Joaquin gets emotional during 5-minute Cannes standing ovation for 'Eddington'

Ari Aster's COVID-era Western “Eddington,” about a 2020 America quickly losing its mind to conspiracy theories, TikTok and political extremism, premiered to a mixed reception at the Cannes Film Festival.

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“Eddington,” starring Joaquin Phoenix as a muddled, mistake-prone sheriff who runs for mayor in a fictional New Mexico town, was among the most feverishly awaited American films at Cannes. It marks the first time in competition at the French festival for Aster, the lauded director of “Hereditary,” “Midsommar” and “Beau Is Afraid.”

It's also his most politically ambitious film. “Eddington,” which A24 will release in July, plunges into the US pandemic psyche, plotting a small-town feud that swells to encompass nationwide events, including mask mandates, the death of George Floyd and right-left divisions. As a microcosm portrait of the United States, it's a hardly a more peaceful affair than “Midsommar.” When Joe Cross (Phoenix) tires of the mask ordinances of the town's mayor (Pedro Pascal), he decides to oppose him in the upcoming election.