The 2010 Cannes Film Festival is shaping up as a possible Hollywood-on-the Mediterranean event.
This is not a bad thing.
First up, I am told there is talk of Ridley Scott’s “Robin Hood” for opening night. The Russell Crowe-Cate Blanchett extravaganza plays like “Gladiator,” sources say, and could be Universal’s key to recovery.
The timing is good, too: Cannes opens on May 12th. “Robin Hood” opens the next day in many countries, and on Friday the 14th in the US.
Then there’s Woody Allen’s “You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger.” Woody apparently has screened the comedy with Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, and Antonio Banderas for the Cannes committee, and of course, it went well. France loves Woody! And this film is supposed to be a return to form, and very, very good.
Of course, we already know that Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps” is going to the Croisette. Warner Bros. changed its release from April to the fall to accomodate the festival. And Julian Schnabel’s “Miral” is a certainty there, too. There’s also talk of Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life.”
A few good American films would definitely enliven the Cannes atmosphere. In recent years, “Che,” Synedoche,” and “Taking Woodstock” were incredible duds, and not what the US or the festival needed. The best case American film at Cannes is something like “Inglourious Basterds,” which was a critical and popular hit.
On the French front: Francois Ozon’s “Potiche” reunites a powerhouse pair–Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu. Sources say it may be ready in time for the festival. If so, that is really what Cannes is all about! Voila!
