Emily Blunt has been to Cannes for a few parties here and there. But I don’t recall ever seeing her at the Palais, representing her own film. It’s well worth the wait though as she was joined by Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin today at the photo call for Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario, in competition at the festival and receiving solid reviews so far, particularly for Emily’s performance and her role to begin with. That’s what made headlines leading up to the premiere. Because Villeneuve revealed that his financial backers initially balked at the idea of a female lead, preferring that Emily’s character become a man. Villeneuve did not compromise…and apparently this is the best that Emily’s ever been. Some are saying Sicario could have an outside shot at some nominations. If the film opens well, she could generate some support for Best Actress consideration too.
High heel controversy aside, there’s been a undeniable feminist vibe about Cannes this year; Sicario is arguably a part of that. As The Playlist reports:
But if (Emily Blunt’s) role is not a triumph for feminism because of the beat-downs Blunt doles out, it certainly has merit for showing her, repeatedly, being able to take a punch. It neither makes an issue of her gender, nor ignores it (there's one near-seduction scene that explicitly occurs because she is a woman), and in that way it feels like a very egalitarian approach, given some extra weight because of how often she is the only woman in a room, or car, or building full of men.
As for her dress…
Duana wondered at the MET Gala whether or not we’d just assumed she was a fashion risk-taker because we all like Emily Blunt so much and she was in Devil Wears Prada because, for the most part, her fashion choices aren’t all that exciting. This outfit though, my God, it’s her best in years.
