DiCaprio-Scorsese epic scores rave reviews at Cannes

CANNES, France — The Hollywood cavalcade descended on Cannes on Saturday, May 20, for the premiere of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese’s Native American crime epic, “Killers of the Flower Moon” which received rave reviews.

The three-and-a-half-hour movie sees DiCaprio play alongside Scorsese’s other long-time muse Robert De Niro, and charts a wave of murders among oil-rich Osage Indians in the 1920s and the birth of the FBI.

After hours of waiting in the rain that has drenched the French Riviera town all week, fans went wild as the trio arrived for the premiere alongside several native Americans in traditional outfits.

Co-star Jesse Plemons arrived with his wife Kirsten Dunst, while Salma Hayek, Cate Blanchett, and Tobey Maguire were also present.

Based on a nonfiction bestseller, the film sees DiCaprio play a weak-willed man who marries a wealthy Osage Indian and is drawn into the deadly schemes of his kingpin uncle (De Niro).

Words like “searing”, “triumph” and “masterpiece” were bandied about by critics who managed to get their hands on a ticket.

IndieWire said DiCaprio gives “his best-ever performance,” while The Guardian awarded five stars for a “remarkable epic about the bloody birth of America.”

There were some dissenting notes, with The Times calling it “a damp squib” and Little White Lies saying Scorsese “guts the story of anything that might sully the high seriousness of the subject matter.”

Frontrunners

“Killers of the Flower Moon,” funded by Apple, was screening out-of-competition in Cannes.

It is the first time the 80-year-old Scorsese, who won the Palme in 1976 for “Taxi Driver,” has presented a film here since 1985’s lesser-known “After Hours,” though he served as jury president in 1998.

Elsewhere, the race for the festival’s top prize Palme d’Or was heating up.

More Hollywood royalty walked the red carpet for Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore’s new film “May December,” which looks at the relationship between an older woman and a schoolboy, still married years after their relationship became a tabloid scandal.

An early front-runner is British director Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” a unique and horrifying look at the private life of a Nazi officer working at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Critics were near-unanimous in their praise, Variety calling it “chilling and profound, meditative and immersive, a movie that holds human darkness up to the light and examines it as if under a microscope.”

It was partly inspired by a book of the same name by British novelist Martin Amis, who died on Saturday at 73.

Also well received was “Four Daughters”, a heartbreaking documentary about radicalization within a Tunisian family that is both inventive and engaging.

That may go down well with jury president Ruben Ostlund, last year’s winner for “Triangle of Sadness,” who likes his arthouse films with some lighter touches.

A total of 21 films are in the main competition, which concludes on May 27, including previous winners such as Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda, Germany’s Wim Wenders and Britain’s Ken Loach.

Aging icons

The weather has been untypically wet this year, but Cannes has had no shortage of splashy moments since kicking off on Tuesday with the controversial appearance of Johnny Depp, playing French king Louis XV in “Jeanne du Barry.”

The festival saw an emotional appearance from Harrison Ford, receiving an honorary Palme d’Or at the world premiere of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”

And at the risk of turning the event into a festival of aging Hollywood males, there was also an honorary Palme for Michael Douglas, and an appearance from Sean Penn as a grizzled New York paramedic in “Black Flies”.

Agence France-Presse 

On Cannes red carpet, 'go big' is this year's fashion buzzword

CANNES, France -- Enormous bouffant dresses decked out in lace or feathers ruled the red carpet at this year's Cannes film festival, one of the of the world's most glamourous stages for actors as well as fashion designers.

As well as oversized gowns, more classic monochrome looks also scored design points for some fashion critics amid the spangles, patterns and fringes that were certainly not lacking at parties and premieres on the French Riviera.

"I felt like on the carpet this year it was either go big or a little bit more iconic, understated looks and I loved that," New York-based stylist Elizabeth Sulcer said.

