Blogs

Two good things happened in Cannes on Monday: the sun shone, and I finally got in to see The Coen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis, the most favoured competition film so far. It was hard for it to live up to anticipation but I enjoyed the mileau - New York's early folk scene in the 60s - and the performances, as well as the humour. It's not an instant classic but has plenty of character and a strong, if deliberately hangdog, performance from Oscar Isaac in the lead role.

With The Hangover: Part III about to complete Todd Phillips' seminal trilogy of films which have redefined the very landscape of comedy, we decided it was time to investigate the director's penchant for appearing in his own movies. To date he has made four appearances as the same character, known as 'Barry', and these performances are worth analysing for their hidden meanings and thought-provoking revelations on both the nature of cinema itself and Todd Phillips' place within it. Critics may scoff that Barry - and, by extension, Phillips - is a crass, unfunny aberration with no right to force himself upon audiences, but we believe that such criticism is ill-informed snobbery. So let the debate begin...

Baz Luhrmann's big-budget adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic slice of Americana lands in cinemas this month. The Great Gatsby looks every inch the lavish spectacle you'd expect from the man who brought us Moulin Rouge; it also looks like its set to deliver some of the most extravagant soireés ever captured on the silver screen. But the movie's titular reveller isn't the first character to throw a fictional fiesta, so join us as we look back over what we've learned from some of cinema's biggest partiers with our instructional guide to movie merriment.

Le Weekend in Cannes is always a terrific people-watching opportunity as French film fans and fashionistas arrive in their droves. There were plenty of the latter at Friday's Belvedere Vodka party at the swanky VIP Rooms club. A few celebs dropped by too, including The Hunger Games' Liam Hemsworth who came straight from a 12.30am flight - just in time to see Reverend Run from Run DMC's retro mash-up set, which got everyone jumping. Good to see the cool crowd letting their hair down.

Legendary drummer Ginger Baker makes life very difficult for his interviewer Michael Hann during the Q&A for his new documentary Beware Of Mr Baker. You have been warned…  

The sun is shining on the Croisette, the cafes filled with people-watchers gazing through designer sunglasses - yes, Cannes is looking like Cannes again. Fittingly, yesterday's big competition film wasThe Bling Ring, Sofia Coppola's take on the gang of students who broke into Hollywood homes so stuffed with designer gear, some victims didn't even know they'd been robbed.

Once again Baz Luhrmann has spun a prim classic tragedy into a chaotic raucous romp. But The Great Gatsby won't be for everyone, particularly those partial to sea sickness or a fear of feathers.

On the opening day of Cannes Film Festival 2013, The Great Gatsby was the talk of the town as soon as everyone's plane touched down - including the one carrying stars Carey Mulligan and Isla Fisher, who travelled from London together with Elizabeth Debicki, a glamorous addition to the cast of Baz Luhrmann's lavish adaptation.

The Wolfpack return to the scene of the crime in The Hangover: Part III, in cinemas 23rd May, so to honour their Vegas comeback, we scanned our hazy memories and desperately tried to recall our 25 favourite bits of Hangover trilogy trivia...

Even the biggest fans of 2001 street-racing thriller The Fast And The Furious wouldn't have dreamed that the franchise would still be going strong over a decade later. Now, as Fast & Furious 6 prepares to low-ride into cinemas, we look back at the bizarre history of a series with more twists, turns and pit-stops than your average grand prix…