CANNES (Hollywood Reporter) – The films in the Un Certain Regard sidebar at Cannes seem to be holding a special sub-competition of their own, to see which will have audiences checking their watches most often.

The topical story and strong leads in David Verbeek’s “R U There” feel like a great short stretched into a feature that cannot sustain the tension for which it so earnestly strives.

Watching Life 2.0, a documentary about the virtual reality sensation Second Life, was an entertaining thrill, emotionally insightful and satisfyingly voyeuristic.

The juxtaposition of the real and “imaginary” lives of four heavy Second Life users was fascinating. Watching the film was like taking an imaginary vacation to some other planet, with a complete society including beaches and dance clubs, fashion and real estate, friends and strangers. The graphics were very utopian, with clean lines and computer generated images. It was basically a binge of collective imaginations.

Life is much easier in Second Life than it is in the physical world. For instance, … read more

CANNES, France — The dark side of the virtual world descended on Cannes Sunday in teen suicide dramas playing on the potentially dangerous blur between reality and the Internet.

“Chatroom”, the first of a trio of cyberspace thrillers chilling the film festival, sees a dysfunctional youngster (upcoming British star Aaron Johnson) obsessively watching Japanese suicide videos in a dark locked bedroom.

He sets up a chatroom with four other troubled teenagers, but seems only to want to mess with their heads.

Directed by Japanese master of horror Hideo Nakata, but panned by many Cannes critics, the British movie brings a note of caution … read more

SYNOPSIS: The story of Jitze (20), a professional gamer who travels around the world to compete in video game tournaments. During a stay in Taipei he unexpectedly witnesses an accident which ressembles those he re-enacts in his video games on a day to day basis; this confronts him with his own mortality and his world is suddenly shaken by reality, in a violent way. He meets an intriguing Taiwanese woman in the hotel bar where he is staying, never quite figuring out whether she is an escort, masseuse or bettle nut girl. He tries to get close to her but … read more