This year’s Cannes Film Festival–from which I have now escaped–has been full of jewelry heists. And they are much publicized. First Chopard announced they’d lost a million dollars worth of baubles from a safe in a off the path hotel. Then De Grisogono, not to be left out, said they’d had a $2.6 million necklace stolen from them.

Are these people serious?

First of all, twice I asked Chopard’s much loved chief, Caroline Scheufle, if there had been any news of the jewels since the theft — in which a safe was allegedly cut of out of a hotel room and removed in whole–had occurred earlier in the week.

She said, each time: “We have plenty of insurance. It’s great publicity. It’s no big deal.”

And that’s true. A million dollars to Chopard is walking around money. And Caroline did say, “Everyone knows Chopard now.”

But then: De Griosogno, run by Caroline’s ex husband Fawaz Gruosi, had their theft on Wednesday night during their big soiree at the Eden Roc in the Hotel du Cap. Both Sharon Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio were in attendance. Somehow, with locks, alarms and security teams, someone knocked off a $2.6 mil diamond necklace.

What’s going on here? Chopard – the jewelry company that rules Cannes– may have felt that they were being overshadowed. Tiffany and Co, came in as a sponsor of all things Great Gatsby for opening night. They’d never done that before. The Chopard response to the burglary was bizarre enough to get Croisette tongues wagging. Cannes Film Festival is all about p.r. and hype.

And De Grisogono? Schuefle married Gruosi in 1985. In 1993 he started De Grisogono. Shortly after establishing that brand, the couple divorced. They are now rivals on the Croisette for attention, although Chopard is much better known. It’s not a shock that De Grisogono jumped on the burglary bandwagon.

Will these crimes ever be solved? Doubtful. Cannes has always been subject to crime. A few years ago, producer Graham King was burgled at the Hotel du Cap. It happens. Thieves follow drivers and expensive cars from the airport to hotels, and size them up.

The surprise hit of Cannes? Robert Redford is so terrific in a “silent” film here that he could easily win the Best Actor award. “All Is Lost” is directed by JC Chandor. There is no dialogue. Redford plays a man who’s been sailing a modest sailboat through what we learn is the Indian Ocean. When the film begins he awakens to find he’s drifted into no man’s land, and his boat has a gaping hole. Water is pouring in.

What takes place next may sound not so interesting. But the film is eloquent, poetic and full of action. The action– plus the stunts, all done by Redford, 76– makes “All Is Lost’ far from boring. It might be the most exciting action film of the year.

I fell in love with this movie this morning as did most reviewers. From the start you know it’s good– and that serious, tragic things are happening to the man played by Redford. He has no name. You just know that he’s a proficient sailor in very good shape, athletic, and quick to come up with solutions. He isn’t “McGyver” though. This is a story of man against relentless nature.

What is his backstory? My guess is that our Man lost his wife, retired and his named his boat after his Virginia Jean. He’s a loner. He may have been a fireman or a cop. He isn’t wealthy. I think he sold his house and bought this boat, but he’s been sailing all his life.

Chandor does a masterful job putting one obstacle after another in front of Redford. I’m sure there’s a lot of skillful editing. But actor and director work together to make magic. It’s a total surpise. For weeks everyone thought this would be “Cast Away” without Wilson the soccer ball. Instead, it’s a meditation and an instruction in living. Redford is superb, and is headed possibly to a Best Actor nomination (if not win) from many awards groups including the Academy. Chandor deserves many kudos.

UPDATE: The movie and Redford got enormous cheers and lots of applause. a real 10 minute standing ovation in the Palais last night. Leonardo DiCaprio’s mother, sitting behind me, loved it. The party afterward, on a moored for rent boat in the marina, was kind of a bust– no food and the usual rude publicists. But that didn’t detract from the movie’s success.

Exclusive: in case you were wondering changes at “The View” are not over. Joy Behar is leaving, Barbara Walters will retire in a year. But more is afoot. As I told you months ago, Elisabeth Hasselbeck is still leaving. “She will make her announcement in June,” says a source. The show will be reruns in August, and return after Labor Day with two new cohosts.

As I also reported Brooke Shields is still desired by the show. Brooke told me recently that she had not been offered a contract yet. But sources say it’s likely. Also, “they’re looking at Jenny McCarthy,” says a source. Each would be excellent choices to join Whoopi and Sherri and Barbara in her final year.

So stay tuned…

There was a  lot of joking around today at the Cannes press conference for “Behind the Candelabra.” Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, and Steven Soderbergh, plus producer Jerry Weintraub and screenwriter Richard LaGravenese were a lively bunch. It was clear they were happy with the overhwhelming positive reaction to their movie about Liberace and his lover, Scott Thorson.

But there was a moment that stopped the frivolity.p That’s when Douglas started speaking about how he became involved in the project. Recalling hos Soderbergh had first mentioned Liberace to him when they were making “Traffic” years ago, Dougals suddenly choked up and had to check himself. “I’m sorry,” he said, “this was right when I was getting sick,” he said of his successful battle with throat cancer. “And these guys waited for me.”

Douglas has not had an easy time of it. He’s been sick, his actress wife Catherine Zeta Jones has courageously dealt with being bi polar, his eldest son is in prison until 2018 on drug charges. But Michael Douglas is a survivor. Not only could he win a Best Actor prize in Cannes for “Candelabra” but he’s got a major commercial hit coming out this fall called “Last Vegas.” It’s an adult version of “Hangover” with Robert DeNiro and Kevin Kline, and said to be “huge.”

Meantime, Matt Damon–who’s also topnotch in “Candelabra”– just among his best work ever– laughed that now that he’s in bed with Douglas on screen he can share stories with Glenn Close, Demi Moore, and Sharon Stone among others. “We can get together,” Damon laughed.