It seems odd to be welcoming Cronenberg to Cannes mere months after he brought "A Dangerous Method" to Venice; long may this newfound productivity continue. It's especially gratifying given that his last film, for many fans, was a minor disappointment -- typically smart but surprisingly starchy given the potentially tangy subject matter. The Don DeLillo adaptation "Cosmopolis," however, should find him on more typically wild form: an absurdist tale of one billionaire's odyssey across New York to get a haircut, it's Cronenberg's first self-penned script since 1999's "eXistenZ." The cast, meanwhile, is irresistibly eclectic: Robert Pattinson gets to show us what he's really made of in the lead, with Juliette Binoche, Samantha Morton, Paul Giamatti, Jay Baruchel and Mathieu Amalric all in support. Bring it on.

-Guy Lodge