The fourth and fifth day of the Cannes Film festival saw a number of highly anticipated films premiere.

Among the big premieres was Tommy Lee Jones' "The Homesman;" it was the veteran actor return to the festival for the first time since 2006. His latest film premiered in the competition slate and stars Hilary Swank, Hailee Steinfeld and Meryl Streep. The westerner was one of most anticipated films but did not live up to its promise. The movie was not only scrutinized by critics for portraying Native Americans as villains but also scored mixed reviews. While Todd McCarthy from the Hollywood reporter raved about the film, stating, "An absorbing, melancholy look at the hard lot of women in the Old West," Slant Magazine's Budd Wilkins disliked it and said, "If what they have to say on the subject is as remotely superficial as 'The Homesman,' maybe the less said, the better." The movie has high hopes for awards season but still does not have a U.S. distributor.

Back in 2006, Jones' third film "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estradas" opened at Cannes to rave reviews and was even buzzing with awards. However, the movie failed to capture Oscar nominations. "The Homesman" is opening with mixed reception and that could be a downfall to its award chances.

On the other hand the Argentine competition film "Wild Tales" had a superb world premiere. The movie produced by Augustin and Pedro Almodovar received great reviews. The dark comedy was hailed for its comic timing and superb cast. The movie has already picked up a U.S. distributor and it is likely to be one of the films critics rave about come awards season. It also would not be a surprise if this film ends up being Argentina's Oscar submission come September.

The Turkish film "Winter Sleep" also premiered. The drama by Nuri Bilge Ceylan marks his sixth appearance at the festival in the competition slate. "Winter Sleep" scored rave reviews with Justin Chang from Variety, stating, "his character study from Turkish master Nuri Bilge Ceylan is a richly engrossing experience." Meanwhile, the Xan Brooks of the Guardian gave the movie a four out five and wrote, "Nuri Bilge Ceylan's heavyweight Palme d'Or contender is a harsh character study that is, in fits and starts, a stunning picture." The movie is scoring some of the best reviews of the festival at the moment and it has turned into one of the top contenders for the Palme D'Or. It would be no surprise if the director finally wins the award, especially since he has already been awarded with the Grand Jury Prize for his work on "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia" in 2011 and for Best Director for his work on "Three Monkeys" in 2008.

The French Biopic "Saint Laurent," however, was met with mixed reviews. The Bertand Bonello biopic was criticized for being uneven and for being too predictable. The movie boasts an exceptional cast, which includes Gaspard Ulliel, Lea Seydoux and Louis Garrel and has impeccable production values. While it has a U.S. distributor, the movie faces fierce competition from the other "Yves Saint Laurent" picture being released by the Weinstein Company this summer. Both movies have been met with mixed reception and that could end up hurting their grosses when they are released.

The other major competition film to premiere was David Cronenberg's "Map to the Stars." The director returned to the croisette with a star-studded cast which included Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska and John Cusack. However, like his last film, "Map to the Stars" was received with negative reviews. Peter Debruge from Variety wrote, "Part showbiz sendup, part ghost story, part dysfunctional-family drama, the movie instead comes across as so much jaded mumbo-jumbo." Meanwhile, Jason Gorber of Twitch wrote, "Cronenberg is now in a phase that simply no longer speaks to me, a cold and dreary cinema that's as dull as it is forgettable." With such negative reception this new film is likely to go home empty-handed and will likely have a hard time finding a US distributor.

The competition continues to heat up with many films yet to premiere including the highly anticipated "The Search" by Michel Hazanavicius.

In the out of competition slate David Michod's "The Rover" finally had its world premiere. The movie, which is being released by A24 this summer and stars Guy Pearce and Pattinson, also scored mixed reviews. The Telegraph immediately dismissed the film as a "Dirge" while Variety's Scott Foundas wrote, "The promise of Australian director David Michod's 2010 debut feature, 'Animal Kingdom,' is amply realized in 'The Rover,' a post-apocalyptic road movie of sorts set a decade after some unspecified cataclysm has turned the world - or at least one far-off corner of it -- into a mercenary no-man's-land."

Meanwhile in the Un Certain Regard sidebar, "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" premiered in its newly edited version. The movie, which was shown at the Toronto Film Festival in a two-part version and stars Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, was unveiled but the reception was not as enthusiastic as it was in Toronto. While some critics raved about the re-edited version and stated that it was a better-structured picture, some critics complained that it was much too light. For instance, the Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Less is less in this conventionally re-edited version of a sensitive, talented debut film." The movie is slated to be released by the Weinstein Company in September in the new version and there is already Oscar buzz for the picture especially for Chastain's performance. Fans of the two-part version will get their due as the Weinstein Company plans on releasing the two-part feature later on.