Though acclaimed director Martin Scorsese has just cancelled his visit to Cannes, opting to finish up his latest film Gangs Of New York instead, there is no shortage of celebrities on the Croisette this year. Uma Thurman, clad in see-through lace flares, and husband Ethan Hawke were in town earlier in the week with Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas due to jet in soon.
Ethan’s directorial debut Chelsea Walls, loosely based on Dylan Thomas’ Under Milkwood, opened the Director’s Fortnight, a Cannes sidebar of international films not in the competition. The indie film, shot on low-budget digital video over just 16 days, features an ensemble cast of over 30 including Uma, Natasha Richardson and Christopher Walken, and tells five stories set in a single day against the backdrop of a New York hotel. Smiling for photographers, Uma spoke about Ethan’s on-set demeanor during the quickie shoot: “He was a little bossy, but he’s entitled to be when he’s directing the film, and not when he’s at home, where he’s not entitled to be.”
Melanie Griffith is scheduled to receive a special award for her acting career on Saturday night, following a screening of her 1988 Oscar-winning film Working Girl.
“I almost feel like I’m not good enough,” she says of the award. “But then I’ve been working for 27 years – that’s a pretty long time. I hope this doesn’t mean that this is the end.”
Though the 12-day event doesn’t close until May 20, insiders believe actor-director Sean Penn has a shot at Cannes gold. Though Sean’s third venture as a director failed to ignite the US box office when it opened earlier this year, The Pledge has been embraced by festival goers and is a contender for the top prize, and is likely to land an acting gong for Jack Nicholson.
“I love Jack Nicholson,” Sean gushed before a screening of his film. “He’s the most deeply supportive artist one could hope to work with.” Jack’s turn as an aging detective is his first role since his Oscar-winning performance in As Good As It Gets.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
