With Sunday's anniversary celebration just one day away, all of Hollywood has begun their migration for Cannes : Charlton Heston, Francis Ford Coppola, the Coen brothers. The Nice airport was booming. The European landing brought in Roman Polanski, Victoria Abril, Emily Watson and the Spice Girls who had just terminated a visit with Prince Charles in Manchester.
Marlon Brando was not there to accompany Johnny Depp up the red-carpeted steps. Depp, instead, had to settle for beautiful top model Kate Moss. The Brave, his first film as actor-director and screenwriter, shows that Depp certainly knows how to keep up his contacts. Marlon Brando agreed - at the last minute - to appear in it and gave a top performance, the photography was assured by none other than the chief operator of Kusturica providing great images, and Iggy Pop did the music score. Depp himself was required to star in the film because of its 5 million dollar cost to make and, according to the press, proved that he should stick to acting.
Kini & Adams by Idrissa Ouedraogo , one of Africa's most prolific filmmakers, shared the in-competition slot with The Brave. It is a comedy that turns into a tragedy which takes place in rural Burkina. The press remarked the quality of the actors and a well-constructed scenario.
But it was the Certain Regard showing of East Palace, West Palace by Zhang Yuan that won a huge round of applause. The story of a gay writer and his love for a palace park guard. An exploration of taboos rather than a Chinese story that resulted in the Chinese authorities revoking Yuan's passport. He will not be attending the Cannes Festival.
One of the big questions this year is will the production company Ciby 2000 win its fourth Golden Palm in five years : The Piano Lesson in 1993, Underground in 1995, and Secret & Lies in 1996. Their two films in the running are The End of Violence by Wim Wenders showing tomorrow and The Taste of Cherries by Abbas Kiarostami whose film was released by the Iranian authorities at the last minute. The other question is who will buy Ciby 2000 as the Bouygues group has decided to restructure and devote their investments in the direction of telephone ventures.
Luc Besson's The Fifth Element has already brought in $7million in box office hits, 300,000 viewers alone in France for its opening day.
Igmar Bergman will not be in Cannes to receive the Palm of Palms, the unique prize created for this special 50th anniversary event. Instead, his daughter Lin Ullmann will represent him. Liv Ullmann was also present for the Certain Regard projection of Private Confession that boasts a script by Bergman.
Giles Jacob has officially annonced that the anniversary celebration be dedicated to Marco Ferreri who died Friday in Paris. Ferreri was present at Cannes for none less than 8 films in competition including La Grande Bouffe, Bye Bye Monkey and I Love You.
The line-up for 11 May
Official Selection:
A Certain Regard:
Directors Fortnight:
Critics Week:
