Paul Mescal might be onto his second Oscar nomination following the success of his new movie The History of Sound. The Gladiator II star's new film received a 7.5 minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival - and the early reviews have revealed that the new film sounds like a true Oscar contender.
The movie, which also stars Challengers actor Josh O'Connor, follows two music students at the New England Conservatory, Lionel and David, who fall in love in 1917 - before David is drafted and sent to the front.
© Corbis via Getty ImagesTaking to X to discuss, one person wrote: "#TheHistoryOfSound was so subtle, intimate and devastating. Steals a few moves from Atonement and Brokeback, but it amounts to something special," while another person posted: "#PaulMescal & #JoshOConnor are at their finest as two conservatory music students who meet & fall in love in Oliver Hermanus' haunting #TheHistoryOfSound. Mescal is especially heartbreaking and does his own singing. It's one of my @Festival_Cannes standouts in addition to #Sirat."
© GettyA third person added: "The Paul Mescal/Josh O'Connor duo delivers a romance that's a bit of a classic, a bit forced for Cannes, but is still enjoyable to watch. The film slowly gains momentum and ends with a rather moving final third. An Oscar-worthy film."
The movie has been compared to another gay romance drama, Brokeback Mountain, which won several Oscars including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Original Score. However, Paul has spoken out against the comparisons.
© Shane Anthony SinclairSpeaking at the Cannes press conference, he explained: "When I look at Brokeback Mountain, it’s dealing with repression. This film is pointed in the opposite direction. To be honest, I find those comparisons lazy and frustrating. But for the most part, I think the relationship I have to the film is born out of the fact that it’s a celebration between these men’s love and not the repression of their sexuality."
HELLO! Cannes Film Festival 2025
Once again, the Cannes Film Festival is transposing Hollywood to the French Riviera for two weeks of movie mayhem.
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Speaking about his perspective about love after having made the movie, the star, who is dating Gracie Abrams, added: "Love is a very complicated… Andrew Scott’s speech in Fleabag about love at the end at the wedding. That’s what I think about.
© Dave Benett/Getty Images for BAF"It’s a very hard thing to pin down. What I found so moving about the screenplay is that it’s never really described in words, it’s described in actions and things you don’t see. That’s something I’ve learned in my own life, kindness is wildly underrated in romantic relationships and should be celebrated."
