Hello... Edgard from Euro AICN here... there's a famous expression here that says : "If you don't go to Cannes, let Cannes go to you" (because you Cannes do it... ah ah ah)... anyway, here's the first report from Cannes we will propose you... not quite a report FROM Cannes, but more a report about Cannes. You can live in Paris and still take part in the Festival.

First, I watch the opening ceremony from home, on my TV. Frustrating maybe, but still you are better seated to see the stars walking up the famous steps of the "Palais"... then Virginie Ledoyen, Luc Besson, Jonathan Demme and others... Nice... Boring a bit, but nice...

Then, I decided to see the opening film : VATEL... as I am not as good story teller than Harry I won't talk about travelling machines to do so, it's much more simple, much more banal : VATEL was opening tonight everywhere in France... at the same time that it was shown in Cannes... so I just had to go to my multiplex around 10.00 pm to catch it... no crowd, no stars, no glamour... just my usual movie theatre...

So how was VATEL ? Well quite good actually... especially if you like to "feed" your eyes with beautiful images... of course it's not your average blockbuster, it's just a story of... well... humanity in an absurd time (but which time isn't absurd ??... sorry it's late, I tend to be philosophical...). The story follows François Vatel, "master of ceremony" of the Prince of Condé, during a 3 days visit from the King Louis XIV... For different reasons I will not develop here, it's essential for the Prince of Condé to please at any cost the King... that means Vatel must elaborate somptuous meals and feasts to keep the King happy and entertained. Of course, this is not an easy task, especially in a time when hierarchy was so important... All this becomes then a kind of human chess game where everyone tries to take advantage of others... Depardieu is Vatel, Uma Thurman is the love interest stuck between Vatel, the King and Tim Roth, as usually the bad guy...

The main thing about that movie is the way it appeals to all your senses... your eyes first because the feasts are really looking somptuous and beautiful, then it makes you hungry because for 2 hours you keep seeing food, food, food... (and good food)... then of course it talks to your heart, as Vatel, the only character with a real humanity, is confronted to many absurdities... No wonder this movie opens the Festival of Cannes, it talks about the same thing : a superficial world where everything is about outrageous parties, power, sex and lies (no videotape, it's the 17th century).

I always liked a lot the 3 first movies of Roland Joffé (THE KILLING FIELDS, THE MISSION, FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY) but then... nothing... and with VATEL I feel like he came back... (THE SCARLET LETTER was probably his lowest point). The way he shows the two first feasts in the garden of the castle is pure beauty.

As for the actors, I am glad to find a Depardieu with no excess (unlike ASTERIX or THE MAN WITH THE IRON MASK)... he's really playing Vatel with calm and humanity. Uma Thurman is beautiful and shows a lot more talent than in two Warner crap movies I will not name (a hint, one has Batman in the title, the other has Avengers). And Tim Roth is as usual the bastard you love to hate... he seems coming right from ROB ROY (same stupid hair and clothes).

I know this will be a boring movie for many people... I guess also that critics might complain about a very thin story line... all I can say is that my own opening ceremony of the Cannes Festival was really looking good from Paris...

Edgard out, but just for a little while, Your Euro-AICN Cannes Crew will be back tomorrow with much more of the movie industry's most famous party.