I feel pretty bad for Thierry Fremaux.
The longtime chief of the Cannes Film Festival has always been able to turn grapes into wine.
Fremaux is a specialist at getting big name American studio films for the red carpet on the Croisette. They balance out international films and a few indies.
But this year, Hollywood has slowed down, and now Cannes must confront reality.
Directors like Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan are either not ready to show their films during the second week of May, or are holding back for marketing reasons.
Spielberg will not show “Disclosure Day,” which opens less than a month later. Nolan has not finished his epic “The Odyssey,” featuring an all star cast.
Tom Cruise’s new film, “Digger,” directed by Alejandro Innaritu, will also not be offered.
Cannes can only hope now for Joel Coen’s “Jack of Spades,” starring Josh O’Connor, Frances McDormand, Lesley Manville, and Damian Lewis.
But that’s not much. There’s some talk of James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller. But Gray has never really had a big, popular or even award winning hit.
Cannes can make it on the foreign films, but not alone. The buzz comes from American movies and stars. So far, the only star of note who will be at the festival is Barbra Streisand, but only to pick up her honorary Palme d’Or prize for lifetime achievement.
During the last heyday, stars like Nicole Kidman, Sharon Stone, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Harrison Ford, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, turned the town into a frenzy.
One big problem for Cannes was the downfall of Harvey Weinstein. Hated now for his private life and crimes, Weinstein brought a buzz to the festival like no one else. Whether he was unveiling a Quentin Tarantino movie, or introducing “The Artist” — which went on to win Oscars — Weinstein lit up the Croisette. In the eight years he’s been gone, no one has stepped up to take his place as a showman.
