10 films we're most looking forward to at Cannes 2015

French fancies

Fassbender, dystopian sci-fi and animated comedy head to the Croisette for the 68th Cannes Film Festival. And so will Total Film. Heres what we can't wait to sink our teeth into at the years glitziest film fest.

Carol

Based on Patricia Highsmiths controversial novel The Prince Of Salt, this 50s-set romantic drama has been a long time coming former Film4 boss Tessa Ross spent 11 years trying to get it in front of cameras. She finally managed it by reuniting Cate Blanchett with her Im Not There director, Todd Haynes. Blanchett plays a married woman (thatd be Carol) whos wooed by Rooney Maras department-store clerk. With Blanchett looking seriously glam, not to mention the films gay themes, this should be a stylish companion piece to Haynes gorgeous Far From Heaven.

Sicario

This gritty crime drama (the title translates as Hitman) stars Emily Blunt as an Arizona cop who teams up with mercenaries to take on a Mexican drug lord (Benicio del Toro). Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners) with Roger Deakins (Skyfall) on DoP duties, Its an intense movie, a dark movie, promises Blunt. Its a very interesting debate about the drug war and I think this movie encapsulates it in a great way.

Inside Out

Could this be Pixars most ambitious film? Its one of its most mind-boggling, with a plot that takes us inside the minds of its characters, where physical manifestations of emotions dictate their lives. Were doing stretchy, squashy stuff weve never been able to do before, reveals director Pete Docter (Up) of the sure-to-be groundbreaking animation.

Macbeth

Director Justin Kurzels unsettling crime drama Snowtown refused to shy away from its troubling subject matter, so we expect his Shakespeare adap to be gutsy. And with Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard as the titular Scottish lord and his lady, this should be a hot favourite when it comes time to hand out awards. Its pretty big boots to fill, Fassys said of the role, but if anybody can fill them, were confident he can.

The Lobster

Having won the Prix Un Certain Regard at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival for Dogtooth, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos returns to the Croisette with one of the years boldest sci-fis. A futuristic love story, The Lobster is set in a world where singletons are forced to stay in a hotel where theyre matched with potential suitors. If a suitor isnt found, theyre turned into animals... Colin Farrells paunchy David is one such singleton and should he escape confinement, he might just find love with Rachel Weisz.

The Sea Of Trees

Matthew McConaughey is officially one of the busiest actors working today, and in between shooting True Detective and putting his name to half a dozen movie projects, he found the time to shoot this Gus Van Sant drama. McConaughey plays Arthur Brennan, an American whos lost in the forest near Mount Fuji and contemplating suicide when he stumbles across Takumi Nakamura (Ken Wantanabe). Together, they attempt to make their way to freedom. Its one hell of a survival story, promises McConaughey.

The Little Prince

Blending CGI with stop-motion, this adap of Antoine de Saint-Exuprys 1943 novel has visuals to rival Pixar and boasts an impressive all-star voice cast (James Franco, Rachel McAdams, Jeff Bridges, Benicio del Toro). It follows a prodigy who, along with an elderly neighbour, goes on an adventure inspired by the tale of a boy who came to Earth from another planet. Director Mark Osborne also made the first Kung Fu Panda, though wed expect this film to boast fewer brutal scraps.

Louder Than Bombs

The first English-language film by Norwegian director Joachim Trier (his 2011 film Oslo, August 31 debuted at Cannes), Louder Than Bombs is described as a Rashomon-style drama about the death of a war photographer, played by Isabelle Huppert. Her family discover she has a secret past as a retrospective of her work is prepared. Jesse Eisenberg also stars, presumably as one of Hupperts sons, and going on Triers previous work, this should end up being a handsome, tightly wound drama.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Hes back! Its taken director George Miller 30 years to bring his post-apocalyptic hero back to screens but better later than never, right? Since then, Mel Gibsons moved on, replaced by Tom Hardy as the petrol-headed protagonist, who teams up with skinhead Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) in a quest across the desert. It will be very familiar but its definitely its own thing, insists Miller. Early footage has been phenomenal, so you can bet the queues for this will start days in advance.

Irrational Man

After period romp Magic In The Moonlight, Woody Allens back with another strong cast as Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone play a romantically entangled professor and student. Its 30 years since Allen won at Cannes (for The Purple Rose Of Cairo) and this will be the directors 10th appearance at the festival after last showing up with Midnight In Paris. Its always an unreal experience, he says of the fest, a heightened, euphoric experience. Im always embarrassed. I live a quiet life. In partnership with Microsoft, powered by the HP Spectre 360 For the best movie reviews, subscribe to Total Film