The festival is due to draw to a close with an awards ceremony on May 25, one of the swankiest nights of the calendar.

In the classic corner, U.S. actress Selena Gomez walked the red carpet for her zombie movie "The Dead Don't Die" wearing a white silk bra top and skirt with a high slit by Louis Vuitton.

"I think sometimes less is more and I really loved it in the white -- it was bright and very beautiful," Sulcer said of the outfit.

Others followed suit. Model Bella Hadid also kept it simple in a red cutout Roberto Cavalli gown at the premiere of "Pain and Glory" by Cannes veteran Pedro Almodovar.

But down the coast at Thursday's exclusive amfAR charity gala many stars chose to pump up the volume including singer Dua Lipa, in a bombastic, red feathery Valentino number.

For Sulcer, sparkling pantsuits were one trend that hit more of an off note.

Margot Robbie, who stars in Quentin Tarantino's new film "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood," wore black sequinned Chanel trousers paired with an off-the-shoulder white top to the premiere.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai turns heads in Michael Cinco gown

MANILA – Former beauty queen and Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan effortlessly turned heads when she walked the red carpet of this year’s Cannes Film Festival wearing a Michael Cinco creation.

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the Dubai-based Filipino designer said Rai Bachchan’s gown “was created to reflect the impalpable dream of a butterfly metamorphosis."

Fully covered with Swarovski crystals, the butterfly gown has a touch of blue and violet, accented by an exquisite three-meter train.

To complete her breathtaking look, the actress accessorized with a pair of beautiful earrings and a couple of rings.

This is not the first time Rai Bachchan wore a creation of Cinco to Cannes Film Festival. Last year, her Cinderella couture gown was likewise made by the Filipino designer.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Weinstein's absence looms over scandal-hit Cannes

CANNES, France - Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein once held court like a king at the Cannes film festival, but this year it is his absence that will loom large over the competition.

The world's biggest film festival has moved to align itself with the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment that has reverberated around the world since Weinstein's downfall.

The festival has condemned Weinstein's "unpardonable behavior" after he was accused of four sexual assaults at Cannes over the years, including the rape of the Italian actress Asia Argento in his luxury suite when she was 21.

Director Thierry Fremaux admitted that Cannes "will never be the same again" after the Weinstein scandal, and said festival-goers will be warned about their behavior when they arrive at the huge French Riviera event, which starts on Tuesday.

A flyer saying "proper behavior required" will be handed out and a hotline and website set up for victims or witnesses of sexual harassment.

Women also dominate the jury that awards the top Palme d'Or prize this year, including French actress Lea Seydoux, who has accused Weinstein of assault.

The jury will be led by Australian actress Cate Blanchett, who helped launch the Time's Up campaign to tackle sexual harassment in Hollywood and was one of the first to speak out against Weinstein.

There will also be a talk about the place of women in film, but no unifying dress theme, such as the black dresses worn at the Golden Globes in support of Time's Up or white ribbons worn at the Cesars, the "French Oscars".

PRODUCERS' PAID-FOR COMPANIONS

However, critics claim that the festival is only paying lip service to real change.

"Cannes is a 2-week celebration of male brains and female beauty," said screenwriter Kate Muir, of the Women and Hollywood group which is pushing for great diversity in the industry.

"Many wheeler-dealers and producers still parade with paid-for models or prostitutes on their arms, which makes female film-makers deeply uneasy about what, precisely, is valued by the money men."

The Weinstein affair may have rocked the film world, but the local tourism industry in Cannes expects little disruption.

Bruno Draillard, who runs 8 real estate agencies that rent apartments in Cannes during the festival, said the scandal has had "no impact" on business.

"People come to do business, maybe they will just do it with a slightly lower profile," he said.

During his years at the festival, Weinstein was known to wield his power as he hosted actors and actresses in his room at the exclusive Hotel du Cap, where Argento has accused him of raping her.

