Odds and Ends

-- At the Cannes Film Festival, I'll tell you who I wonder about: the manager of the Haagen-Dazs shop across the street from the Palais du Festival, where all the competition films are shown. The managers of the Festival, in their infinite wisdom, have built bleaches across the street for onlookers, leavng the ice cream store obstructed. I wonder how business is at that store these days. Also, I wonder if employees of the shop are able to even see the arrivals. Maybe, if they had stepladders or giraffe's necks. But alas, probably not.

-- Last night, at the competition screening of Jane Campion's new film Bright Star, Juliette Binoche (whose name I'm sure Lauren Bacall still curses in her sleep) attended, leading an entourage conservatively of ten. Ostensibly, Binoche was there representing the Cinema du Monde foundation. An entourage of ten sounds about right for someone of Binoche's stature. Later that rainy night, the President of the Jury, Isabelle Huppert, attended a screening of a vampire film from South Korea (I think) called Thirst. Isabelle's entourage? Her assistant, carrying an umbrella. True greatness, I guess, travels very light. By the way, faithful readers will note that this is at least the third time I've referenced Isabelle in a blog entry. As soon as I can shape it into something that you are prepared to read, I will let you know why that this is so.

-- Today marks the annual running of the Preakness Stakes, the only horse race that's worth watching. The Kentucky Derby winner, as I''m sure you know, has to win this race in order to pursue horse racing's Triple Crown, which has never been done in my life. (Affirmed was the last to do this, when my mother was, I think, starting her second trimester with me.) My life will feel ever so slightly cocmplete if this ever comes to pass. I felt the same way about the Daytime Emmys, until Susan Lucci finally won hers in 1999. But that's another song, for later singing.

-- Here's today's grammar lesson: Tampa is to Orlando as Philadelphia to New York.

--Back to Cannes for a moment: I realize virtually everyone there is a charter member of the Mutual Admiration Society, but the first actor to ask his or her filmmaker if he wants to buy rhem a drink and take them somewhere private should get Honorable Mention.

--NYU held commencement excerises the other day at the new Yankee Stadium. Secretary of State Clinton received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws. For all of that, they still couldn't fill the joint--not even those thousand-dollar seats near the field.

--Going back to Juliette Binoche for a moment (this is stream-of-consciousness writing, don't you know): At Cannes, she declared herself to be a "citizen of the world." That's actually a very therapeutic way of living. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to free yourself of rigid borders and preconceptions, whether emotionally or physically. It doesn't matter if you travel to Tuscany or listen to its radio stations. Seeing how other people enjoy the world helps you become a citizen of the world,

--Get off the sandbox, Matthew. But be careful. Both Mme. Huppert and Mme. Binoche would notice if you broke your foot.