Morning Glory

Day 6. Somewhere in Cannes.The Press Room to be precise. Inhuman wake-up call this morning (I recorded myself shouting to use as my alarm, as all of the ringtones available are too quaint and unintrusive to encourage anything at 5.30am), but it meant I was down at the Palais in plenty of time to catch the 8.30am screening of Ken Loach'sLooking For Eric. It doesnt disappoint. My taxi journey (too early for buses in these parts) was an eye-opener. To see the rolling hills in the countryside above Cannes still swaddled in their morning mist is an epic experience, and one I look forward to as the highlight of my early rises to catch the 8.30am screenings. Wandering around a deserted Cannes was equally as affecting- to see the streets without the usual buzz of badged wanderers and Invitation Beggars was a surreal experience, and gives you the opportunity to marvel at some stunning architecture, instead of just the bullshit glitz. My hotel inexplicably lost internet connection last night, so I was left to hand-write reviews of Agora and Tzar, to write up tonight, so apologies for their tardiness. The yellow badge struck for the first time last night, leaving me standing in a queue for Antichrist for an hour and a half with no reward. Full within minutes, and the 10pm showing was an endurance too much, so I'll see it tomorrow afternoon at the Salle Soixantieme. Redemption came however in the form of a new acquaintance- Praveen Rathinavelu- whose review is available to read here. Straight out of Looking For Eric I wandered somewhat blind into Irene, an Un Certain Regard competition entry,which turned out to be a major contrast to the humour of Ken Loach's latest, but which all the same was an interesting experience. Watch out for the review going live tomorrow, or catch my initial thoughts from earlier today on Twitter here.Highlights That morning view. Instant entry to Looking For Eric. The continued breath-taking weather (my Northern skin is looking more human). A real-life meal in an actual restaurant. A few beers in the sun waiting for my coach. Lowlights "Looking more human" really meaning sunburnt. Too many beers in the sun when I got back to my hotel. Tomorrow: Meeting Matt Dentler, Almodovar's reunion with Penelope Cruz, filling my pockets from the Breakfast Room to save my budget.