that QT didn't deserve a second chance on this one. So, you'll have to hear about it from someone else. The reception here was mixed, as the main trades ripped it apart whereas other bowing critics called it brilliant. Perhaps we'll let Kurt Russell have the last word, however. During the press conference for the film, he basically ripped Tarantino for pulling apart the two movies and only releasing "Death Proof" in a longer version. He didn't use the word "egomaniac" with QT sitting right next to him, but I'd like to believe he was thinking it.

On QT's part, he loves his new movie, but of course he loved his old one so much that he sent the script to Bob Dylan because he thought America's greatest songwriter would appreciate such great word play. I saw Tarantino at La Pizza the other night while I was gulping down more fish soup. He'd just returned from the premiere and was with two stunning ladies. He was smiling and looking very proud, and my fish soup started coming back up. Then, something interesting happened. A man walked over and asked QT to sign his pizza box. Tarantino smiled and waved the box away. Instead, he said, "How about we shake hands instead?" And it was the sweetest thing I've seen in a week here. If only he could channel some of that authentic emotion into his films more often ...

Dark Sun

"Secret Sunshine" (CJ Entertainment)

A late contender has emerged for Cannes awards, which will be given out this Sunday. Well, a late contender to these eyes, anyway. Lee Chang-Dong's tenderly crafted, ambitious "Secret Sunshine" is a film so rich in detail and shifts emotional gears so often that it plays like a novel rather than a feature film. Some have compared it to the work of Bresson in its portrayal of human suffering, and I can't think of a better description and compliment. The South Korean film opens with a widow, Shin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon), moving her son to Miryang, her dead husband's birthplace. The first section of the film finds Shin-ae coping with her new life, meeting new friends, teaching piano lessons, thwarting the advances of an attentive mechanic (Song Kang-ho, offering the film's only comic relief) and fawning over her child. And then ... something happens. It's a tragedy of monumental proportions that sends "Sunshine" into a variety of complex emotional areas. Struggling to cope with simply living, Shin-ae becomes a born-again Christian, and Chang-Dong's film suddenly becomes a meditation on faith, on the presence of God (i.e., does God exist?) or is it just a comforting creation for people to make excuses for why terrible events happen (well, you know, God works in mysterious ways). Is religion, in fact, a form of insanity and denial that is necessary for many to simply survive? Ultimately, the film offers no answers (how can it?), but as a work of survival, it's terrific. So is Do-yeon, who's in every frame of the 144-minute film and who's forced to showcase a range of difficult, shifting emotions. You can't take your eyes off her, and she leaves you gasping for air at times. It's easily the best performance of the festival, and if she doesn't win Best Actress, I'll be stunned.

I also caught another Asian film, a Thai movie called "Pleasure Factory." It's about Geylang, the red-light district in Singapore and those who work in and patronize brothels. Sounds interesting, yes? Well, not so much. I can't think of a more dull film on this subject matter than "Pleasure Factory." The characters are clichés, the situations unbelievable and the whole experience was quickly forgettable.

But what does Billy Bob Thornton say to the chubby kid in "Bad Santa" when he opens his Advent calendar expecting a chocolate, only to find a piece of candy corn? "Well, they all can't be winners!"

Exactly, Santa.

A demain ...

Friday: "Ocean's Thirteen" offers relief from heavy Cannes films. Plus, I'll report on attending Martin Scorsese's film class.

Dave McCoy is lead editor for MSN Movies. He'll file daily dispatches from Cannes through May 28.

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