Why did Un prophète win the Grand Jury prize at Cannes last year? Because it’s an absorbing, gritty prison drama following the unsentimental education of a quietly appealing young man as he learns, struggles and triumphs, executed with a high degree of skill and clear-eyed unsentimentality, and boasting a satisfyingly dense texture and enough stylistic flourishes to give the film its own distinctive character.

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You know it to be perhaps the preeminent film festival in the world, yet unless you’re a Weinstein, keeping up with the 70-odd features showing at this year’s 62nd annual Cannes Film Festival might not be easy.  For your convenience (and entertainment), we’ve compiled a short list of some of the better-reviewed, lesser-reviewed, and all-together buzzworthy (for better or worse…) films to have screened so far at the fest.

Let’s start on a positive note…

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