What about Bob?
The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival launched with lots of politics and a special tribute to Robert De Niro that saw the Oscar-winning legend slam Donald Trump as “America’s philistine president.”
On the red carpet, the main attraction — the French musical comedy “Partir un Jour,” which ended up earning a five-minute standing ovation — took a backseat to paparazzi scrambling to land a shot of De Niro, who made the trek to France to accept an honorary Palme d’Or from Leonardo DiCaprio. Past winners of the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize, such as Quentin Tarantino and Sean Baker, walked through a gauntlet of photographers, along with actors and models like Eva Longoria, Julia Garner, Heidi Klum, and Alessandra Ambrosio. But Tom Cruise, who is in town to premiere “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” was nowhere to be found.
Juliette Binoche, who serves as jury president, donned a light pink pantsuit with a veil that brought to mind something out of the “Dune” universe. She held hands with her fellow jurors — a group that includes “Succession” star Jeremy Strong, Oscar-winning actor Halle Berry and “All We Imagine as Light” director Payal Kapadia — at the top of the steps. A smattering of applause broke out when De Niro made his entrance on the carpet.
There were short lines to enter the Palais as the crowds hurriedly made their way up the theater’s majestic central steps. For all the talk of a nudity ban this year — forbidding women from wearing gowns deemed too revealing — the Cannes fashion police seemed to be off-duty. One man was allowed to enter wearing a knitted necktie (when bowties are mandatory) and, worst of all, another male attendee was spotted donning dirty blue boat shoes with his black tux. Despite the warning about “voluminous” outfits, several long trains and highly poufy gowns were on display. There were also a smattering of protestors, comprised of freelance workers at the film festival upset over their working conditions and lack of benefits.
But inside the Palais, there was a lot more drama than on the overly cosseted red carpet. In a fiery speech accepting his career achievement award, De Niro urged the audience members to show their opposition to the Trump administration.
“We have to act now,” he said. “Without violence, but with great passion and determination. It’s time for everyone who cares about liberty to organize, to protest, and when there are elections, of course to vote. Tonight, and for the next 11 days, we show our strength and commitment by celebrating art in this glorious festival.”
Much of DiCaprio’s introduction focused on De Niro’s iconic screen performances and the great lengths that he went to bring characters like Travis Bickle and Jake LaMotta to life. But he also praised De Niro for his willingness to take a stand. “Whether it’s for his friends, his family, fighting for democracy or supporting the art of filmmaking, he shows up,” DiCaprio said.
Binoche’s opening remarks also carried a political message, referencing the war in Gaza and other hot-button issues.
“War, misery, climate change, primitive misogyny, the demons of our barbarities leave us no outlet,” she said. “Today, the winds of pain are so violent that they carry away the weakest, the hostages of October 7 and all the hostages, the prisoners, the drowned who endure terror and die in a terrible feeling of abandonment and indifference. Against the immensity of this storm, we must give birth to gentleness.”
The ceremony included a tribute to David Lynch, the avant-garde director whose films like “Mulholland Drive” and “Wild at Heart” were favorites of Cannes audiences. But the show-stopping moment came when Tarantino strode on stage like a circus ringmaster to declare Cannes to be “officially opened” before literally dropping the mic.
Cannes’ opening night celebration of cinema draws global attention. However, the movies that kick off the festival, such as the Johnny Depp historical epic “Jeanne du Barry” or the Léa Seydoux and Louis Garrel comedy “The Second Act,” tend to quickly fade from memory. “Partir un Jour,” which screened early to some critics, will likely continue the tradition after receiving mixed reviews. A high-profile film journalist walked to her seat and whispered under her breath, “I will suffer through this.”
Cannes’ status as a critical awards season stop was validated after last year’s Palme d’Or winner, Sean Baker’s “Anora,” ended up triumphing at the Oscars, capturing best picture. Recent editions have also seen the premieres of Oscar heavyweights like “Anatomy of a Fall” and “The Zone of Interest.” It’s unclear if this year will play host to other major awards contenders.
On paper, the lineup offers something for a wide arrange of tastes. It includes a handful of major studio releases such as Cruise’s final outing as super spy Ethan Hunt, as well as films from renowned auteurs like Ari Aster (“Eddington”), Julia Ducournau (“Alpha”), Spike Lee (“Highest 2 Lowest”), Oliver Hermanus (“The History of Sound”) and Joachim Trier (“Sentimental Value”).
But there are also signs that Cannes, synonymous with glamour and lavish parties, may be in belt-tightening mode. The box office is still struggling to regain its pre-pandemic form and there are concerns that the economy could be headed for a recession. Studios and streamers have quietly said they are sending fewer executives, with some wary of overpaying for movies that might have limited commercial appeal.
A week before Cannes started, President Trump threw the movie business into a state of confusion after he announced that he was going to impose 100% tariffs on all films “produced in Foreign Lands.” His goal, he said, is to bring back production to the U.S. Trump has since backed off from that threat, stating that no final decisions have been made and signaling a willingness to meet with studio executives. But if he shifts gear again and imposes his tariffs, they threaten to unravel a global network of film financing that relies on foreign subsidies to get movies, like the ones that premiere at Cannes, made.
French actor Laurent Lafitte began the ceremony with a jab at one of President Trump’s top allies, Elon Musk.
“An actor isn’t just an egocentric little being, busy watching his own films between two stings in a woodpecker. His eye riveted to his cell phone, hoping to see the word agent appear. A look of envy and hatred, a bit like looking at a Tesla,” he said.
Angelique Jackson, Elsa Keslassy and Tatiana Siegel contributed to this report.
From Variety US