I’ve been visiting the Eiffel tower off and on for decades. A year ago a pair of ten-foot-tall glass barriers were erected to protect the monument from possible terrorist attacks. The structure is safer now, but it feels like a tragedy. From 1889 to 2018 the Eiffel tower and the grounds beneath it were open and accessible to everyone — now it feels like a a place of paranoia and a metaphor for the menace that we all realize is out there and possibly preparing to strike at any time. We all want to feel safe, but it’s shattering to see this once-egalitarian atmosphere suffocated in a sense. By erecting these walls the French government has basically announced that Islamic terror has established psychological dominance. Imagine the atmosphere in Washington, D.C. if the U.S. Capitol and the White House were to be surrounded on all sides by similar barriers. This is the world we live in now, and it’s heartbreaking.

Champagne toasts and jovial back-slaps to Bong Joon-ho‘s Parasite, which has won the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or. And to Mati Diop‘s Atlantics (aka Atlantique) for taking the Grand Prix. And the Best Director winners, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for Young Ahmed. And the co-winners of the Jury Prize — Ladj Ly for Les Misérables and Kleber Mendonca Filho‘s for Bacurau.

And Best Actor winner Antonio Banderas for his Pain and Glory performance, and Little Joe‘s Emily Beecham for roping the Best Actress prize. And Portrait of a Lady on Fire‘s Celine Sciama for tasking the Best Screenplay trophy.

And congratulations to myself for having once again failed to see the biggies. I saw a boatload of competition flicks at the festival but I couldn’t get to Parasite and Atlantic. Not out of a lack of interest, but because I couldn’t finish riffs and reviews I was writing in order to attend. Each and every year I’ve managed this. I’m brilliant at it.

“Odds of Cannes Prizes To Come, ” posted on 5.22: “I chose to write a longish review of Once Upon A Time in Hollywood rather than see Bong Joon-ho‘s Parasite so I’ve nothing to say on this. I also failed to see Mati Diop‘s Atlantique and Jessica Hausner‘s Little Joe — apologies.”

I also mentioned that “I would find it stunning if the Cannes jury doesn’t honor Les Miserables with some kind of significant award come Saturday” — at least I was right about that.

Up at 6:30 am; six hours later I’m suddenly exhausted. The 17-hour-per-day exertion of the last 12 days hitting like a ton of bricks. 3:10 pm: Up and back at it. A six-hour stroll awaits.

From Reservoir Dogs through Jackie Brown, Quentin Tarantino‘s gab was as good as his game. But since Kill Bill or over the last 19 years, I’ve been saying to myself “he talks a better game than he shows.”

Large sections of Once Upon A Time in Hollywood are just as diverting as these clips, and some…okay, many are more so. And the finale, as noted, is quite the knockout. But some scenes during the first 80% or 85% are just sufficient, and there are others that seem to drag on too long. Or are over-acted. Or don’t hold up to post-screening scrutiny.

I love that Tarantino recently said that he’s not wedded to the Cannes cut, and that he might make the release-print a bit longer. L’audace! The third clip is the best.

Even if I had time for the Cannes Film Festival’s Alain Delon tribute, I’m not sure I would have attended. I’m not anti-Delon as much as a neutralist, my respect for his ’60s and ’70s performances having long been counter-balanced by disdain for his arch-rightist views. I nonetheless found this quote from Thierry Fremaux affecting, in part because of his allusion to our current political climate: