“Elle,” last to be shown in competition, isn’t the best or the most accomplished film. It made sense to show it last in the festival for several reasons, however: the storied career of Paul Verhoeven, its director (at 77, Verhoeven is the oldest filmmaker among this year’s competition directors and has two major hits under his belt, “Basic Instinct,” 1992 and “Starship Troopers,” 1997), the cast, ... more >
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“Elle,” fiction about survival and bourgeois boredom, closes CANNES FESTIVAL
Paul Verhoeven's first French-language film

CANNES FESTIVAL | Laurent Lafitte, unmaster of ceremony
He was supposed to host, not roast!
CANNES, France - Seems like French actor and host of this year's Cannes Festival mistook Master of Ceremony with Roastmaster. Everyone, probably, was therefore caught off-guard when he made a seriously foul comment about Woody Allen, who was seated in the room with Soon-Yi Previn and the cast of his latest film, "Cafe Society." Making a reference to Roman Polansky's rape-related legal problems ... more >