Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Frémaux was concerned enough about Laurent Lafitte’s rape joke on opening night that he immediately approached Allen after the ceremony to make sure he wasn’t offended. The director told him he’s actually a fan of “provocative” humor. At a Thursday luncheon celebrating “Cafe Society,” he told Variety that he is a proponent of free speech and therefore didn’t take it personally. It’s unclear whether the quip was aimed at Allen, Roman Polanski or both. Allen is in the headlines again after son Ronan Farrow penned a blistering op-ed, faulting the media for not pressing the filmmaker on allegations he sexually abused his daughter, Dylan Farrow.
…As for Allen, he didn’t stay in the Palais to watch “Cafe Society.” Going back to “Bananas,” the director has made a habit of never seeing his films after he completes them. Instead, he snuck upstairs to munch on prosciutto and wait for the after-party.
…Cannes hasn’t been so sunny this year. The hottest party favor this festival is rain gear. The Independent Film & Television Alliance gave out 250 umbrellas to buyers. By Thursday morning, the organization had no more umbrellas left. In fact, buyers seemed more in picking up umbrellas than they were in purchasing movies.
