As the end of the festival draws close, I take in three features in the running for the Queer Palm, including my first documentary of Cannes 2026.
A Secret Heart (Cœur Secret) ★★★★
Directed by Tom Fontenille / ACID (Queer Palm eligible)
A delicate, intensely personal, and moving documentary, A Secret Heart (Cœur Secret) follows the documentarians’ 64 year-old parent, Lilou, over four years as she transitions. The film is a tender portrait of transition later in life that exploring what this means for the individual as well as to her extended family. Tom Fontenille develops his parent’s story with care and respect, but isn’t afraid to dig deeper into Lilou’s familial strife.
Roma Elastica ★★
Directed by Bertrand Mandico / Midnight Selection / Queer Palm eligible
Marion Cotillard and Noémie Merlant star as a dreary duo in Bertrand Mandico’s lackluster fantasy. In 1986, famous French actress Eddie (Cotillard) is on the verge of a mental breakdown as she is accompanied to Rome by her makeup artist, Valentina (Merlant), to star in a new sci-fi flick. The dreamy nature of the film soon gets tiring and leaves a lot to be desired. The majority of what’s interesting about the film rides off of the dynamic pairing of Cotillard and Merlant, but it is quickly squandered. Both actors are severely under utilized, although there are occasionally some satisfying sapphic hints between their characters. Visually striking, with a vibrant Wes Anderson-esque color palette, this feels increasingly overbearing as the film progresses. The result is a drab midnight movie with hints of a better film.
The Man I Love ★★★★1/2
Directed by Ira Sachs / In Competition / Queer Palm eligible
Ira Sachs’s The Man I Love is a triumph. Beautifully subdued, but packing an emotional punch. Touching in its approach to a man who is deteriorating, clinging on, finding life and vitality in his art and in his ability to keep moving. Rami Malek plays Jimmy, a theater artist rehearsing for what could possibly be his last show. It is a subtle film that is richly textured both narratively and stylistically. Malek is raw and restrained, giving his most powerful performance to date portraying a man who has survived and who will keep on living, even if that means sabotaging himself and those he loves in the process. In collaboration screenwriter Mauricio Zacharias, and with rich, vibrant cinematography by Josée Deshaies (Passages), Sachs breathes new life into how AIDS is portrayed on film. Delicate yet messy, authentic and poignant, The Man I Love is a must-see.
By Andrew Pankey