A CANNES VIDEO PRESENTED BY CANON CANADA

At a festival loaded with heavyweight auteurs, and light on Hollywood celebrity, Brad Pitt was the designated superstar. But at the Cannes press conference for the premiere of Inglourious Basterds, he held off his entrance with noblesse oblige, and let his chuffed director, Quentin Tarantino, soak up the spotlight —flanked by leading ladies Diane Kruger and Mélanie Laurent

And you have to wonder, what deal with Brad’s English garden-party get-up—the cream jacket and the ascot-like scarf? All that’s missing is a shooting stick. Did Angelina dress him in the morning as a joke? You’ll notice, by the way, that in Cannes the press turn into fans in the presence of celebrity. Snapping photos I can understand—everyone, myself included, wants visuals for their websites—but the notion of journalists scrambling for autographs is downright embarrassing.

Brad Pitt in motion at the 'Inglourious Basterds' press conference in Cannes (photo: BDJ)

Yesterday was Brad Pitt Day in Cannes—although hard-core cineastes, especially the Gallic variety, perhaps thought of it as Quentin Tarantino Day. And for die-hard Canadians, it was Mike Myers Day. In the biggest blitz of Hollywood talent that we’ve seen during the festival, all three were on hand for the premiere of Inglourious Basterds, Tarantino’s outrageous Second World War epic. It was one of the most anticipated titles among the 20 films in competition here. The 2,300-seat Lumiere theatre was packed for the morning press screening, well before the 8:30 a.m. start time. And at the end of the two-and-half-hour opus, the Palais erupted with some of the strongest applause we’ve seen here. The movie is a hoot, and so was the press conference that immediately followed the morning screening. More on that in minute, but first a few details about the film. Continue…

'Up' inflates hype on the Carlton pier; Charles Aznavour voices Ed Asner's role in the French version/ photos by BDJ

On its opening day, the Cannes Film Festival lived up to its reputation for extremes. Last night the quite delightful Disney-Pixar movie Up became the first animated feature to open the festival in its 62-year history, not to mention the first 3D movie to open Cannes—presenting the bizarre sight of the Lumiere theatre filled with people in tuxedoes and dark glasses. Up is playing out of competition. But the same day, we saw the first competition entry, China’s Spring Fever, which also set a precedent of sorts. A bleak tale of a young man who betrays his wife for a homosexual romance, it has to be the first movie we’ve ever seen from China that’s loaded with explicit gay sex scenes. And this morning, as I sat down to watch Francis Ford Coppola’s Tetro, the opening film of the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar, a fellow critic pointed out that “humping is big” in the Fortnight, especially of the gay variety—notably in I Love You Phillip Morris, starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor, and a perky comedy called Humpday.

This is my 14th year at Cannes. For professional lovers of film, the May pilgrimage to French Riviera is a rite of spring. We come hoping to be surprised, provoked and, if we’re lucky, blown away by a film that shows up out of the blue and takes cinema to the next level. And each year, those of us who take part in this rite wonder if we”ll make it back here for another year. Well, the ranks are thinning. As media companies reel from the recession, film criticism is under assault wherever you look. Some North American newspapers have axed their critics. Others have decided that sending them to Cannes, the world’s cinephile summit, is a luxury they can no longer afford. This year both the Globe and Mail and the National Post have not sent their critics (although The Globe‘s London correspondent, Liz Renzetti, will be on hand for a few days.) This should not go unnoticed. It’s the first time the Globe has not sent its film critic since the 1970s, when the late Jay Scott first began coming here—and helped put Canadian cinema on the map, as Cannes discovered the likes of Denys Arcand, Atom Egoyan, Jean-Claude Lauzon and Patricia Rozema. Meanwhile, the U.S. presence is also severely reduced. Entertainment Weekly’s presence is cut from three to one writer. People doesn’t have a staffer here. Vanity Fair is not holding its usual bash.

