All eyes on Cannes for the 67th Film Festival

19 May 2014

Celebrity scandal on and off screen at the 67th Cannes Film Festival

From tanks full of Hollywood's elite causing chaos at the press conference for The Expendables 3 to a blushing America Ferrera after a journalist dived under her dress on the red carpet, the 67th Cannes Film Festival has already delivered many unforgettable moments and that's not even including the exciting entrants in competition for the Palme d'Or. 'Celebrity' seems to be the theme du jour on and off the reels, with many of the 18 competitors retelling the scandalous or seductive lives of artists, politicians and killers. Whether it's from wondering what red carpet regular Blake Lively will wear next or critics' feedback on an exciting array of new films, all eyes are on Cannes.

With the most glamourous and elegant of entrances, Grace of Monaco opened the festival, starring Nicole Kidman. The out-of-competition feature focuses on a crisis in the actress Grace Kelly's marriage to Monaco's Prince Rainier III in the early 1960s, during a political dispute between Monaco and France. In true Hollywood style, drama has ensued around the film after the director Olivier Dahan, whose past work includes La Vie en Rose, and American Distributor Harvey Weinstein, have had disagreements regarding the final edit. However with Grace having attended the Cannes film festival herself and with Monaco a mere coastal drive away from la Croisette, there is nowhere better suited to have showcased her story.

Continuing to look into the lives of the rich and famous, Saint Laurent is the drama biography of the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, starring Gaspard Ulliel alongside Jérémie Renier as his partner Pierre Bergé.  Hotly anticipated by fashion fans, it is directed by Nice born Bertrand Bonello and begins in 1968, a time by which Laurent had already become a name in the Paris design scene. Offering a different take than it's rival biopic, Yves Saint Laurent, it charts his rise to worldwide fame, with Bonello focusing in on Laurent's character "...as he starts to lose control". The debonair of the debuts, the film stills released so far ooze with excess.

For those inspired by the arts, the biopic of painter JMW Turner starring Timothy Spall could be one to watch. Mr. Turner, directed by previous Cannes winner Mike Leigh, has debuted at the festival, with Leigh stating he wanted to create the film about Turner "the personality" in terms of "who was he, how was he, where was he and what did he do and how did he do it". Described as being a "compulsive artist" by Leigh, it traces the final years of the painter's life, including the reconstruction of scenes depicted in his artworks.

While, if you're after a Hollywood hit, Foxcatcher has an all-star cast including Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller and Vanessa Redgrave, but despite Steve Carell in the lead role, don't expect a comedy. Based on real events, the drama tells how, in 1996, John Eleuthère du Pont, the chemical fortune heir and paranoid schizophrenic, shot dead his long-time friend Olympic wrestler Dave Shultz, played by Mark Ruffalo.

The surprise name in the Un Certain Regard selection is Ryan Gosling with his directorial debut of Lost River, a surreal mystery starring Christina Hendricks alongside British talent Matt Smith andIain De Caestecker. While Ned Benson has presented the condensed double feature, Eleanor Rigby, which follows the two perspectives of husband and wife during a crisis in their marriage, with James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain in the starring roles.

With varied release dates, those without a festival badge will have to wait a little longer to see many of the competition contenders however Cannes Cinéphiles are showing a selection of the festival's films and its fringe in three venues to the public. If your tastes are a little more timeless, why not take a walk down to the Plage Mace where there is a free open air cinema showing classic films every evening during the festival. Our four-star contemporary hotel Amarante Cannes is located less than 15 minutes walk from La Croisette, offering first class service in a central location of our stunning city. Guaranteed to provide you with the best price, our Best Available Internet Rates, are bookable through our hotel directly.