That's what we were hearing just then from the Italian actress and singer Chiara Mastroianni who was officially kicking off what is arguably the world's most influential film festival. In her opening address, the president of the judging panel, New Zeeland director Jane Campion described it as “the Queen of festivals”. While as 20 years since she won the top prize the Palme d'Or for the movie The Piano, this year 18 films are vying for the same honor among them the film chosen to open the festival. I heard from our arts correspondent Vincent Dowd. He is in Cannes and he's been telling me about the stirs that this movie has caused.
This is Grace Of Monaco, directed by Olivier Dahan. You may remember he had a huge hit with La Vie En Rose. This to be honest is not quite as good. It features Nicole Kidman of the title role. It's as much about the political clash over a half century ago now between the French President De Galle and Monaco as it is about the former actress Grace Kelly who of course became wife Prince Rainier of Monaco. You know, that clash was about tax which may sound very dull. It's kind of moderately interesting. But what's wrong is the psycho drama of Princess Grace, almost but not quite, deciding to go back to Hollywood? Just doesn't really grip. The script, I think, need to do more work. Anyway, I went to the press conference for the film a few hours ago. This is how Miss Kidman responded when a journalist pointed out the royal family of Monaco is pretty unhappy with the film.
Obviously, I feel sad because some, I think that the film has no malice towards the family or particularly towards Grace Rainier. I mean, it's fictionalized obviously. We've said that is not a biopic. And there is the essence of truth but is with a lot of these things you take dramatic license at times.
Whether she likes it or not, though, it's generating a lot of controversy. And there is another movie getting people talking.
Yes, that's Welcome To New York. I mean, technically it's not a festival film but it doesn't matter that much, because it's been shown here at the weekend. The new movie by Abel Ferrara showing this weekend, in reality, everybody knows it's patently obviously about Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the French politician and his disastrous visit to New York in 2011.
