The Man I Love, Rami Malek praised at Cannes
moviesMay 20, 20262292
At the Cannes Film Festival, critics hailed Rami Malek for his leading turn in Ira Sachs' The Man I Love, calling it one of his best performances in years. Set in Reagan-era 1980s New York, the queer drama follows Malek as an HIV-positive performance artist whose volatile, mannered behavior anchors a portrait of the AIDS years. Reviewers praise Sachs' direction for avoiding easy AIDS-era clichés and for scenes that transform Malek's twitchy, odd choices into emotionally powerful moments, while a few critics find the performance occasionally overdrawn. The film's standout lead could reshape perceptions of Malek's career and spotlight a more unsentimental approach to queer history at Cannes.
