And so it ends again. The Cannes Film Festival wraps tonight following the awards ceremony and a screening of “Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky” which will put a close to the two-week marathon affair.

All in all, it was a sort of middling festival. The weather was fabulous (never a certainty), some of the films got people excited, but some not so much and business was pretty so-so.

Highlights this year of course included a rousing reception for Disney/Pixar’s “Up”; Quentin Tarantino’s unveiling of “Inglourious Basterds” (a film which divided critics); Lars Von Trier’s insistence that he is the “world’s greatest director” (an opinion shared by whom? Anyone?…Anyone?) and the 19-year-old hyphenate Xavier Dolan who swept prizes in the Fortnight with “I Killed My Mother.”

Now, critics are bleary-eyed; the trade journalists (myself included) are exhausted from chasing deal stories of which there were too few (a reflection on the times in which we live); filmmakers are either breathing a sigh of relief or cursing the day they allowed themselves to be exposed to the often harsh Cannes audiences; executives are trying to gauge the future of independent film (an eternal question) and celeb-watchers are likely a bit disappointed.

Brangelina and Jim Carrey zipped in and out of town, Robert Pattinson was zealously guarded by guys too big for the NBA and none of the Heath Ledger stand-ins stood up on the red carpet for “Doctor Parnassus.” Honestly, where is George Clooney – or, hell, Sacha Baron Cohen - when you need him?

Speaking of Baron Cohen, festival director Thierry Fremaux told me several weeks ago that he would have been psyched to have the chance to have “Bruno” in Cannes. But, he hadn’t seen the film and as the release date was set for July it wasn’t a possibility.

A couple years ago, Baron Cohen as Borat made a huge splash in Cannes in his famous yellow ‘mankini.’ Bruno’s short shorts slinking down the Croisette would have been just the ticket this year.

I really have nothing to complain about, though. Twelve years on, I’m still like a kid in a candy store during the two weeks I get to spend reconnecting with old friends and colleagues, chasing down scoops, occasionally seeing films, learning about new talent and sipping champagne with the indie and celeb crowd.

And, after all, I have a glorious 50 weeks to recuperate before it all starts again.

Posted by Nancy at 3:24 pm

There was a mix of surprise and confirmed predictions at the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival this evening. The event unfurls in a mélange of pageantry, prestige and serious art with many of the winners anticipating their honors (they are told to be present but not for what) and there’s also a sense of un-scriptedness to the proceedings.

One of the best moments came when a shocked Christoph Waltz - Quentin Tarantino’s Col. Hans Landa in “Inglorious Basterds” - took the best acting award. In keeping (mercifully only somewhat) with his character, he gave an acceptance speech in French, English and German and thanked Tarantino for reviving his career.

Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” has won the Palme d’Or for best film in Cannes. The director, who now has three major Cannes prizes under his belt, warmly hugged jury president Isabelle Huppert when he mounted the stage.

The moment also marked the only time Huppert smiled (on camera at least) during the entire ceremony (as I noted in an earlier post, Huppert won her second acting Palme for Haneke’s “La Pianiste” in 2001).

Continue reading for the rest of the winners

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Posted by Nancy at 2:50 pm

Posted by Nancy at 8:05 am

Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon"

The prizes are starting to roll in for the various Cannes sections while the Croisette sits on tenterhooks in anticipation of tonight’s big awards.

I keep getting text messages from folks with something at stake asking if I know anything about tonight’s potential Palme d’Or outcome. I don’t, at least not anymore than the general consensus that Jacques Audiard’s “A Prophet” and Michael Haneke’s “White Ribbon” are strong contenders. Jane Campion’s “Bright Star” could be poised for a recompense as could 87-year-old director Alain Resnais‘ “Wild Grass.”

Just now, I received a text message telling me that Lou Ye’s “Spring Fever” is now a frontrunner. The controversial director was banned from filming in China after his last film, “Summer Palace,” was shown in competition in 2006 without the approval of the Chinese censors. He made “Spring Fever” completely under the radar in the country and is now said to be leaving China for good.

There are always surprises at the final awards ceremony; it’s a given. This year, however, there could be more than usual. Scuttlebutt around town has been that jury president Isabelle Huppert - best known to non-arthouse/non-foreign audiences for a role in David O. Russell’s “I Heart Huckabees” - is a taskmaster of a leader.

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Posted by Nancy at 7:04 am

Prizes began being announced on Friday in Cannes. Here’s a round-up of who has what so far:

Un Certain Regard:

Main prize to “Dogtooth” by Yorgos Lanthimos

Jury prize to “Police, Adjective” by Corneliu Porumboiu

Special prizes to “No One Know About Persian Cats” by Bahman Ghobadi and “Father of My Children” by Mia Hansen-Love

Critics’ Week:

Grand prize to “Adieu Gary” by Nassim Amaouche

Other prizes to  “Lost Persons Area” by Caroline Strubbe and “Whisper With the Wind” by Shahram Alidi

Directors’ Fortnight:

Three major prizes to “I Killed My Mother” by (19-year-old!) Xavier Dolan

Other nods to “La Merditude Des Choses” by Felix van Groeningen and “La Pivellina” by Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel

Keep reading for the “Antichrist” anti-award

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Posted by Nancy at 7:03 am

The outrageously gorgeous Villa de Mai was all a twinkle last night for the joint “Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus“/”Drag Me To Hell” party up in the hills above Cannes.

Although, as predicted, none of the major males from Heath Ledger’s last film were in attendance, director Terry Glliam and star Lily Cole ventured to the soiree while “Hell” director Sam Raimi and his stars Justin Long and Alison Lohman also popped by to sip on Pommery champagne and take in the spectacular vistas.

“Imaginarium” was warmly received by many critics while “Hell” continued to wow. Both films were official selections here in Cannes but are not competition films. (On that front, no one it seems, can stop talking about Jacques Audiard’s “A Prophet” but we have to wait until Sunday night to know the final outcome.)

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Posted by Nancy at 6:16 am

The stars were out in force at last night’s AmFar benefit. From jury member Robin Wright Penn (whose husband Sean Penn just withdrew his petition for separation for the second time), Sharon Stone to Eva Green, Hayden Panettiere, Robert Pattinson and Bill Clinton, folks swanked it up at the charity benefit out in Antibes.

A couple of years ago, George Clooney auctioned off a kiss at the benefit to the girlfriend of a bidder who paid $350,000.

Reports today say that two lucky little girls will get a kiss on the cheek from Robert Pattinson after their parents bid 20,000 euros each for the honor.

I really must get myself on the guest list for this event…

Posted by Nancy at 6:18 am

Tireless movie reviewer Lisa Nesselson is back with a mid-point look at how the competition is shaping up:

There’s an occupational hazard heading into the final weekend at Cannes: Radio reporters with microphones and TV reporters with cameras surge up out of nowhere demanding to know “What do you think will win?”

If the running tally of critical opinions in the trades can be trusted (which, of course, it can’t), then Jacques Audiard’s entrepreneurial prison primer “A Prophet” is the front runner and Jane Campion’s affecting account of a  doomed 19th century romance, “Bright Star,” is a close second.

Jacques Audiard's "A Prophet"

Quentin Tarantino’s WWII revenge fantasy-cum-Western “Inglourious Basterds” took Cannes by storm on Wednesday. It’s a relatively straightforward but creative re-writing of history involving high ranking Nazis and very tough Jews.

Skeptics say that despite the trademark Tarantino humor, the fact that German and French-speaking characters are subtitled will be a commercial stumbling block.  To this, on behalf of all Americans, I say “Yes we can!”  Read subtitles, that is.  The rest of the planet does when watching Hollywood fare.

Are we, like, stupider than the rest of the planet?  Case closed.

Lars Von Trier’s “Antichrist” made headlines when reporters took some of its more violent imagery out of context. Although it can’t be denied that the film is a squirm-inducing experience, it should be acknowledged as an intense portrait of grief. IFC has picked it up for the U.S. along with Ken Loach’s working class comedy “Looking for Eric.”

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Posted by Nancy at 12:16 pm

You could tell that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle...

Few people do a red carpet quite like Quentin Tarantino. The manic director shimmied with his “Inglourious Basterds” star Melanie Laurent at the bottom of the Palais steps last night as they waited for the rest of their international cast to show up.

All the “Basterds” were there: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl, Mike Myers and company. Preceding them up the steps were the likes of Robert Pattinson, Sharon Stone (in a headline-grabbing dress) and Dita von Teese.

Having done my own red carpet stroll a few minutes before the big arrivals, I watched them on a big screen inside the Palais’ Salle Lumiere where the film would be shown.

When Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie turned, up the crowd inside the Palais made a collective “ooohhhh.”

Just before they joined QT, et al, you could read Brad’s lips saying to his partner, “Do you want to sign?” and off they went to sign autographs for the thousands of fans who had been lined up in front of the Palais for days hoping for just such a chance.

Then it was the “Basterds’” turn to pose for the photographers on the red carpet while a forlorn (annoyed? bored?) looking Angelina hung back and waited.

After several minutes of photo ops with the team, Pitt hustled back to the bottom of the carpet and picked up Angie for their spin. The crowd inside the Palais then sighed a collective, “Awwww.”

Before you knew it, everyone was in the house - I was just about 6 rows behind them all in fact - and we settled in for the flick.

Our friend Lisa Nesselson has a great take on QT’s “Basterd” brain without giving too much away.

Posted by Nancy at 6:06 am

Pandemonium reportedly reigned at the “Inglourious Basterds” press screening this morning as an overabundance of journalists jockeyed for access. Ultimately, festival organizers had to move the film to another screening room to accomodate as many as possible.

Thus far, it looks like some may regret all that jostling: The first reviews are not all that glorious.

And voilà, just as I was writing that, I was handed my ticket for the red carpet tonight. So, I’ll have my own opinion in a few hours but in the meantime, here’s what folks are saying:

“An intermittently-inspired World War II epic which illustrates both Quentin Tarantino’s brilliance and his tendency towards indulgence, Inglourious Basterds is composed of a series of long-running vignettes strung together by a slender story thread. The problem is that no one character or set of characters runs through the entire two-and-a-half hour running time, and, with some of the scenes running up to half an hour each, the thread of the drama is left disjointed and the focus ever-changing.” (Screen)

“History will not repeat itself for Quentin Tarantino. While his 
”Pulp Fiction” arrived late at the Festival de Cannes and swept away the
 Palme d’Or in 1994, his World War II action movie “Inglourious Basterds”
 merely continues the string of disappointments in this year’s Competition.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

Posted by Nancy at 8:48 am