Hanging out at Cannes

BY Deepti Bharthur| IN Digital Media | 22/05/2008
Readers might find the entries of Duane Hopkins, a first time director, who blogs about his experiences at Cannes, of particular interest.
BLOG TALK /DEEPTI BHARTHUR. A new review column on blogs. Pix: white festival tents dot the Cannes shoreline.

May madness has gripped the media again as the Cannes film festival opened on the 15th.  As the beautiful descend upon the French Riveria, Shutter bugs strive to catch the elaborate hairdos and the designer gowns on the red carpet. With May comes the Indian media¿s psychotic obsession with the presence of Indian stars at Cannes, in particular a certain Ms. Aishwarya Rai and her annual trysts with appropriate red carpet clothing (which to be fair she seems to have mastered by now). While God knows, we never tire of lengthy debates about Indian actors and their wardrobes with every designer worth his salt putting in his opinion; I suppose it is quite possible that we would be interested in some of the films they screen at Cannes too. The Hoot gives you a round up on some interesting blogs on the web that are talking about Cannes in a way that we never knew it could be done.

 

BBC News entertainment reporter Mark Savage¿s online log about the festival provides a judicious blend of information on the film screenings and the red carpet buzz. He regularly updates the log sometimes two to three times a day. With news, gossip and video reviews, Mark¿s writing is breezy and light without resorting to Paparazzi obnoxiousness. The reader gets a wholesome sense of the pulse of the festival. A parting line from his first post reads

 

¿If there¿s a film you particularly want to read about, a star you¿d like me to hassle, or any duty-free you want picked up at Nice airport, now is the time to get typing.¿

 

Understandably, feedback is tremendous with readers asking about opinions on films, urging Mark to attend specific screenings and write about them. You can visit Mark¿s log at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7396540.stm.

 

The film blog at Guardian is another excellent source of news and articles on Cannes. With Guardian staff, directors, critics, journalists and others contributing more than 45 entries on Cannes, there is plenty of good insightful writing on a number of subjects including the press crunch at the festival and the lack of British entries besides film reviews and spotlights on independent films. Readers might find the entries of Duane Hopkins, a first time director, who blogs about his experiences at Cannes of particular interest. In his first post ¿My Cannes: A wellspring of inspiration¿- he writes:

 

¿It¿s probably not an exaggeration to say that were it not for Cannes, directors like myself would not get the chance to make the kind of films we are compelled to. Over the years the festival has championed new aesthetics and modes of cinema relentlessly. It serves to remind the cinema-going public that film-making is not the exclusive preserve of Hollywood.¿

 

Also a treat are write-ups by Peter Bradshaw, Film critic for the Guardian. He talks about the line-up with the practiced finesse of an expert. Certainly one can look forward to more interesting articles from him. You can visit the film blog at http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/film/category/cannes/

 

Cinematical.com, a blogs about films run by a team of film enthusiasts have two of their writers in France reporting for the site. The site has news, photos and most importantly reviews of films. The news is not just about who is partying where but on the various business deals that are being made at the festival. The site typically feels like an enthusiast¿s efforts but is full of interesting first hand information. The reviews are well written with an effort to be quite professional in style and format. You can visit the blog at http://www.cinematical.com/cinematical-at-cannes-2008/ .

 

Salon.com¿s movie section- Beyond the multiplex by Andrew O¿Hair is one of the best places for film reviews. Reporting from Cannes he writes with irreverence for the commercial nature of Cannes taking potshots at the Film fraternity. Commenting on the weather in his opening post, he writes

 

¿ Let¿s assume that the palm trees, beachfront hotels bedecked with sponsor logos, cigar-smoking bald men with implausibly leggy companions and all the other accouterments of that deluxe-run-to-seed resort town are ready to play their assigned roles.

 

Actually, that bald "producer" making bad deals in three languages and his "supermodel" friend may have to leave their beach togs in the suitcase and retreat from the poolside bar. Right now the extended forecast calls for overcast skies and patches of rain for at least the first week in Cannes...¿

 

You can visit the section at http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/btm/ 

 

Reports from Matt Noller, whose at Cannes on a study abroad programme has the cynical young student perspective firmly in place. Describing himself as a ¿20-year-old atheist liberal living and studying film and journalism in Athens, Georgia¿, Noller is reporting from Cannes for a collective blog which goes by the name-The House Next Door.On a UGA study at Cannes with a group of film students, Noller takes a very refreshing look at Cannes. His talking about being on a budget and eating at McDonald¿s is decidedly different from the elite flavor that the festival is usually full of. You can visit Noller¿s blog at http://mattzollerseitz.blogspot.com/ .

 

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