Director James Gray's latest film, "Paper Tiger," premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday night to a resounding 7-minute standing ovation. Its star, Scarlett Johansson, was notably absent, busy filming "The Exorcist" reboot, prompting Gray to playfully attempt to call her via cellphone during the applause, shaking his head in mock frustration when the call went to voicemail. Co-stars Miles Teller and Adam Driver, who portray brothers caught in the tragic crime thriller, were present, flanking a boisterous Gray. The director, after the credits rolled, passionately addressed the audience of studio executives, artists, and film fanatics, declaring, "Cinema needs you guys more than ever. Really, this is a very important time, and Cannes is so important for that reason, and you are so important for that reason."

Gray, a celebrated figure at Cannes, marked his sixth film premiere on the Croisette with "Paper Tiger," having previously showcased "Armageddon Time," "The Immigrant," "Two Lovers," "We Own the Night," and "The Yards." He also served on the competition jury in 2019. Reflecting on his extensive history with the festival, Gray remarked, "It’s actually number six. I will say that there’s much more gray now in the beard, not just the name, but the beard. And I have learned finally to appreciate it…it always moves me greatly to see you here in this theater where I have very many great memories and I love you all." The film's A-list cast, particularly Teller and Driver, brought a significant Hollywood presence to a Cannes festival described as lacking major studio blockbusters, as they engaged with screaming fans on the red carpet. Neon, a distributor known for its six consecutive Palme d'Or wins, is slated to release "Paper Tiger" domestically.

"Paper Tiger," Gray's first feature since 2022's "Armageddon Time," is set in 1986, or the late 1980s, and transitions into a neo-New Hollywood vérité thriller style. It is considered a spiritual sequel to "Armageddon Time," sharing a similar backdrop of middle-class Queens and an atmosphere of mouthy, close-knit Jewish domestic psychodrama. However, the new film introduces a more ramped-up material anxiety and a dread-fueled narrative engine. The central plot revolves around two brothers: Irwin Pearl (Miles Teller), a sweet, passive, and earnest reservoir engineer, and Gary Pearl (Adam Driver), a high-rolling ex-cop. Their ill-fated get-rich scheme, intended to capitalize on the clean-up of the notoriously polluted Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, inadvertently ensnares them in the dangerous web of the Russian mob.

The scheme begins with Gary, utilizing his charismatic but unreliable nature, proposing a company that would leverage Irwin's engineering expertise for the canal clean-up. The plan requires them to collaborate with a wave of recently arrived Russian immigrants whose livelihoods are intricately tied to the canal's operations. While initially appearing feasible, a meeting with the Russian representatives, particularly the slick-haired Vesselinov, foreshadows an underlying threat. The situation rapidly escalates when Irwin, during a whim to show his sons what their father is planning at the canal, accidentally witnesses barrels of oil being illegally dumped. This act of unwitting observation leads to a brutal reprisal: Irwin is physically assaulted, and a sinister Russian figure holds a stiletto, described as sharp enough to slice an elephant's hide, directly to one of his sons' faces – a scene depicted as