Like in many of his previous films every scene of “Julieta,” the new Almodovar that premiered in Cannes today, is visually perfect: flawless lighting, pristine combinations of color, evocative sculptures, colorful fabrics that stand in as metaphors for love, aging, masculinity, all of which are a part of the rich ecosystem symbols that propel Almodovar’s films. The venerable, La Mancha-born Almodovar turns 68 next September.

CANNES, France - On Sunday morning a new film slayed the rest of the competition. “Loving,” starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga and directed by Jeff Nichols, moved past festival favorites “American Honey” and “Toni Erdmann” to get to the number one place. Richard and Mildred Loving (Edgerton and Negga) are an interracial couple living in Virginia in the late sixties.

As the first lady of cinema gets dressed and ready for her close-up, a brief look at the lineup seems appropriate just before I board my train to Cannes. The selection of the 69th Cannes Festival, which opens tomorrow, is the strongest one in years. Paul Verhoeven's "Elle," starring Isabelle Huppert, holds the promise, for better or worse, of vanquishing the extremes of sadism and survivalism. France's Bruno Dumont