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Show Monday, June 4, 2007 Cannes Do SANK Two weeks fly by at the best film fest in the world ANNES, FRANCE—One could slunk away with my head down. Thankfully, I was able to make it into make the argument that I was the next screening...unfortunately, distinctly out of my league. a delightful ironic twist, it turns out But there I was. For the third time in history, y, the that "My Blueberry Nights" could have used a lot more Cannes Film Festitime in the editing val welcomed The room. Daily Utah ChroniThefilmis an epcle, France's favorite isodic meditation American college CHRIS on love between newspaper.' two heartbroken Two solid weeks BELLAMY romantics (Jude at the biggest, most Law and Norah glamorous film fesJones, in her featival in the world. ture film debut) Walking along the S II p who have to take only red carpet that f o r the third time in their own long matters. Rubbing roads to recovery shoulders with the history, the Cannes Film before they can most important film even think about writers, journalists Festival welcomed The Daily finding love with and filmmakers from each other. across the globe. Eat- Utah Chronicle, France's ing little, sleeping The film takes less and, of course, favorite American college this literally, as burning my eyes out (Jones) // Elizabeth while viewing four newspaper. takes off on an exor five movies a day. _ — tended road trip, This, in case anyone stopping off in varwas wondering, is my idea of a good ious towns—a few months here, a few time. weeks there—before finding herself It was my first trip down the Crois- back in New York at Jeremy's (Law) sette—an extended strip of theaters, late-night diner, eating slices of abanhotels, cafes and makeshift tents situ- doned blueberry pie. ated against the Riviera. The entire fesNatalie Portman and, in particular, tival takes place here. David Strathairn deliver excellent perUnlike Sundance, which busses its formances as people she meets along patrons from theater to theater across the way—Portman as a hardened, cyniPark City without rhyme or reason, ev- cal gambler con a_tist whose luck has ery theater at Cannes is in one block. run out, and Strathairn as a depressed Everything else you need—food, lodg- alcoholic trying desperately to reconing, beach, photo-op, perhaps a yacht— nect with his younger wife (Rachel Weisz). is within a one or two-mile radius. In France, that's apparently called Wong brings his patented eclectic "walking distance." This was a highly visual style to new American landunusual concept for me. But, joined by scapes. You know exactly who directmy good friend, fellow film critic and ed "My Blueberry Nights" in the first former RED Magazine editor Jeremy 30 seconds. But while his flair for the Mathews, this was how we traveled the dramatic and romantic remains, the vast landscapes of this small, ocean- constant and excruciating voiceover front town—by foot. derails the film. The narration, which goes back and DAY ONE forth between Elizabeth and Jeremy, is Technically, this was Day Four... painful to endure at times—spelling or perhaps Day Three, depending on out every obvious emotion, theme and how much stock you place in two days' metaphor the film has to offer. For a worth of international flights, layovers director so adept at telling his stories and an eight-hour time change. After through visuals and mood, it's curious getting lost for several hours in what I to see him leaning on such an unnecwas later told was not a very good area essary tactic. Supposedly, this is the fiof town for an American with expen- nal cut. But perhaps—I might even say sive electronic equipment, we finally hopefully—he'll change his mind and checked into our room (approximate head back to the cutting room. size: four square feet). The festival's big surprise came later I digress. that night—and not only ended up winLet's say it's Day Three and a Half ning the Palme d'Or (the top prize), but now—opening day of the festival. The also set the tone for what would be a big premiere. The red carpet finally series of sad, depressing films. (I mean gets rolled out. The fireworks—quite that in the best possible way). literally—begin, to the extent that as Cristian Mungiu's "4 Months, 3 we sleep, we actually begin to think Weeks and 2 Days" tells the story of a we have stumbled into an international young girl in Communist Romania trycrisis, and the entire Croissette was be- ing to procure an illegal abortion and ing bombed into smithereens. the lengths to which her friend and The festivities were set to begin roommate, Otilia (Anamaria Marinca), Wednesday morning with the premiere will go to help her. of Wong Kar-Wai's English-language The film is a gripping examination debut, "My Blueberry Nights." of oppression and desperation, utilizNeedless to say, everyone was wait- ing traditional documentary tactics ing with bated breath to see if Wong and long, wide shots to create an atmowould actually have his film finished sphere of dread and hopelessness. All on time for the scheduled 10 a.m. open- three central performances stand out, ing. To clarify, deadlines aren't exactly including the abortion doctor, Vlad the guy's strong suit. Three years ago at Ivanov, in a performance that is both Cannes, his long-anticipated premiere darkly comic and menacing as he maof "2046" was postponed because he nipulates the situation to make himself was still in the editing room. look like the victim. "I'm Wong Kar-Wai," he said. "I wear The film quickly became one of the sunglasses indoors...and at night. I can front-runners for the top prize and ' do whatever the hell I want. You'll sit ended up winning—not a surprise for back and like it."; a festival that often honors socially relScheduling his newest work as the evant and/or controversial films. festival's opening-night film was a recipe for disaster given his tendencies, DAY TWO but thankfully the print was there, on Warner Bros, made a mistake. time and ready to go. The studio released David Fincher's And there I was, standing outside excellent "Zodiac" in early March, not the Salle Debussy theater with a sad even trying to take advantage of the look on my face, shut out of a packed potential buzz generated at Cannes. house. The film bombed at the box office, but This is the downside of Cannes. had they waited a little while to see if it Press badges are nice and all, but they would garner any acclaim at the festionly get you so far.3 This is the second- val—which it did—the film might have biggest media event in the world, sec- done much better business in the late ond only to the Olympics. Everyone's fall. here. The lesson: Hollywood studios are Needless to say, I'm not exactly the run by idiots. highest head on the totem pole. And In a very good year for American so I was left outside with all the other directors at Cannes, "Zodiac" was one sad-faced outcasts, Charlie Brown music playing on the loudspeakers as I See CANNES Page 4 C Footnotes 1.1 cannot prove this with any legitimate statistical data. 2. Not an actual quote. Completely made up. 3. The press badges go like this: White is the "carte blanche" pass—or the Roger Ebert pass. White pass holders do whatever the hell they want. Next in the hierarchy is pink, or"rose;'as theFrench call it. There are two different versions of the pink badge, both of which are better than the blue badge, which is next in line. Underneath biue is yellow—that was me. I'm a yellpw-press-badge-having loser. That said, it was fun for me to mock all those who had orange or market passes (which are below yellow) because It made me feel better about myself. Quentin Tarantino, left, introduces a screening of one of his favorrte films, Howard Hawks' classic Western, "Rio Bravo." The Croissette at midnight.. .Ish. After a delicious late-night dinner at one of France's numerous overpriced—yet nonetheless tasty—restaurants: Chris Bellamy anthJeremy Mathews—the bearded freaks In the middle—are flanked by good friends Jen Yamato and Tim Ryan of Rotten Tomatoes, M |