Was his behavior well-known at the time? "We learnt about it from the media," said local hospitality union head Alain Lahouti, a sentiment echoed by others AFP spoke to in Cannes.

The director of the Cannes Film Market, the huge deal-making hub that runs parallel to the main festival, also expects little change.

"It is true that the Weinstein Company often brought quality films," Jerome Paillard said.

But other big companies like Lionsgate have filled the gap, he added.

HOTEL ROOM ORGY

Christine Welter of the Cannes hotel union said that the "film festival is above all about business".

For her, another sexual harassment scandal had far more impact, that of ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn who was taken down by a US assault case brought by a hotel maid, the aftermath of which led to changes in hotel regulations.

Aline Buffet, who heads a team of seamstresses that help with last minute alterations, said "when there are problems, it's rather during the summer, in certain hotels or private properties with customers who prefer a massage rather than a fitting".

She said the only incident she recalled was 4 or 5 years ago, when she sent 2 seamstresses to the room of 2 film stars early one morning.

"There was a big orgy going on in the room" when they arrived, Buffet said. "They (too) were asked to undress... but I went to see the producers and it was dealt with very quickly!"

There "have probably been other excesses" like Weinstein in the past, said beach worker Nathalie Di Sotto.

"It was the same in the time of Marilyn Monroe or Brigitte Bardot," she added.

"There has always been this domination of men over women. But now it's become an issue."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kirsten Dunst 'moved' by Jaclyn Jose's Cannes speech

MANILA - Jaclyn Jose, the first Filipina to win Best Actress at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for her role in "Ma 'Rosa," shared a conversation she had with Kirsten Dunst, saying the Hollwood star was moved by her acceptance speech.

Jose met Dunst, a member of the jury for this year's film festival, during the closing ceremony held last May 22. Jose beat out the likes of Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Isabelle Hupert and Marion Cotillard for the acting honor.

"Sabi ni Kirsten sa akin, she was touched because she thought it was a beautiful speech and that [I grabbed the hand of my daughter]," said Jose, who added that Dunst became teary-eyed during their talk.

Jose delivered her speech while accompanied by "Ma 'Rosa" director Brillante Mendoza and daughter Andi Eigenmann, who is also part of the cast of the drama film.

According to Jose, it was "instinct" that made her pull her 25-year-old daughter with the late Filipino actor Mark Gil onstage and introduce her to the audience.

"Ako naman, I go by my instinct, that's how I felt," Jose explained. "Iyon din naman ang mararamdaman nang tao, hindi naman natin puwedeng i-dictate iyan eh."

In her acceptance speech, Jose said: "I'm at a loss for words! I am so surprised and moved. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the jury members."

"I thank Brillante Mendoza, whose instructions I simply followed. He's a brilliant director. I am so happy you liked the film. I'd like to salute the Philippine people," she added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Before Jaclyn: 7 other Cannes Best Actress winners

MANILA – Jaclyn Jose made history as the first Southeast Asian to win the Best Actress Award at Cannes.

She bagged the prestigious award for her role in the Brillante Mendoza film “Ma’ Rosa,” which also stars her daughter, actress Andi Eigenmann.


Jose now joins the ranks of some of the world’s most respected actresses such as Meryl Streep ("A Cry in the Dark," 1989), Sophia Loren ("Two Women," 1961), Katharine Hepburn ("Long Day's Journey into Night," 1962) and Helen Mirren ("Cal," 1984 and "The Madness of King George," 1995).

View the slideshow to check out some of the other well-known Cannes Best Actress winners.

Jaclyn Jose, Best Actress award winner for her role in the film "Ma' Rosa," poses during a photocall after the closing ceremony of the 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. Regis Duvignau, Reuters

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

After Cannes, Andi Eigenmann wants to try theater

MANILA -- After starring roles in TV and film, Andi Eigenmann wants to also try theater.

In an interview for the May issue of FHM Philippines, where she appears on the cover, Eigenmann admits that she has stage fright, which she hopes to conquer.

