The Croisette is sweltering and the usual suspects, industry big wigs, critics, chancers and super-tans arrive in force to the other-worldly Cannes Film Festival.
After a calf toning uphill quick march to breezy apartment I hit the Lumiere with a lucky ticket for Cannes opener, Woody Allen's MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. The audience absorbs this nostalgia jest, starring Owen Wilson as self-effacing wannabe writer Gil Pinder and Adrian Brody in a fine tongue-in-cheek turn as Salvador Dali (!) not to mention first lady of France Carla Bruni as a museum guide! Glad to also see rising Brit star Tom Hiddleston (who Branchagers may remember from Joanna Hogg's UNRELATED at the 2009 fest) play a convincing F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Next morning an early rise for Gus Van Sant's quirky teen mortality romance RESTLESS - with a heavy lidded wink to Hal Ashby's 1971 classic HAROLD AND MAUD.
Much anticipated competition film WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (by Scottish director Lynne Ramsay) proves worthy of the hype as well as the sunburn as the eager queues stretch out in the lunchtime heat. A deeply disconcerting and stunningly composed film about a mother son relationship awry from the start.
Escaped crowds and sunk into the patch of beach fronting the British Pavilion. They have a whole host of British features to promote as well as a packed schedule of production and finance advice, director talks and pitching sessions over the course of the festival.
Word on la rue is that competition film erotic debut feature SLEEPING BEAUTY (by novelist turned director Julia Leigh) is one to watch, plus Sundance contender MARTHA, MARCY, MAY, MARLENE which is described by Variety as "expertly crafted and cinematic storytelling".
I'm look forward to Dardenne brothers' A KID WITH A BIKE, plus Lars von Trier's MELANCHOLIA and... well some sleep mainly! Chow for now earthlings x
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