Gina Gammell & Riley Keough’s ‘War Pony’ Is Admirable But Overstuffed [Cannes Review]

Riley Keough — the granddaughter to the King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis Presley -- is set to share a special look at the upcoming biopic about her famous grandfather.Keough will make an appearance during the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards to present an exclusive sneak peek at the Baz Luhrmann-directed film,, which stars Austin Butler as the «Jailhouse Rock» singer, and Olivia DeJonge as Keough's grandmother, Priscilla Presley.The long-awaited project also stars Tom Hanks as Elvis' longtime manager Colonel Tom Parker, and is set to hit theaters June 24.Meanwhile, the star-studded awards show is also set to celebrate — after the film soared into box office glory and shattered Memorial Day box office records — with a special message from Tom Cruise.This year's show — hosted by Vanessa Hudgens — will honor top favorites in entertainment and is set to air live from Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California.Top nominees on the scripted side this year include with seven nods,  with six, and with four, while on the unscripted side,  earned four nominations, while and nabbed three apiece.The 2022 ceremony will also feature new categories such as Best Song, Best Reality Return, Here For The Hookup and more!Check out the complete list of nominees here.The 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards air live on Sunday, June 5 at 8 p.m. PT/ET on MTV.

Kasia Gallanio died at the age of 45. According to reports, Gallanio was found at her home in Marbella, Spain, by the local police.

Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticCANNES — The awards show for the 75th anniversary Cannes Film Festival is underway, bringing 12 days of competition between 21 international features to a close. “Benedetta” star Virginie Efira is hosting, while several directors can be spotted in the audience waiting to receive their awards, including Claire Denis (“Stars at Noon”), Park Chan-wook (“Decision to Leave”) and Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (“Tori & Lokita”).Guillaume Canet presented best actress honors to Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, who plays the reporter who risks her own life to catch a serial killer in “Holy Spider.” The tense true-crime thriller exposes the crimes and aftermath of a man who targeted prostitutes, and that portion of society which accepted his religious justifications he claimed for cleaning the streets.

“War Pony” wins Palm Dog AwardBrit the Silver Poodle, who stars in Riley Keough and Gina Gammell’s indigenous drama “War Pony,” took home the coveted Palm Dog collar, according to the Hollywood Reporter.The Palm Collar is awarded to the best performance by a canine or group of canines during the festival. The award consists of a leather dog collar with the term “PALM DOG.”Steve Pond, in his review of “War Pony” wrote, “Set on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and co-written, co-produced and starring members of the Native American community, “War Pony” is unhurried, naturalistic and heartbreaking, taking its rhythms from the lives of characters in a situation where the lack of options can lead to desperation or to resignation.

CANNES – Lukas Dhont’s second feature, “Close,” starts off where most love stories end, and, in that respect, it begins with almost euphoric joy. Leo (Eden Dambrine) and Remi (Gustav De Waele) are the best of friends.

Elvis Presley, has spoken about the “emotional experience” of watching Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis at Cannes Film Festival.“It’s very intense to watch when it’s your family,” the actor/director told Variety. “The first movie I ever watched in the theater and said I wanted to make movies was ( Luhrmann’s) Moulin Rouge when I was 12. It was a real honour to know Baz was doing this movie.

Detective Hae-joon investigating the death of a man who fell from a mountain top. When he meets the deceased man’s wife in Park Chan-wook’s latest film in competition at Cannes, Decision To Leave.  

CANNES, France -- South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation has often been depicted in film but rarely from the inside. The Cannes Film Festival entry “War Pony," though, sought to capture daily life on the reservation by relying on the perspectives of its Native American residents.The film was directed by the actor Riley Keough and her friend, Gina Gammell.

It’s a very big day for Riley Keough!

CANNES – We are living in yet another era of European history where old battles over the borders of nation-states are being disputed. Russia has invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine after already annexing the province of Crimea less than a decade ago.

Baz Luhrmann’s new biopic “Elvis” will certainly prove to be emotional for the late King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s millions of fans, and was even more so for his granddaughter, actress Riley Keough.

Riley Keough had an emotional response to Baz Luhrmann‘s new movie Elvis.

Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticIf Larry Clark had ever found his way onto the Pine Ridge Reservation, he probably would have come away with a film like “War Pony,” which observes its young Native American characters hustling, skating and stealing drugs from otherwise distracted adults. Presenting such behavior without judgment, first-time directors Gina Gammell and Riley Keough developed this unvarnished portrait in collaboration with their actors, capturing something at once tragic and true about these kids, who are torn between Oglala Lakota traditions and the consumer culture around them.A few years older than the hero of Chloé Zhao’s recent “The Rider” — a movie this one can’t help but resemble, at least superficially — Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) is like the slacker version of that American dreamer.

It is more than a bit ironic in a Cannes Film Festival where Baz Luhrman’s biopic Elvis is one of the most anticipated entries, that the subject of it, Elvis Presley turns out to have another direct connection this year’s fest. His granddaughter Riley Keough is making her directorial debut with the Un Certain Regard selection, War Pony having its World Premiere today. The film focuses on two young Native Americans coming of age and trying to get by in a story set on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. It is a location that has intrigued other filmmakers like Chloe Zhao (The Rider) in recent years, and now has caught the attention of Keough and her co-director Gina Gammell in order to tell an authentic and unique contemporary tale of Native American youth brought to life by an impressive group of first-time actors, mostly locals the directors cast in order to give this as fresh and real a feel as possible. They have succeeded.

Zack Sharf It’s quite the Cannes Film Festival for first-time director Riley Keough.Not only is she debuting her first movie as a filmmaker (“War Pony,” which she co-directed with her producing partner Gina Gammell), but her family history is the subject of Baz Luhrmann’s starry film, “Elvis,” which will make its world premiere next week at the festival. Keough is the granddaughter of Elvis Presley, played in the film by Austin Butler.Keough joined Variety and Kering at Cannes for a Women In Motion conversation, where she said Luhrmann spoke to her family when working on his film, but she was never approached for a role, despite the strong resemblance she has to her grandmother, Priscilla Presley, and mother, Lisa Marie Presley. Keough also revealed that the trio of women watched the movie together.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentRiley Keough has been in the business for more than a decade. At just 32 years old, the granddaughter of Elvis Presley has made a name for herself as a performer with great range, known for “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Magic Mike,” “Zola” and Steven Soderbergh’s “The Girlfriend Experience,” which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.