"Stage will show how good you are and how dedicated you are as an artist," Eigemann said. "And I'm all about just always getting over my fear and trying to be better."

Eigenmann is currently with her mother, award-winning actress Jaclyn Jose, attending the 69th Cannes Film Festival.

Eigenmann and Jose are part of Brillante Mendoza's latest film "Ma' Rosa," which is competing for the highest prize at the international film festival, the Palme d'Or.

"It's a dream come true... I've always been into art films, so indie is really what I love. I have a burning passion for it," Eigenmann told FHM.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Andi Eigenmann thrilled at Cannes selection

MANILA - A film directed by Brillante Mendoza starring actress Andi Eigenmann titled "Ma' Rosa" is set to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

Eigenmann said she is thrilled to learn of the news.

"Dream come true talaga na mapabilang lang ako sa isang proyekto na gawa nating mga Pilipino tapos mapapasabak internationally," the 25-year-old actress told reporters. "It's such a dream."

According to Eigenmann, it has always been her goal since she entered the entertainment industry to be able to work with an accomplished director like Mendoza, who previously competed at Cannes with his films "Kinatay" (2009) and "Serbis" (2008).

"Sobrang sarap po ng pakiramamdam na nare-recognize, hindi lang ng kapwa Pilipino, kung hindi pati na rin ng mga tao sa buong mundo kung ano po ang kaya nating gawin," she said.

As of writing, not much is known about "Ma' Rosa." A trailer has yet to be released and Mendoza has yet to reveal a synopsis for the film.

Asked about what the project is about, Eigenmann teased that, like other of Mendoza's works, it will tackle several social issues prevalent in the Philippines. She did not reveal any other details.

"I feel like it's also something than can serve as a way to have us be aware to those going on around us. It is for education, not just for entertainment," she shared.

"Ma' Rosa" also stars Eigenmann's mother, actress Jacklyn Jose, Julio Diaz, who was recently hospitalized, Baron Geisler, and Mark Anthony, among others.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

No harm intended in Winehouse biopic 'AMY', director says

Asif Kapadia, the director of "AMY", the biopic on Amy Winehouse that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, said there was no harm intended after the late singer-songwriter's father harshly criticized the film.

Mitch Winehouse insisted he wanted to disconnect himself from the film and it was reported he wanted to seek legal action.

"It wasn't the intention to upset anyone, but just to show what was going on in her life," Kapadia told reporters.

"There's a lot of turmoil, there's a lot of stuff going on in her life and that's why things turned out the way they did. That's it really."

The author of "Back to Black" and "Rehab" died of alcohol poisoning at 27 at her north London home in 2011.

The producer of the film, James Gay-Rees, also found the criticism too harsh, saying: "It's very hard. It's his daughter at the end of the day and it's his right to have those feelings about it, but we basically were very objective about the film. We were asked to make the film.

"We went in with a blank piece of paper and did a lot of research for a couple of years and this is our findings from the research so we think it's balanced."

Kapadia said it was fitting that "AMY" was premiered on La Croisette.

"It's always a dream, if you make a film, the ultimate place you want to premiere your film is Cannes, so it's the ultimate for a film maker. It's where you want to be," he said.

"AMY" was screening out of competition at the Cannes film festival on Saturday.

(Writing by Julien Pretot; Editing by Louise Heavens)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Heading to Cannes film festival? Take UberChopper

CANNES - Uber is pulling out all the stops to get noticed at the glitzy Cannes Film Festival opening Wednesday by offering not only its usual taxi-hail car service -- but also helicopter rides.

The US company, which is upending traditional taxi companies worldwide with its app-run business, is putting on the chopper runs between the nearest airport, in Nice, and Cannes.

The cost for the UberChopper service is 160 euros ($180) for a seven-minute flight, for a maximum of four people. That price includes a chauffeured car ride to the heliport and then another limo waiting at the destination to take the passengers to the centre of Cannes.

