Big stars strut their stuff at Cannes
By David Germain |
May 13, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE world's most glamorous film festival is all about romance, fantasy, laughs and a whole lot of stars, both on screen and strutting the Cannes red carpet.
Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" provided just what organizers wanted to open the world's most glamorous film festival: Romance, fantasy, laughs and a whole lot of stars, both on screen and strutting the Cannes red carpet.
Robert De Niro, fresh from his own Tribeca Film Festival in New York and now heading the Cannes Film Festival awards jury, marched the carpet before Allen's movie on Wednesday, along with fellow jurors including Uma Thurman and Jude Law.
Allen was joined by "Midnight in Paris" cast members Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Adrien Brody and Michael Sheen. The film is the first Allen has shot in France.
"Paris is one of my favorite places in the world," Allen said as he headed into his premiere.
Among others attending the festival's opening night on Wednesday were Antonio Banderas, in Cannes to show off footage for his upcoming "Puss in Boots" animated adventure, and wife Melanie Griffith, along with "Puss in Boots" co-star Salma Hayek.
The opening ceremony that preceded Allen's film included a performance by jazz pianist Jamie Cullum, who played a medley of songs about New York City, including "New York, New York" and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind" as a tribute to De Niro.
French actress Melanie Laurent, the ceremony's host, tried to get jurors up and dancing during the medley. She managed to shuffle a bit with Thurman, but the other jurors weren't in a dancing mood and scurried back to their seats.
The ceremony featured an honorary Palme d'Or, the festival's highest prize, for Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, whose films include 1988 Academy Award best-picture recipient "The Last Emperor." He'd never, however, won the grand prize at Cannes.
"I waited a bit, but here it is. I've received my Palme d'Or," Bertolucci said.
The director dedicated his award to De Niro and Allen, who was sitting in the audience with what Bertolucci called a "strange expression" on his face.
In broken French, De Niro thanked Cannes organizers for choosing him to head the jury and said, "I hope that I'll do a good job."
Festival managing director Thierry Fremaux said he was happy with the list of stars planning to attend.
"It's wonderful that we're going to have Woody Allen and Owen Wilson, Sean Penn and Kirsten Dunst, Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz," Fremaux said. "And to have Asian stars, too. And a lovely jury, led by Bob De Niro. What's more, all these people are film lovers and are going to turn Cannes into a wonderful party for the cinema."
Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" provided just what organizers wanted to open the world's most glamorous film festival: Romance, fantasy, laughs and a whole lot of stars, both on screen and strutting the Cannes red carpet.
Robert De Niro, fresh from his own Tribeca Film Festival in New York and now heading the Cannes Film Festival awards jury, marched the carpet before Allen's movie on Wednesday, along with fellow jurors including Uma Thurman and Jude Law.
Allen was joined by "Midnight in Paris" cast members Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Adrien Brody and Michael Sheen. The film is the first Allen has shot in France.
"Paris is one of my favorite places in the world," Allen said as he headed into his premiere.
Among others attending the festival's opening night on Wednesday were Antonio Banderas, in Cannes to show off footage for his upcoming "Puss in Boots" animated adventure, and wife Melanie Griffith, along with "Puss in Boots" co-star Salma Hayek.
The opening ceremony that preceded Allen's film included a performance by jazz pianist Jamie Cullum, who played a medley of songs about New York City, including "New York, New York" and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind" as a tribute to De Niro.
French actress Melanie Laurent, the ceremony's host, tried to get jurors up and dancing during the medley. She managed to shuffle a bit with Thurman, but the other jurors weren't in a dancing mood and scurried back to their seats.
The ceremony featured an honorary Palme d'Or, the festival's highest prize, for Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, whose films include 1988 Academy Award best-picture recipient "The Last Emperor." He'd never, however, won the grand prize at Cannes.
"I waited a bit, but here it is. I've received my Palme d'Or," Bertolucci said.
The director dedicated his award to De Niro and Allen, who was sitting in the audience with what Bertolucci called a "strange expression" on his face.
In broken French, De Niro thanked Cannes organizers for choosing him to head the jury and said, "I hope that I'll do a good job."
Festival managing director Thierry Fremaux said he was happy with the list of stars planning to attend.
"It's wonderful that we're going to have Woody Allen and Owen Wilson, Sean Penn and Kirsten Dunst, Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz," Fremaux said. "And to have Asian stars, too. And a lovely jury, led by Bob De Niro. What's more, all these people are film lovers and are going to turn Cannes into a wonderful party for the cinema."
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