Cannes officially kicked off last night with its opening film Partir Un Jour, a bitter-sweet French musical comedy by Amélie Bonnin. Starring Juliette Armanet as a stressed-out and pregnant chef, the film serves up a dollop of family conflict, a soupcon of yearnings for old flames and more than a pinch of Emilia Perez, with characters bursting into song at the drop of a toque. While the film earned some scathing reviews, with both The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph awarding it a meagre one star, I found this trip down memory lane sweet but never cloying.
However, the festival’s opening film and ceremony risked being overshadowed by news of one of France’s biggest international stars, Gérard Depardieu receiving a suspended 18-month sentence for assaulting two women on set.