The price may seem exorbitant to ordinary mortals, but for the high-powered movers and shakers attending Cannes -- or simply the poseurs -- it beats the one-hour road journey, often jammed with traffic.

Uber is offering the sky-high option through deals with two local helicopter firms.

Last year, Uber ran into turbulence on the ground during the Cannes festival when Nice taxi drivers blocked the airport to protest the American company's disruption of their market, and against unlicenced drivers offering taxi rides generally.

French police are to conduct spot checks during the Cannes Film Festival this year to ensure any cars carrying paying passengers are abiding by the law.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Coen brothers to jointly head Cannes festival jury

PARIS -- The Coen brothers, award-winning American directors of hits like "Fargo" and "The Big Lebowski", will jointly head the jury at this year's Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first pair to chair the world's top cinema showcase.

Joel and Ethan Coen will preside over the panel of filmmakers and actors judging the movies in the main competition of the festival staged in the glamorous French Riviera resort town from May 13 to 24.

"We look forward to returning to Cannes this year," the directors said in a statement. "Cannes is a festival that has been important to us since the very beginning of our career."

"Presiding over the jury is a special honour, since we have never heretofore been president of anything. We will issue further proclamations at the appropriate time."

The nearly inseparable brothers are considered two of the most innovative directors in the world and have jointly written, directed and produced a series of hits over the past three decades.

The siblings are also Cannes darlings, having presented seven of their 16 features there at the festival.

They picked up the festival's top Palme d'Or prize for "Barton Fink" in 1991, its runner-up Grand Jury Prize for "Inside Llewyn Davis" in 2013, and its Best Director award for "Fargo" (1996) and "The Man Who Wasn't There" (2001).

Popular 'auteur' filmmakers

The wry humor of the Coen brothers screenplays, their demanding production standards, and the outstanding cinematography they bring to bear on their movies have won a slew of awards in other competitions -- most notably the Oscars, where their "No Country for Old Men" cleaned up in several categories including Best Picture in 2007.

"The Coens incarnate a certain 'auteur' filmmaking that is universal and with wide appeal, full of humour and totally original in their way of looking at the world," the director of the Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Fremaux, told AFP.

Joel, 60, and Ethan, 57, take over running the Cannes jury from last year's president Jane Campion, the New Zealand director of "The Piano."

The other members of the jury will be announced in mid-April, with the festival organizers fond of bringing in filmmakers and actors of note from different regions around the world.

The Cannes Film Festival's official selection of movies competing for the Palme d'Or top prize is also usually an eclectic list. The line-up is usually announced the month before the festival opens.

If the Coen brothers' filmography is anything to go by, judges will be looking for dark humor and offbeat characters or situations.

The duo have also increasingly been attracting Hollywood stars to their own films.

George Clooney has already appeared in three of their movies -- "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", "Intolerable Cruelty" and "Burn After Reading." Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Frances McDormand, who is married to Joel, have also worked regularly with the pair.

Since exploding onto the scene in 1984 with their offbeat thriller "Blood Simple," the two have reeled off a dozen films, each notable for their distinctive quirky humor or macabre themes.

The darlings of critics and film festivals, they have won more than 100 prizes together. They have been jointly nominated for 12 Academy Awards and one individual Oscar each.

The siblings are known as the "two-headed director" within the movie world for their seamless ability to work alongside each other.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Epic Turkish drama 'Winter Sleep' wins Cannes top prize

CANNES - Turkey's Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the Palme d'Or top prize at the Cannes Film Festival Saturday for "Winter Sleep" and dedicated the honour to victims of his country's political strife.

Jury president Jane Campion, the New Zealand filmmaker, handed the trophy to Ceylan, who pipped 17 other contenders including David Cronenberg, Jean-Luc Godard and the Oscar-winning director of "The Artist", Michel Hazanavicius.

