Cannes 2010 hopefuls

According to the Cannes Web Site, tomorrow (March 16th) is the absolute deadline for feature films to apply for "Official Selection" as part of this year's south of France gathering in May. So I'm starting to wonder if we are days away from hearing what movies have made the deadline, and which ones we have wait a little longer to see. Unlike last year when we were constantly assured that Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds would play in competition and a few others; this year we don't really have much to go on, at least not with the high stake pictures anyway. Sylvester Stallone previously mused that he wanted to bring The Expendables to the fest and I'm hopeful there'll be a chance for a midnight showcase screening similar to Drag Me To Hell last year, but I just have a sneaking suspicion that Comic-Con will birth that movie. Disney/Pixar's Up opened the festival last year and it's an easy prediction to pencil in Toy Story 3 as a potential opener this year. It would be a gigantic sign of confidence if they were to bring it to the fest, with critics likely to already be sharpening their knives to gut Pixar for going to the well for a third time, so if it does go, I'm certain it'll be one of the years best. Last week saw the delay of Oliver Stone/Michael Douglas' re-visit to the world of Gordon Gekko with Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps reportedly so it would have a place at the fest, and again, I would love the confidence sign if it makes the cut. One movie I'm absurdly dying to see is The Rum Diary. I just can't imagine that with Tim Burton on the jury, that Johnny Depp won't be at the party also and it has to play, not least because it's Depp with Hunter S. Thompson material once again but because it's a welcome back picture for Withnail & I helmer Bruce Robinson after a while in the shadows. I think with Burton on the jury, it's gotta play out of comp for conflict of interest. Woody Allen's London set ensemble You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger I would predict will be part of some kind of showcase screening, especially with Woody attempting to sell his forthcoming Paris set rom-com starring Owen Wilson and Marion Cotillard with distributors. Other movies I'm certain of, probably all in competition; Mike Leigh'sAnother Year, Alejandro González Iñárritu's BiutifulKai Wai-Wong's The Grand Master, Guillaume Canet's Little White Lies Julian Schabnel's Miral, Peter Weir's The Way Back, Julio Medem's Room in Rome and Susanne Bier's The Revenge. Sadly - Terrence Malik's Tree of Life, Sofia Coppola's Somewhere, Doug Liman's C.I.A. thriller Fair Game aren't likely to be completed in time but I would have very much liked to have seen all three. And I'm begging the Cannes selectors that Prince of Persia: Sands of Time isn't given the nod to play.