Surprise! Films Shine at Cannes

The celebrity circus is upstaged by the best batch of entries in recent memory -- except from Hollywood

Arnold came. Liz and Sly dropped by, and so did the British royals, Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. The Cannes Film Festival boasted the usual honor guard of cinema illuminati. But there was a difference this year. At many recent Cannes convocations, the stars were the show. This time, though, the 23 films competing for the Palme d'Or included many of high quality -- the best batch in recent memory. Since each Cannes festival marks the beginning of the movies' liturgical year, audiences around the world can rest assured that good films are coming soon.

In three of the past four...

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