"Winter Sleep" drew rave reviews as a slow-burn domestic drama that mesmerised audiences despite its more than three-hour length.

Ceylan dedicated the award to the Turkish "youth who lost their lives" in violent anti-government protests that have rocked Turkey over the last year.

Julianne Moore won best actress for her role as a shallow starlet in Cronenberg's biting Hollywood satire "Maps to the Stars".

And Britain's Timothy Spall claimed the best actor prize for his role in "Mr. Turner", a lush historical biopic of 19th century painter JMW Turner by director Mike Leigh.

Having beaten a battle with cancer in the mid-1990s, Spall fought back tears as he thanked the jury, and God "to still be alive".

Bennett Miller scooped up the best director award for "Foxcatcher", a Hollywood film based on the real-life murder of an Olympic wrestler by multi-millionaire John du Pont.

Critics embraced the 47-year-old's third feature film after "Capote" and "Moneyball", and viewers were left particularly stunned by Steve Carell, whose performance as the deranged, sinister du Pont marked a complete turnaround from his previous funny man roles.

"It's really something to be supported, and to have people who have faith in you, and to come out the other side," Miller said.

The runner-up Grand Prix went to Italian director Alice Rohrwacher, one of two women in competition, for her lyrical look at the rural life of a family of beekeepers, "The Wonders".

And the third-place Jury Prize was shared by the oldest and youngest filmmakers in the race, 25-year-old Xavier Dolan for his innovative drama "Mommy" and Godard, 83, with the 3D extravaganza "Goodbye to Language".

Best screenplay went to "Leviathan", a harrowing drama assailing abuse of power in today's Russia by Andrei Zvyagintsev.

- A beautiful rhythm -

"Winter Sleep" marked the first win at the world's biggest cinema showcase for Turkey since 1982, when "Yol" by Yilmaz Guney shared the gong with "Missing" by Costa Gavras.

Campion said she had been "scared" by the film's epic length before she saw it.

"I thought 'Oh my God, I'm going to need a toilet break'," she joked.

"(But) the film had such a beautiful rhythm and took me in -- I could have stayed there for another couple of hours," she added, calling the picture "really masterful" and "sophisticated".

Ceylan had already won awards at Cannes for his previous films "Uzak", "Climates", "Three Monkeys" and "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia".

And bookies had tipped "Winter Sleep" even before its screening as the favourite to capture the Palme d'Or, based on his track record and a sense that he was due.

Set in Turkey's stunning Cappadocia region, the film stars Haluk Bilginer, known to international audiences from the long-running British soap opera "EastEnders".

He plays a wealthy retired actor living with his much younger, increasingly stifled wife (Melisa Sozen) and his recently divorced sister (popular comic actress Demet Akbag).

'Richly engrossing'

Based on short stories by Anton Chekhov, their tense triangle plays out in a quaint hotel serving hikers and motocross enthusiasts drawn to the rugged landscapes.

Aydin, the husband, acts like the benevolent monarch of his remote community, dispensing charity and, when he sees fit, harsh discipline to the villagers.

He sees himself, however, as a champion of enlightened reason in conservative Muslim Anatolia, and a guardian of Turkey's rich cultural tradition.

Their intricately pitched, often remarkably lengthy dialogues, written by Ceylan and his wife Ebru, dig deep and drew comparisons to Swedish master Ingmar Bergman.

Trade magazine Variety said Ceylan was "at the peak of his powers" with "a richly engrossing and ravishingly beautiful magnum opus that surely qualifies as the least boring 196-minute movie ever made".

Ceylan later told reporters that while his film dealt more with "human nature" than contemporary politics, his thoughts were with those killed in his country's demonstrations.

"We had a very troubled year last year and these young people actually taught us a lot of things and some of them sacrificed our lives for our future in a way. So they deserve this dedication I think," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Best quotes from the Cannes Film Festival

CANNES - Some of the movie world's best known and most influential actors, writers and directors have been on the French Riviera for the past 10 days for the 67th Cannes Film Festival.

