Tarantino in seventh heaven as Cannes kicks off
For 12 days, the French Riviera city hosts a dizzying run of screenings, publicity spectacle, deal-making and exclusive parties attended by more than 15,000 people.
A galaxy of A-list stars are expected, including Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Uma Thurman, Tom Hanks, Sharon Stone and Sean Penn.
Security is especially stringent this year, because French entertainment industry workers had threatened to sabotage the event to protest cuts to their unemployment benefits. They finally agreed at the last minute to limit their campaign to public speeches.
Spanish director Pedro Almodovar kicked off the festival last night with his dark tale of clerical abuse. Critics raved about La Mala educacion, billed as Bad Education for English-speaking audiences.
It was the first time a Spanish film had ever opened the world's most famous film festival and Almodovar said: "My film may not be in competition here but opening the Cannes Film Festival is a prize in itself."
But some of the loudest accolades last night were for Tarantino, whose infectious enthusiasm for film has underlined organisers' desire to restore Cannes' cachet which was perceived to have faded in past years.
"To me Cannes is heaven, all right, it's just heaven if you love cinema, and you know you all dream about going to heaven," said the director, who won Cannes' top Palme d'Or prize 10 years ago for Pulp Fiction.
"As good as it is to go (to Cannes) with a movie, it's better to be president of the jury," a delighted Tarantino said.
This year, with Tarantino heading the jury, the movies on offer are a more interesting mix.
The 18 films in contention for the Palme D'Or prize include Shrek 2, a remake of The Ladykillers, a controversial Michael Moore documentary about September 11 and a biopic of comedy legend of Peter Sellers.
Geoffrey Rush stars as the tormented comic genius and Charlize Theron plays his wife Britt Ekland.
Tom Hanks is the star of The Ladykillers, a remake of the 1955 Ealing comedy. It is directed by American brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, whose previous credits include The Big Lebowski and Fargo, and relocates the action to the Mississippi in the American deep south.
Shrek 2 is a follow-up to the animated monster hit which had its debut at Cannes three years ago.
Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, Julie Andrews, Rupert Everett and John Cleese all lend their voices to characters.
Tarantino has declared this year's competition will be "nothing to do with politics and all to do with the love of movie making".
But there is at least one overtly political film being screened in the shape of Fahrenheit 911 from US documentary maker Moore. An examination of US foreign policy under the Bush administration, it claims America used the 9/11 attacks to further its desire to control the world's oil reserves.
Described as "the one story no one has dared to tell", Fahrenheit 911 is a typically provocative offering from Moore.
His last film also shown in Cannes was Bowling For Columbine, which threw the spotlight on US gun laws after the country's worst high school massacre.
Outside the main competition, the biggest film to be screened at Cannes will be Hollywood blockbuster Troy.
Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom will jet into the French Riviera to promote the Greek epic.
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