Archive for the ‘Cannes’ Category
August 17th, 2011 | 
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Scrunched up against neighbouring Cannes, Le Cannet seems swallowed up by its glamorous sister. Now there’s a good reason for visitors to tear themselves away from La Croisette and head uphill to Le Cannet.
The very first museum devoted to the painter, Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947) has now opened its doors in Le Cannet with a smashing new exhibition, titled Bonnard et Le Cannet: Dans La Lumière de La Meéditerranée.
Gathered from such heavyweight museums as the Musee d’Orsay in Paris and the Metropolitan in New York, the exhibition includes such masterpieces as L’Atelier au Mimosa, Baignoir and L’Amandier.
Why Le Cannet? Bonnard fell in love with the colors in the south of France and lived in Le Cannet lived here between 1922 and 1947. High on the hills overlooking Cannes and the sea, he painted some of his most enchanting work.
Naturally, this exhibit concentrates on the works produced during this period as Bonnard captured the glory of the French Riviera in its kaleidoscope of color.
The exhibit will be on display until September 27.
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The Cannes Film Festival has yet to release the selection of films for 2011 but they have announced the president of the jury: Robert De Niro. The 67-year old veteran has already been president of the Cannes Film Festival Jury in the 1980s and has pronounced himself “very honoured and happy to head the jury for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.” And, as co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, this is a man who knows from film festivals.
Not to quibble, but much as I appreciate De Niro in the public eye, I appreciate him a lot more on screen and I don’t mean in a movie with “Fockers” in the title. Why can’t we have another Scorcese-De Niro collaboration? Come on, guys.
As rue Saint Antoine winds its way up to Le Suquet hill overlooking Cannes, there are a number of shops and restaurants set up to tempt the tourists into stopping. You can bypass many of them but don’t miss Le Relais des Semailles if you have any interest whatsoever in fine dining.
The decor is cozy and traditional, perfect for a romantic dinner or a tete a tete among friends. Chef Bertrand Saint-Vannes marries fresh, local products with traditional classic preparation and the result is splendid. The soupe de poisson drew raves from around the table. Asparagus is in season now and was delightfully presented with truffle sauce and a poached egg. Yum. My main course was a free-range chicken with creamy polenta on the side. The light sauce gave the tender chicken a pleasing zing. The dessert was OK; fresh stawberries sat on a crumbly nutty cake with a slice of chocolate on the side. I very much appreciated the amuse-bouche at the beginning of the meal and the freshly-baked bread on the side.
The lunch menu is €34. A bargain! Read more about Cannes restaurants.
Sleek and modern, L’Affable is one of the better mid-range Cannes restaurants. The subtle lighting, modern art and gleaming tableware provide a perfect setting for a business lunch or friendly diner a deux. Chef Jean-Paul Battaglia applies a light touch to his preparations. Nothing is too terribly rich or too terribly spicy. He prefers fish and seafood over meat and does wonderful things with vegetables. I began with a Ceviche garniture mimosa, raw fish with a sprinkling of herbs on the side. The fish was sea-fresh but could have used a little something extra to highlight the flavours. The main course was a perfect dorade served over pureed potatoes married with a light and subtle sauce. But the highlight was an incredible Grand Marnier souffle at the end, a real tour de force, neither too sweet nor too rich (see photo).
The meal was excellent value for money, priced at €38. See the website or more on Cannes restaurants.
During the first 20 minutes of Xavier Beauvois’ Of Gods & Men (Des Hommes et Des Dieux) I thought “Oh no. Another boring Cannes Film Festival auteur special”. Not much happens. A half-dozen monks sing prayers in a rural monastery. They garden and cook. A doctor receives ailing villagers. A young woman wonders whether she’s in love. Ho-hum.
But the film snowballs into a shattering dramatization of the conflict between spirituality and practicality, Christianity and radical Islam and, yes good and evil. Based on a true story of a monastery trying to survive the onslaught of radical Islam as it sweeps through Algeria, the film delves deeply into the predicament of monks trying to decide whether to stay or leave. As violence and terrorism bear down on them, each monk must excavate their souls. What is a good life? How far should their commitment to serve the villagers go? What is the Christian way?
The acting is superb; each monk is highly individualized. With little exposition, we feel as though we know these men intimately and care deeply about them and their fate. Profoundly spiritual and emotionally powerful, this highly intelligent movie is bold enough to ask the big questions and trusts the audience to find their own answers.