Here is a selection of some of the most memorable quotes from the film fest which awards its top Palme d'Or prize at a ceremony on Saturday.

-- "A fleet of ambulances may have to be stationed outside the Palais to take the tuxed audiences to hospital afterwards to have their toes uncurled under general anaesthetic"

Guardian newspaper critic Peter Bradshaw on "Grace of Monaco", Olivier Dahan's much-panned biopic starring Nicole Kidman as the former Hollywood star-turned princess Grace Kelly.

-- "I cry in the place of those who experienced this real suffering. Real courage is those who lived these moments on a daily basis. They waged a silent combat."

Abderrahmane Sissako, director of "Timbuktu", a film about the Islamist occupation of northern Mali, after he broke down in tears at a news conference.

-- "The great thing is that what made us a perfect match, apart from anything, is that he was a funny-looking fat little man and so am I... genius is not always in the most romantic of packages."

British actor Timothy Spall on playing Romantic landscape painter JMW Turner in Mike Leigh's film "Mr Turner".

-- "It is and it isn't. The film is made when you're there and so influenced by your actors, by the environment."

Elusive Canadian star Ryan Gosling's response to being asked if his directorial debut "Lost River" had ended up as he intended.

-- "Being elsewhere than here, it is not possible for me to be with you, dear comrades, on May 21, in fact it is no longer a film even though it is my best."

Jean-Luc Godard in the typically cryptic video message the 83-year-old film veteran sent festival organisers to explain his absence from the premiere of his "incomprehensible" 3D extravaganza "Goodbye to Language".

-- "The year I gave birth, there was no festival. Everyone says that it was because I wasn't there that they didn't go ahead with it."

Simone Lancelot, 97, Cannes' most faithful fan who has been to 66 of the 67 festivals held.

-- "I know that I can manage, if the part requires it, to be quite beautiful or quite ugly. I can transform myself... and that's quite an asset in the job I do."

Oscar winning French actress Marion Cotillard on her latest role as a factory worker under threat of losing her job in the Dardenne Brothers' "Two Days, One Night".

-- "We had access to absolutely nothing, not even a shirt."

Eric Altmayer, the producer of the unauthorised biopic "Saint Laurent", commenting on the cooperation the production received from fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent's romantic and business partner Pierre Berge. The film explored Saint Laurent's struggles with depression, drink and drugs.

-- "I think you would have to say that there's some inherent sexism in the industry. It does feel very undemocratic... time and time again we don't get our share of representation... men eat all the cake."

Head of the Cannes jury Jane Campion on the struggle facing women working in the movie industry.

-- "(To) hang out with people my own age... hopefully kissing them a little".

Canadian wunderkid Xavier Dolan, 25, explaining why he planned to put directing on the back burner for a while and go back to university.

-- "They like victims and they like criminals and they might like a battered wife or two. Give them someone who knows what they're talking about... and they say 'My God... you're telling us what to think here'."

Cannes' darling Ken Loach on why some critics don't like working class heroes like Jimmy Gralton, the free-spirited, jazz and blues-loving protagonist of his film "Jimmy's Hall".

-- "The duty of a film director is to focus more on the soul of the spectator."

The Turkish director of the more than three-hour-long "Winter Sleep" Nuri Bilge Ceylan after being asked to comment on political upheaval in Turkey following a coal mine disaster.

-- "We are children with arthritis."

Sylvester Stallone, 67, after he led the all-star cast of "The Expendables 3" including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson and Wesley Snipes into Cannes in tanks, causing chaos on the Croisette, the Cannes promenade.

-- "The knife-in-the-back wound is starting to scab, and I have calmed down on it."

Quentin Tarantino talking about how his anger has subsided since the script for his latest film project "The Hateful Eight" was leaked on the Internet.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com