Cannes: New Photos Of Matthew McConaughey, Naomi Watts & Ken Watanabe In Gus Van Sant’s ‘Sea Of Trees’

Director Gus Van Sant’s has had great experiences at the at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the Palme d'Or in 2003 for his drama “Elephant," and not so great experiences — 2011’s “Restless” was not so warmly received. He’s been on the Croisette several times, and he’ll be In Competition once again for his upcoming film, “Sea Of Trees.” But which Van Sant will show up? The filmmaker obviously vacillates from the commercial (“Milk”) to the more esoteric and introspective (his entire “Gerry” through "Paranoid Park" run, which went from 2002 to 2007 and includes four films, so it'll be interesting to see what flavor we get here).

Well, despite the starry cast of Mathew McConaughey, Ken Watanabe (“Inception”), and Naomi Watts, it sounds like the artier Van Sant will appear at Cannes. “Sea Of Trees” sounds like more of an existentialist, minimalist effort, and it follows two strangers who meet at the base of Japan’s Mount Fuji and embark on a journey of reflection...