Cannes sketches: “Moonrise Kingdom” Willis, “Dictator” Cohen and “Madagascar” clowns

 May 18, 2012 - 15:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - My name’s Vahan Stepanyan, I’m a photojournalist at PanARMENIAN Photo agency and this is the 2nd year that I find myself in the thick of things at Cannes. Can’t promise to write every day, what with the loads of work, too many events, too much to be photographed. Still, I’ll send in reports once in every 2 days and promise to cover everything that happens at the film fest.

Weather at Cannes is colder than last year, however, the turnout is much bigger, considering this year’s film fest is a jubilee event. Some things are unchanged, with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt remaining the most expected and the most-discussed couple.

The festival jury was introduced on Day One, with Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” to open the event. This year, media showed a lack of interest to jury. (To compare: 2012 jury line up: Nanno Moretti + Diane Kruger + Ewan McGregor vs. 2012 jury line up: Robert De Niro + Uma Thurman + Jude Law). Still, this year’s jury line-up is complete with haute couture fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier and Moretti who learnt to communicate with “insolent photographers” and parry “tactless questions” while presenting his film at Cannes 2011.

Also, the star-studded “Moonrise Kingdom,” rose to the occasion providing a worthy opening to the jubilee event, with the actors’ team to mach. None of the fans was neglected, with Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray and Edward Norton giving autographs and talking to their admirers. Eva Longoria in an overly long dress and Eva Herzigova in a very short one also made their presence felt on a red carpet.

On Day One, flamboyant British comic Sacha Baron Cohen sparked minor chaos on Cannes' fabled Croisette beachfront as his zany alter ego General Aladeen took a morning stroll on his camel Osama.

Day Two started calm, following its normal course, except people who walk everywhere, getting run over by cars.

Cannes Day Two featured “After the Battle” (Baad el Mawkeaa), Egyptian drama film directed by Yousry Nasrallah and Jacques Audiard’s film “Rust & Bone,” with public’s new sweetheart, France’s Marion Cotillard starring.

Following the screenings, megastar line-up of “Madagascar 3” animated comedy decided to “communicate” with the public.

The “communication” however, is a far-fetched word to use, considering the huge fence put in front of the public, actors making an appearance at a 2,5 meter high terrace of Carton hotel, with people made to wear enormous clown wigs – the main PR component of “Madagascar 3.”

However, even this emotion-lacking event had a funny lining to it. French film fans mistake every black actor for Will Smith, and any beautiful American actress for Angelina Jolie. So Chris Rock was cheered as “Will Smith” and Jessica Chastain welcomed as “Angelina.” Well, the fans were partially right, considering Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith lent her voice to Gloria the hippopotamus in Magadascar.

That’s all for today. Have to run, time for red carpet photos. Sky in Cannes says it looks like rain.