Just got back from the South of France... ahhhhhh... but before you get too jealous, know this: the Cannes Film Festival is more than a day at the beach and a slice of brie on a baguette, washed down with a chilled French champagne. It's work, my friends. Granted, working there beats the hell out of, well, working just about anywhere else, but still...
Ok, highlights: the movie "Middlemen" and meeting all the cast, producers, director... and they sure know how to throw a party! The movie opens this Fall. Run, don't walk, to see this one. "Broken Embraces" -- Pedro Almadovar's new movie with, shocker, Penelope Cruz, for I think the 15th time (actually, the fourth, I believe) ... it's subtitled, of course, but the humor, drama, and nuances translate very well.
Random Cannes moments: taking a boatride to the Hotel du Cap (where all the stars stay) and seeing the paparazzi camped out on the craggy rocks trying to get shots of us, thinking we're 'somebody'. Those crazy paps. Oh, and having a police escort - SIX motorcycle gendarmes - to scoot a shuttle bus of press people to the Hotel du Cap for the annual AmFar benefit raising money for AIDS research. On the way, the motorcycle cops were so earnest in shoo'ing the traffic away in order to get us through the narrow streets of Provence to our destination, that two of the cycles sideswiped each other and got into an accident right in front of us!! (see pic) No one was hurt.
Aside from the motorcycle cop mishap, the AmFar benefit was actually an event and a half. Security crawling everywhere, on rooftops, in bushes, at the du Cap because President Clinton was one of the guests. All the stars were in rare form, including the mistress of ceremonies, Sharon Stone, who poo-poo'ed those tabloid reports that she's too thin, explaining that eating right, and exercising makes you lean and mean... imagine that... Zoe Saldana looked smashing. Rob Pattinson decided he was too big a star to walk the carpet. Hmmm. The only other person who didn't walk the carpet was Bill Clinton. Why? Bill Clinton doesn't HAVE to walk the carpet. R-Pat better not get too big for his pretty-boy britches, because one day soon, we could all be saying "Rob Who?" -- Fame is fleeting, my boy...
Lowlights? Speaking of not walking the carpet, at his own premiere party for the Tarantino movie "Inglourious Basterds" (yes, that's how it's spelled, intentionally) Brad and Angie decided at the last minute, THEY weren't walking the red carpet, and doing interviews, not even having their mugs photographed. WTF? That's why most of the American press, at least, were there, since Brad was one of the biggest stars at the festival this year. Disappointing is an understatement, but again, while Brad is in another league than Pattinson, you gotta wonder why he wouldn't want to promote a movie that, in my opinion, is going to need some promotion.
One of my personal favorite moments, was at a 'photo call' -- which means thousands (literally) of international press lined up along the Boulevard de la Croisette (the main drag) outside the Carlton Hotel (which Disney had covered in snow to stunt-promote their new Robert Zemeckis film "A Christmas Carol") Jim Carrey with Jenny McCarthy pull up in front via horse and buggy -- flashes, screams, yells, etc... and Jim eyeballs me in the huge crowd, and says "Jerry Penacoli, nice to see you.. nice to see a familiar face" Aw, Jim, you had me at "In Living Color" ... A select group of press were then treated to a 'sneak peek' of the 3-D movie... astounding!
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