The good, the mad and the ugly

There's nothing quite like the Cannes Film Festival, a place where big egos and big mouths are placed under the scrutiny of the media.

I am Milk

MOVIE OF THE WEEK: Shaun de Waal reviews Milk, the story of the late US politician, Harvey Milk. It stars Sean Penn.

Gay Asians outraged over TV censorship of Oscars

Gay Asians voiced indignation on Wednesday after television broadcasts of the Academy Awards in their region censored the words "gay" and "lesbian".

Emotional Cannes triumph for French classroom film

The director of Entre les Murs, the French classroom drama that won the main Cannes film prize said on Sunday he had been deeply moved by the applause that met the film when it was shown at the festival. Entre les Murs (The Class) became the first French film in 21 years to claim the coveted Palme d'Or award at the world's biggest film festival.

Cannes critics cool as film competition nears end

A lack of memorable movies mean the 2008 Cannes film festival is unlikely to live long in the minds of many critics, who argue that after a solid start the main competition faded. With four out of 22 films in the main competition this year yet to screen, critics and journalists struggled to come up with many highlights.

Animation on Beirut bids for top Cannes prize

Repressed memories, the horrors of war and Israel's dubious role in a notorious Beirut refugee camp massacre are the themes of the Cannes film festival's first ever fully-animated documentary. Ari Folman's anti-war movie is premiered in Cannes as Israel celebrates its 60th year of existence and its neighbour Lebanon hits yet another political crisis pushing it to the brink of civil war.

Cannes kicks off with kung-fu pandas, vision of apocalypse

Kicking kung-fu pandas and a chilling Brazilian vision of the apocalypse: the Cannes film festival kicked off on Wednesday blending fun with philosophy, and Hollywood blockbusters with arthouse fare. The world release of the latest long-awaited episode of whip-cracking Indiana Jones is set to be the star act of the 12-day film bonanza.

Coen brothers named best 2007 directors by peers

The Directors Guild of America on Saturday chose Ethan and Joel Coen as best feature film directors for 2007 for their gritty crime drama No Country for Old Men. "It's nice to get the acknowledgment of critics and even audiences, but there is something about being acknowledged by people who do the same thing you do," said Joel Coen.

Final destination

NOT QUITE THE MOVIE OF THE WEEK: Shaun de Waal reviews Into the Wild, directed by Sean Penn.

'Touch my muscles,' Chávez tells Naomi Campbell

Venezuela President Hugo Chávez, in an interview with supermodel Naomi Campbell, predicted that the United States "empire" is about to fall, called Jesus Christ history's number one revolutionary and offered to pose topless. "Why not? Touch my muscles!" the burly 53-year-old former paratrooper said.

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