So I feel lucky. It’s s good to be back, even on a recessionary shoestring. Continue…

The Cannes film festival has just announced its official program today. And it looks like a strong line-up, heaving on established auteurs, and with the requisite spash of Hollywood glamour. The main competition is heavy with work from  master filmmakers, includings Pedro Almodóvar, Ang Lee, Lars Von Trier, Ken Loach, Michael Haneke, Alain Renais—and Jane Campion, who premieres her first feature in six years. Ang Lee will unveil Taking Woodstock, which stars Canada’s Eugene Levy as Max Yasgur, the farmer whose patch of land hosted the world’s legendary rock festival. Bratt Pitt should provide some celebrity wattage as the star of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds. And Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell may show up to celebrate their work in filling out the late Heath Ledger’s unfinished role in Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassass, which is screening out of competition. The festival will open with Up, a 3D animated feature from Pixar.

There appear to be no Canadian features in official selection, although I still have to double check the French-language titles. Here’s the complete list from Cannes, and more details can be found on the official Cannes site.

THE COMPÉTITION :

Opening Film :  Peter DOCTER – UP – Out of Comp.- 1h44
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Pedro ALMODÓVAR – LOS ABRAZOS ROTOS (Broken Embraces) – 2h09

Andrea ARNOLD – FISH TANK - 2h02

Jacques AUDIARD – UN PROPHÈTE – 2h35

Marco BELLOCCHIO – VINCERE – 2h08

Jane CAMPION  -  BRIGHT STAR – 2h00

Isabel COIXET – MAP OF THE SOUNDS OF TOKYO -1h44

Xavier GIANNOLI – A L’ORIGINE – 2h30

Michael HANEKE  – DAS WEISSE BAND (The White Ribbon) – 2h24

Ang LEE – TAKING WOODSTOCK -1h50

Ken LOACH – LOOKING FOR ERIC – 1h59

LOU Ye – CHUN FENG CHEN ZUI DE YE WAN (Spring Fever) – 1h55

Brillante MENDOZA – KINATAY - 1h45

Gaspar NOE – ENTER THE VOID – 2h30

PARK Chan-Wook  -  BAK-JWI – (Thirst) – 2h13

Alain RESNAIS – LES HERBES FOLLES - 1h36

Elia SULEIMAN – THE TIME THAT REMAINS – 1h45

Quentin TARANTINO – INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - 2h40

Johnnie TO – VENGEANCE – 1h48

TSAI Ming-liang – VISAGE (face)- 2h18

Lars VON TRIER – ANTICHRIST – 1h44

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Closing Film : Jan KOUNEN – COCO CHANEL & IGOR STRAVINSKY – Out of Comp. – 2h00 Continue…

According to new reports, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will soon move one child closer to convening their own underage G20. The couple is said to be looking to adopt a child from India.

An open letter to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie:

It has come to my attention – through stories in the press and the telltale sound of millions of orphans simultaneously raising their arms and shouting, “Oooo, pick me!” – that you are thinking of adopting another child. I commend you both on your noble impulse. And I humbly prescribe a provocative course of action as you plan an even larger family.

You should adopt me.

There’s no denying I would be an unconventional choice. For one thing, I am a full-grown adult – which puts me at something of a disadvantage. For instance, I couldn’t find a wicker hamper big enough to leave myself on your doorstep.

But believe me, I’ll fit right in, and not just because I too hate Jon Voight. For instance, you both work tirelessly to ease suffering among the world’s least fortunate – whereas I had an Amnesty International sticker on my math binder in high school.

In media interviews, you’ve indicated that you place a priority on achieving further diversity in your family. Advantage, Feschuk. You are two of the most attractive people on the face of the Earth, whereas I am neither beautiful nor thin. Talk about balancing the ticket.

And that’s not all. Your oldest child, Maddox, is Cambodian. Shiloh was born in Namibia. What a happy coincidence that I too hail from an exotic and mystical land. Perhaps you have heard of Canada? No? Well, it’s very much Continue…