A journalist friend with some inside knowledge of the character of this Cannes jury says the following: (a) chairman Robert De Niro is not the most knowledgable guy in the room; (b) DeNiro is also a comme ci comme ca type who’s not likely to try to lobby for personal choices or views, (c) Chopsocky director Johnnie To has a somewhat myopic, know-nothing view of other films or filmmakers — he pretty much lives in his own realm; (d) the hippest and most knowledgable jury members are Linn Ullmann (journalist daughter of Liv Ullmann) and director Olivier Assayas (Carlos).
Cannes Film Festival jury (l. to r.): Olivier Assayas, Linn Ullmann, Jude Law, Martina Gusman, Uma Thurman, Robert De Niro, Nansun Shi, Mahamat Saleh Haroun, Johnnie To.
