It’s here! That time of year when a resort town in the south of France is littered with actors and people who dress up as if they were actors for attention! The starlets are disrobing, the broken French is being unleashed and there might even be some films that are actually watched or whatever!
Each day we will bring you the latest buzz from the festival, highlighting the big movies, the parties we may or may not have been invited to and the stars we hopefully get to speak to, without being kindly ordered to let them enjoy their steak frites in peace.
"Red carpet! Red carpet! Over here!!" #cannes2015 pic.twitter.com/4CSaSOdKf4
— HenryHBarnes (@HenryHBarnes) May 13, 2015
As you can see from above, today is essentially the calm before the flash-heavy storm, as the festival gets ready for tonight’s opening movie. The rickety seats are at the ready for the fans while the paparazzi pen is being prepped for the actor-leering rabble. Here’s what’s been happening so far:
The big film
After Grace of Monaco opened last year’s festival to a parade of guffaws, this year’s choice, French drama La Tête Haute, aka Standing Tall, represents a much more stripped back, glamour-free alternative. While Catherine Deneuve might star, she’s playing a judge in a family court, meaning that she’s fitted out like a real person (cardigans, etc).
Ahead of tonight’s screening, this morning gave critics their first look at the Starred Up-style drama, where a young delinquent faces the error of his ways, and the response has been mixed. In his review, Peter Bradshaw called it “refreshingly high-minded”, giving it three stars, while others have been, well, kinder than they were to Grace:
STANDING TALL: Serviceable coming of age drama elevated by stellar lead as STARRED UP-like troubled youth. Sweetest #Cannes opener since UP.
— erickohn (@erickohn) May 13, 2015
Decent Cannes opener in Emmanuelle Bercot's Standing Tall. Volcanic perf from Rod Paradot, stoic dignity from Catherine Deneuve #Cannes2015
— Jamie Graham (@jamie_graham9) May 13, 2015
STANDING TALL (Bercot) Like prison food. Healthy, nutritious, flavourless, simple. A respectable opener, mind.
— David Jenkins (@daveyjenkins) May 13, 2015
Emmanuelle Bercot's Standing Tall was perfectly all right but not the most thrilling of openers at #Cannes2015, even with Catherine Deneuve
— Kate Muir (@muirkate) May 13, 2015
At the press conference after the screening, there was a slightly tense moment when director Emmanuelle Bercot was asked why the film wasn’t being shown in competition. She said that people would need to ask festival head Thierry Frémaux, as she still didn’t understand why it wasn’t up for a prize. Which was a bit awkward. Although the lukewarm reviews suggest that it probably wouldn’t have been in contention anyway ...
The stars
Yesterday saw the members of this year’s jury arrive and pretend to not feel awkward on the balcony of the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez while photographers snapped away. It’s a varied bunch this year, with the Coen brothers residing over a group that includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Guillermo Del Toro, Sophie Marceau and a rather lost Sienna Miller. This afternoon sees the jury hold a press conference which we will report on later today.
Other stars who have already descended on the Croisette include Julianne Moore, Lupita Nyong’o, Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. Hardy and Theron are in town for tomorrow’s out-of-competition screening of Mad Max: Fury Road. The film has already been receiving rave reviews (it’s currently at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes) with Peter Bradshaw calling it “extravagantly deranged”. Given Hardy’s headline-making press tour (he’s already talked about selling his mum for crack), expect further publicist-scaring soundbites.
The divisive free bag
If you follow at least two journalists in Cannes, you’ll have witnessed a huge difference in opinion over this year’s free bag. It’s blue and it’s small and it’s free and it’s tearing the Croisette apart with the lack of consensus.
The responses range from middling …
Cannes bag 2015: Claire Accessories does Cambridge Satchel Company. Three and a half stars. pic.twitter.com/xQAtAF2GIF
— catherine shoard (@catherineshoard) May 12, 2015
… to marginalised …
In honour of all the female directors not selected for Cannes, this year's official festival bag is a purse. pic.twitter.com/VUaclsXAj3
— Guy Lodge (@GuyLodge) May 12, 2015
… to alarmingly detailed:
I have given this some thought and the Cannes bag is: French Schoolchild by way of Taipei 1983 Astrophysics Conference Attendee.
— Jessica Kiang (@jessicakiang) May 13, 2015
Our very own Peter Bradshaw even uploaded a video to sum up his thoughts (his first review of the fest!)
More on bag-gate when we have it, including how much we got for ours on eBay.
The PR move
The smartly reactive car company Uber has come up with the most attention-grabbing, yet entirely impractical, idea of the day: helicopter taxis. Anyone wishing to travel from nearby airport Nice to the Croisette in the most ostentatious way possible can use the UberCopter service which costs €160 for a seven-minute ride. Because they Cannes.
The future
Tonight also allows us a first look at Tale of Tales, the latest film from Gomorrah director Matteo Garrone, which sounds like it could be the craziest film of the fest. It’s a dark fairy tale starring John C Reilly and Salma Hayek, who will be eating the heart of a giant beast. Critics’ Week will also kick off with The Anarchists, starring Blue is the Warmest Colour’s Adèle Exarchopoulos.
We’re off to bravely avoid the beach and head in to another dark indoor screening. Prayers be with us. See you tomorrow.
