The economic downturn may take its toll at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, which opens Wednesday night. But as always, the show will go on.
Studios are cutting back on parties and all the glitz that goes with them, according to news reports. Moreover, there will be fewer people around to cover Cannes, as news organizations around the world trim costs. (Several, in fact, have tightened up by eliminating their movie reviewers.)
Nevertheless, those who attend may see a bumper crop of good and intriguing films, Variety's Jay Weissberg told Reuters. "We've all been hoping Cannes would pull something out of the bag to make us feel good again. On paper, they have."
Leah Rozen, film critic for People magazine, said there are several promising contenders for the Palme d'Or, Cannes' top prize, as well as a number of notable movies premiering out of competition.
"What Cannes really is, is an international festival, and you really see world cinema," she said. "This year, there are 52 films that are going to be represented, of which 20 are in competition." See Rozen talk about some of this year's promising works 
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